Open Call: Artistic Commission on Migration

Understanding Migration from Multiple Perspectives

Migration is one of the most significant societal processes in today’s globalised world. With this commission, we wish to approach migration not only as the movement of people across borders—urban, rural, national or continental—but as a broader phenomenon. One that can be understood in nuanced and layered ways, generating new insights into movement and change.

Migration has been a constant part of human history and continues to shape our environments and societies. By highlighting Malmö’s identity as a city shaped by migration, this project aims to foster deeper understandings of diversity and contribute to a broader dialogue on inclusion and equality.

Art, Technology and Science in Dialogue

The commission will serve as a hub for important conversations on migration, with the ambition to elevate perspectives that resonate, encourage reflection, and create space for collective insight. This will be done through a visual narrative that merges art, science and immersive technology. The work will premiere in June 2026 and be followed by public events and educational programmes.

What Are We Looking For?

We are looking for an artist or artistic collective who can create a migration-focused commission rooted in the Malmö context, using immersive technology. The piece should reflect Malmö’s histories, environments and experiences while resonating internationally. The project includes collaboration with academic and civic actors, ensuring that complex knowledge, science and data are meaningfully mediated.

The commissioned artwork will be acquired into Malmö Museum’s collection and shown as long as technically feasible. Documentation of the artistic process will also become a permanent part of the collection.

Applicants should have a clear and integrated focus on migration within their artistic practice, as well as related themes such as movement, identity, belonging, displacement, erasure, and social justice.

Experience with immersive and/or audiovisual digital art is essential—this includes working knowledge of relevant software and hardware, as well as a strong ability to engage audiences through multisensory experiences that seamlessly combine sound, visuals and interactivity.

Experience in working with academic institutions and civil society groups is highly desirable. So is the ability to integrate scientific data or material into artistic work. Familiarity with working with collection objects is a bonus, as the use of items from Malmö Museum’s collection may be possible.

Who Can Apply?

This open call is open to both local and international artists or collectives. The selected artist(s) is expected to carry out approximately 200 hours of on-site work and testing in Malmö throughout the project. Interdisciplinary projects are welcome, but applicants must show strong interest in and the skills necessary for immersive production—regardless of their artistic discipline.

The final work will be a key resource for schools, organisations and general audiences, and will help strengthen Malmö’s position as a city actively working against racism and discrimination. The primary target group is high school students aged 16 to 19. The work must be accessible in both Swedish and English. Educational programmes will be developed alongside the production.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit the following as a single PDF file to roxana.ortiz@cgi.com:

• A project idea related to the theme of migration (max. 300 words)
• An artist CV (max. 1 page)
• A portfolio with 5 selected previous works
• A planning document, including a 9-month production timeline and a proposed production budget (up to 150,000 SEK)

Your compensation will be based on invoicing.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be assessed based on the following:

• Artistic quality, clarity, and originality of the proposed idea
• Relevance to Malmö and the themes of migration, movement, identity, belonging, displacement, erasure and social justice
• Experience with immersive, audiovisual and/or digital art forms
• Experience collaborating with academic and/or civic actors
• Ability to independently manage production and clarity of timeline and budget

Important Dates

• June 16 – July 4, 2025: Period for questions (final day: Friday July 4). Please send questions to roxana.ortiz@cgi.com
• July 27, 2025: Deadline for applications
• August 15–20, 2025: Jury evaluation period
• August 25, 2025: Notification to selected artist(s) and contract drafting
• August 26, 2025: Public announcement of selected project
• September 8–19, 2025: Artist onboarding and initial meetings
• September 2025 – May 2026: Production period (testing in the dome encouraged; testing intervals set in collaboration with Malmö Museum’s technical team)
• June 12–18, 2026: Launch of the final work

The selected artist(s) is expected to attend the premiere and take part in a public event at Malmö Museum during spring 2026.

Support and Resources

The selected artist(s) will receive both curatorial and technical support throughout the process. A dedicated project manager will coordinate external partnerships and serve as liaison between the artist and project partners including Malmö Museum and Malmö Art Museum.

However, the artist is expected to work independently on many aspects of the project and should demonstrate the capacity to do so.

The artist is solely responsible for delivering a digital, immersive work in fulldome format. Technical integration into the Wisdome Malmö system will be supported by in-house technical developers, and implementation will be done in collaboration with them.

Fees and Budget

• Artist’s fee: 200,000 SEK (excluding VAT)
• Production budget: Up to 150,000 SEK, based on submitted planning document
• Travel support: 50,000 SEK for artists not residing in Malmö
• Additional support: Depending on the artistic needs, it may be possible to commission specialised technical expertise for parts of the production. Interactive elements are eligible.

Technical Specifications and Access

Technical documentation for Wisdome Malmö, including available equipment and software, is available via the following link: https://we.tl/t-N38rgmJwwE
(Available in both Swedish and English)

A Call for Diverse Voices

We welcome proposals from artists who reflect the diversity of our city.