Open Call :: Color in the Water 10 | Heterotopia: City, Landscape, Human

The initiative for the promotion of contemporary watercolor “Color in Water” invites painters to submit their artworks to  in participating in the 10th international exhibition themed “Heterotopia: city, landscape, human.”

The exhibition will take place in an established art gallery in Athens in physical form, while it will also be available internationally online through the ARTgrID platform. The official languages of the exhibition are Greek and English, and a commemorative catalog –a digital book in both languages– will be published.

Theme and Type of artworks. To participate in the exhibition, you can submit watercolor paintings on paper, with acceptable materials being water-soluble media on paper (watermedia, watercolor, water-soluble inks, pencils, powders, natural water-soluble pigments, as well as alternative media such as tea or coffee). 

The artworks can engage with the theme in any way the creator deems appropriate. Indicatively, you can submit artworks of natural or urban landscapes, as well as anthropocentric works focusing on existential issues. The artworks can be in any style, whether representational or abstract.

If selected, you will be asked to send your artworks on paper (without framing) as the organization will frame your artworks for the exhibition, provided they are of a size equal to or smaller than 38X56 centimeters or 56X38 centimeters (known also as “half imperial paper size”). You may also submit artworks of larger dimensions, but if selected, you will need to frame them yourself for the exhibition at your own expense and deliver  them  framed.

Who can participate. Artists over the age of 18, residing anywhere in the world, regardless of origin or nationality, may participate in the exhibition, if selected.

Conceptual Framework. The “Heterotopia” exhibition explores the relationship between humans and landscapes from different perspectives. Through this exploration, painting, and especially watercolor, has contributed over the past two centuries to the feedback loop between the search for the ideal between natural and urban landscapes. Michel Foucault, with his theory of “Heterotopia,” also approached the concept of space, introducing the idea that certain spaces, like cities, function as “other” spaces within society, spaces where social norms are overturned or expressed in different ways. Cities as heterotopias are places where social relations can be reconsidered or reshaped, highlighting the complexity of urban life. One of the most well-known theories related to the impact of the natural environment on mental health is the Biophilia Hypothesis, introduced by Edward O. Wilson in 1984, which posits that humans have an innate tendency to connect with nature and living systems. The lack of contact with the natural environment can lead to psychological problems, such as anxiety and depression, while exposure to natural landscapes can have healing properties.