Invisible Hopes

Open Call for visual artists to participate with their artworks in the exhibition “Invisible Hopes,” curated and conceived by Art Curator Paris Kapralos, in collaboration with the European Women’s Network. The exhibition will take place at the Alma Mater art gallery in Exarchia, Athens, featuring artists from Greece and around the world. The official languages of the exhibition are Greek and English, and a commemorative catalog – book will be published in digital format in both languages. The exhibition will also be available internationally online via the ARTgrID platform for one month.

Eligibility. European artists can submit their artworks for review following the instruction for submission mentioned below. 

Accepted Artworks. You may submit paintings of any style/materials, printmaking, photography, digital art, collage, and video art that engage in any way the artist sees fit with the theme.

Exhibition Theme / Conceptual Framework. In Europe, a staggering number of 250,000 children are reported missing every year – that’s one child disappearing every two minutes. It is often said that children are the hope for a better world. They are the ones who will shape tomorrow, through their values, choices, and actions. For nearly 40 years, May 25th – the reflective date from which this exhibition draws inspiration – has been dedicated to missing children and those who remain invisible to society. International Missing Children’s Day is not just a reminder but a call to action. Children go missing for many reasons. Family disputes, fleeing domestic violence, online grooming, and human trafficking networks—dangers are everywhere. Abductions by strangers are fewer but extremely concerning, as they are linked to exploitation and violence, while mental or neurodevelopmental disorders make some minors more vulnerable. The situation of unaccompanied minors arriving in Europe without documents, fleeing war and extreme poverty, is particularly harrowing. Thousands disappear every year, many falling victim to traffickers. Europol has confirmed cases of sexual abuse, forced labor, and organ trafficking. Without legal protection, they remain invisible—at borders, in shelters, and even on the streets of major cities. 

Raising social awareness is vital. Every missing child is a matter that concerns us all: it is one less hope for the future of the world.