On behalf of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), the Mondriaan Fund organises the Netherlands’ participation in the Venice Biennale; Biennale Arte 2028. Through the presentation in the Dutch pavilion, the Mondriaan Fund brings relevant contemporary visual art from the Netherlands and the Caribbean part of the Kingdom to the attention of an international audience, contributing to its international recognition and standing.
Call
The Mondriaan Fund invites teams to submit proposals for the Dutch pavilion in 2028. Teams must consist of at least one curator and one artist, both of whom must be actively engaged in artistic practice and firmly embedded in the professional contemporary visual arts sector in the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. Teams do not need to include a project manager, marketing and communications specialist or editor, as these roles will be fulfilled by the Mondriaan Fund’s permanent Biennale Team. This call is aimed at artists and curators with distinctive practices that have gained national and international recognition. Teams are expected to draw on their experience and artistic position to develop a relevant and topical proposal for the international context of the Venice Biennale.
The Biennale Arte 2028 is an international forum for artistic ideas and perspectives. As such, the proposed presentation must not only be relevant within a national context but also resonate with an international audience.
Principles
The Mondriaan Fund is seeking a proposal that:
- stems from a distinctive and highly regarded professional artistic practice;
- offers a keen insight into current developments within the field of visual arts;
- engages with the zeitgeist and/or current social, cultural, political, technological and/or ecological issues;
- is not only relevant on a national level, but also communicates convincingly within the international context of the Venice Biennale;
- contributes to the international discourse on the role and significance of contemporary art;
- can realistically be delivered within the specified parameters.
Phase 1: Submitting a Proposal
All documents may be submitted in either Dutch or English.
The proposal must include:
- a description of the artistic concept (maximum 2 A4 pages);
- a description of the approach, schedule and outline production budget (maximum 1 A4);
- signed declaration(s) of consent from all parties involved;
- CVs of the artist(s) and curator(s) (maximum 1 A4 per person).
All documents must be combined into a single PDF.
Deadline
Proposals must be submitted by 1 December 2026 at 4PM (Dutch timezone) / 11AM (Caribbean timezone). Proposals submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
Contact person 1 will receive a response before 23 December 2026. All correspondence and submitted proposals will be treated confidentially. Only the selected proposal will be communicated and published in 2027.
Phase 2: Selection Procedure
An international jury will assess the submitted proposals based on the principles above.
The jury will select up to four teams for the shortlist (Phase 2).
The shortlisted teams will be invited at the end of December 2026 to further develop their proposal into a plan.
The teams will present their developed plans to the jury in mid-February 2027.
Each shortlisted team will receive the following funding to develop and present its plan €5,000 (including VAT).
The jury makes the decision on the nomination, which is subsequently ratified by the Commissioner (Director of the Mondriaan Fund).
Phase 3: Project Team
The Mondriaan Fund bears ultimate responsibility for the delivery and implementation of the Dutch entry. From the start of the project (March 2027) until its conclusion (November 2028), the selected team will form a project team with the Mondriaan Fund’s permanent Biennale Team (project manager, communications adviser, graphic designer and editor). Working in close collaboration, the project team will provide regular progress updates to the jury and the Mondriaan Fund through a structured series of review meetings covering the concept design, preliminary design and final design stages.
Budget
The project budget for the presentation, installation and dismantling is €500,000, including VAT, excluding fees.
If the maximum available budget is exceeded, applicants must indicate in advance in their funding plan how the additional costs will be covered. No additional funding may be requested from the Mondriaan Fund. The project as a whole must not be intended to generate profit.
Questions & contact
Questions about the call? Send an email to arqreynaqfcnivywbra@zbaqevnnasbaqf.ay.
FAQ
How does the Mondriaan Fund define visual artists?
The Mondriaan Fund defines visual artists as all those who work professionally in one or more of the disciplines of drawing, painting, printmaking, graphic art, sculpture, (social) sculpture and installation art, conceptual or performance art, artistic research, non-traditional forms of visual art, photography, audiovisual, digital, sound or (new) media art, visual arts applications or art in public spaces.
What is a curator and/or art observer according to the Mondriaan Fund?
In this category of curators, art observers, critics and researchers, the Mondrian Fund assumes that the applicant is professionally active in the field of contemporary visual arts or cultural heritage. A curator or art observer carries out projects that lead to the deepening of knowledge, visibility and insight in contemporary visual art or cultural heritage in the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
Is it possible to submit a proposal as an independent curator and/or art observer, or do you need to be affiliated with an organisation or institution?
Yes, that is possible. To be eligible, visual artists, art observers and curators must be active in the fields of visual art and be part of the professional arts and/or heritage sector in the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. Proposals must demonstrate expertise in terms of the artistic concept, as well as its feasibility from both a practical and financial perspective.
What are the requirements regarding the nationality and/or place of residence of those involved in the proposal?
To be eligible for participation, at least one visual artist, and at least one art observer and curator of the team must be active in the fields of visual art and/or cultural heritage and be part of the professional arts and/or heritage sector in the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. Team members who do not hold Dutch nationality may, if applicable, submit an extract from the population register (issued within the past year). If a team consists of multiple artists/curators, it is not required for everyone to hold Dutch nationality. If any team members have a nationality other than Dutch, this must be indicated on their CV. This applies to all artists, curators and/or art critics on whose behalf the proposal is submitted.
Why does the proposal have to engage with the zeitgeist?
The Venice Biennale is an international forum for artistic ideas and perspectives. As such, the proposed presentation must not only be relevant within a national context but also resonate with an international audience. The Dutch Pavilion promotes the significance of contemporary visual art from the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom within a global artistic context. The presentation thus serves not only as an artistic experience but also as a cultural mirror. The Dutch Pavilion presents work that conveys a sense of urgency, retains its relevance and engages with the questions, challenges and opportunities of our time.
What is a presentation according to the Mondriaan Fund?
A presentation does not necessarily have to take the form of an exhibition or the display of objects. Other forms of presentation are also possible, such as public programmes, collective practices or other forms of knowledge exchange and gathering. Some artistic and curatorial practices focus not on the final outcome, but rather on the process of collaboration or coming together. Proposals in which a community, network, exchange or collective knowledge production forms the core of the presentation are also welcome. What matters is that the proposal convincingly demonstrates how audiences, participants and/or communities involved can access and engage with the artistic, conceptual and societal significance of the project, within the context of the Venice Biennale and in accordance with the stated guiding principles.