Swamplands Open Call

We are thrilled to announce the selected Swamplands open call exhibition alongside frieze magazine.

Building on their exploration of the complex relationship between water, indigenous communities, and global infrastructure, Jingru (Cyan) Cheng and Chen Zhan utilize film installation to engage with the hidden narratives of Thailand’s indigenous people and their entanglement with hydroelectric power and international energy networks. For the artists, water represents a multifaceted element: a life source, a disruptor, a tool of displacement, and a connector of distant lands.

The works on view will delve into the intertwined dynamics of resource extraction and the impact of industrial processes on both local environments and global networks. In this context, the installation recontextualizes iconic sites such as Thailand’s Vajiralongkorn Dam Reservoir and Singapore’s Jewel waterfall, tracing the material flows that link these places while highlighting the often-overlooked consequences for the communities affected. Through extensive fieldwork, the artists use film to reveal how the energy that powers cities far from its source is deeply rooted in the life worlds of displaced peoples, turning Storefront into a space of reflection on the intersections of energy, environment, and indigenous resilience.

The exhibition will open at Storefront in January 2025. 

Read the full announcement here.

Storefront for Art and Architecture and frieze magazine launch Swamplands: Open Call, an opportunity for artists, architects, researchers, writers, and collectives to propose an exhibition to be presented at our gallery space at 97 Kenmare in January, 2025.

We are in search of projects focused on the ethical and technical entanglements of water through diverse forms of artistic practice, including photography, video, performance, installation, architecture, and other media. Proposals should take the form of a solo exhibition. Collaborations across different professional fields/practices are welcome.

The selected proposal will be chosen by an international jury of curators, scholars, and cultural practitioners  through a blind review process.  The selected project will demonstrate a strong exhibition idea and the applicant’s engagement with the subject matter, as well as the project’s feasibility with regards to the budget and timeline, and its responsiveness to Swamplands series and Storefront’s mission at large.

This proposal will receive a budget of $10,000, an artist fee of $2,500, and institutional support to produce and present a month-long exhibition that will be on view from January 18 to Feb 17, 2025. This opportunity is open to applicants at any stage of their careers regardless of experience level or background. Neither a curriculum vitae nor letters of recommendation are requested. There are no fees involved at any stage of the process. Storefront cannot cover relocation or travel costs beyond the exhibition budget, in case the applicant is not based in New York.

To find out more about Swamplands series please click here.

Jingru (Cyan) Cheng and Chen Zhan were selected as the winners of the Open Call by a jury including Sarah Herda, Director, Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts; Yina Jiménez Suriel, The Current IV Curatorial Fellow, TBA21–Academy; Inés Katzenstein, Curator of Latin American Art and Director of Patricia Phelps de Cisneros Research Institute for the Study of Art from Latin America, MoMA; Humberto Moro, Deputy Director of Program, Dia Art Foundation; Gean Moreno, Director, Knight Foundation Art + Research Center, ICA Miami; and Diya Vij, Curator, Creative Time.