Wiro Mag: Basalte

Interested in having your art published, printed, and posted directly to your door? Participate alongside a diverse network of incredible artists, underpinned by this iteration's theme: Basalte. Wiro Mag welcomes both emerging and established artists to feature in this second installation of the series. All art in any medium related to this theme is welcome!

Wiro Mag is a paperbound gallery space designed to capture art practice in motion, seeking to connect emerging and established artists with broader audiences, gain reputable and high-quality exposure, and drive intimate conversations with creative individuals or collectives.

Wiro Mag: Basalte is a celebration of earth, rock, and hard matter that makes up our planet. Work displaying or engaging with themes such as rock, geology, crystals, earth, and natural structures is invited to be featured in a bespoke double-page spread.

A chiselled stump of yew is meticulously shaped and eroded into an imposing slab of matter, showcasing a rugged, rock-like surface that mimics geological formations and cliff faces.

In knowing the material used to create this work, we are reminded that we are all derived from the same matter; our divergence from the ground we walk on isn't as great as we may initially suspect.

An energetic and dynamic abstract painting commands our attention. Neutral pigments of ochre and sienna, mixed with earth and sand, transcend the second dimension, commanding our imagination to visualise a natural landscape with formidable structures.

The use of natural and organic materials encourages reflection on our own consumption of materials and what legacy our actions will leave behind after we are gone.

An earthenware tea set exhibits every shade of teal across its glossy, yet irregular surface. Each element is carefully shaped, preserving the hands, fingers, and skin of its maker.

This work is a testament to how closely aligned our actions can be with natural, humble materials such as clay—even in the form of sharing and consuming hot beverages.

A black-and-white photograph depicts sharp, shattered rock, littering a pit amongst precious metals, broken or discarded tools, and heavy equipment.

This work encapsulates the scope of intensive mining operations, calling into question the importance of the products derived from the materials they extract, as well as the scale of these violent and brutal scars left in the landscape.

These are just some of the ways in which the theme of Basalte could be captured in the work you submit.

Wiro Mag invites you to challenge these criteria and push the boundaries of how rock and earth can be depicted or expressed through art practice.

About the publication

• Hand-designed and curated page by page
• Staple bound and digitally printed on heavy, opaque, and high-quality paper for the best visibility and legibility.
• A5 portrait (210 x 148 mm).
• Displayed circulated at book fairs around the UK in retailers, galleries, and online—putting your work, bio, and contact information in the hands of thousands of individuals every year, such as curators, enthusiasts, event organisers, and like-minded artists.
• Featured on su4ip.cargo.site under publications, as well as via the SU4IP Instagram. (Here, you will also find all of the installations of the predecessor to Wiro Mag Artist Book by SU4IP, as well as other SU4IP publications.)
• All art showcased in the publication is property of each respective artist involved! Participating in this project simply allows me the right to curate it in this format.

Costs

It is free to submit to this opportunity. If you are successful, you will be asked to pay a fee of £35 to cover the design, printing, packaging, and postage of a copy of the publication to be sent to you, as well as the promotion and distribution to retailers, galleries, book fairs, and online.

Selection Criteria

All artists who apply to these opportunities undergo a selection process based on relevance to the theme, demonstration of enthusiasm towards work, and quality of the submission (e.g. photo quality, detail/richness of writing.)