Convocatoria Arte Abierto 2026

PRESENTATION

Since the beginning Open Art, Art for All has as mission forging an exhibition space accessible to the plastic production of artists. Throughout seventeen editions, the call has been faithful to the statement that Leopoldo Flores published in 1976: “"…We must manifest our works, more in accordance with the times, a young art, a dynamic art, a revolutionary art, an OPEN ART...” In response to this statement, the “Leopoldo Flores” University Museum embraces his objectives to recognize the plastic production of those who have struggled to express a social positioning through art.

Leopoldo Flores was a muralist and painter of large format works who, in order to generate the conditions to spark dialogues between the various alternative aesthetic expressions and reasonable lines of contemporary art, stood for the opening of new aesthetic and social spaces throughout his career. Open Art is the hinge that pushes social differences into aesthetic coincidences.

Open Art, Art for All lso recognizes the work of D.H.C. Leopoldo Flores Valdés as a cultural seeker which is alive in his legacy at the MULF through twenty uninterrupted years of work, eighteen calls and museum halls covered with novel artistic expressions of painting, sculpture, graphics, installation, sound art, video, and performance. As a contemporary art museum, this heritage allows us to keep abreast of the times and in line with the needs of contemporary artistic production, and at the same time continue an experience that has led to constant renewal for 40 years.

THE CALL

The annual call Open Art, Art for All, has made possible to house various contemporary artistic expressions, such as painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, graphics, video, sound art, installation, video art, and interactive pieces at the museum facilities, specifically at halls “D” and “E”. This has allowed the audience to connect with heterogeneous discourses in various means, becoming a witness of the evolution of art in both its discursive and narrative sense.

This call dates to the 70s, when artists of the time questioned institutions and galleries work on the endeavors of art and the little openness towards plastic experimentation. At that time, local artists took over various urban spaces in Toluca which through artistic actions got open to community participation, such as the ephemeral mural, a creative act that led to the movement Open Art.

In parallel with international artistic trends, Leopoldo Flores envisioned a movement that would demand and reflect on the need to have open spaces for both artists and artistic production at that time. In the city of Toluca, he started a movement accompanied by colleagues of which he would publish a manifesto in August 1976.

The Open Art, Art for All call is unique in its kind. An external jury selects two exhibition projects to be showcased separately in halls at the “Leopoldo Flores” University Museum, traditionally assigned for the purpose, in a minimum duration of 6 weeks over the course of the year. Each of the projects show coherence between the conceptualization of a theme and the way of turning it into an artistic object. To complement the recognition of these works, each of will be assigned an economic incentive of $30,000.00 (thirty thousand Mexican pesos 00/100 MXN) to foster artistic production.

During the 18 years in which the call has been published, submissions from different countries such as Colombia, Argentina, Italy, United States, Spain, Germany, Peru, South Korea, Argentina, Cuba, Brazil, Chile, Canada, Venezuela, Great Britain, and of course Mexico, among others, have been received, proving its international impact.

CALL

The Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, through the Secretariat of Identity and Culture, the Directorate of Museums and Galleries, and the "Leopoldo Flores" University Museum (MULF), and pursuant to Articles 1, 2 sections II, V and XI, 16, and 34 of the Law of the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico; Articles 1, 2, 62 sections I, II, III and XII, 63, 133 and 134 of the University Statute of the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico; and Articles 1, 3, 5, 9, 11 and 24 of the Regulation of Cultural Promotion of the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, as well as all other applicable provisions of University Legislation.

CALL

Open to all artists to participate in the

OPEN ART, ART FOR ALL

ANNOUNCES

With the aim of addressing growing global tensions, armed conflicts, and different forms of discrimination, this call seeks to generate dialogue through artistic production that questions and builds new perspectives on non-violence, diversity, and social justice, through projects that explore the realities of the contemporary world from a critical and socially engaged perspective, under the following:

REQUIREMENTS

FIRST. ELIGIBLE MEDIA

Exhibition projects may be submitted in painting, sculpture, printmaking, object art, installation, photography, video, media art, and mixed media.
Exhibition projects may incorporate one or more techniques, depending on the nature of the proposal.

SECOND. PARTICIPANTS

Mexican and foreign artists of legal age may participate.
Applications may be submitted individually or collectively.
Participants are responsible for all necessary and indispensable actions related to the realization of their exhibition.

THIRD. DOCUMENTATION

At the time of registration, participants must submit the following documentation in PDF format, with one file for each section:

Official identification (official ID, passport, or driver's license). In the case of a collective, one identification document for each participant must be submitted in a single file, and a representative must be appointed by means of a letter signed by all members of the group.
A brief CV of no more than one page (in the case of a collective, all CVs must be included in the same file).
Project Dossier

Exhibition statement (maximum two pages).
Description of the work(s), including dimensions, technique, and number of pieces.
Photographs of each work included in the exhibition project, together with their technical information (title, materials, dimensions, year).
In the case of audio and/or video works, a link must be included.
In the case of installation, a layout drawing and installation instructions must be attached.

The Project Dossier must be submitted under a pseudonym and must not include any information that reveals the identity of the author. If any identifying information is included, the project will be disqualified.

FOURTH. REGISTRATION

Participants must register on the official website http://arteabierto.uaemex.mx, by completing the following steps:

Fill in the personal information form.
Upload the documentation in the format required under section three of this call.
Verify that all information provided is correct.

All further communication will be through the email address provided by the participant.

The registration period will remain open from the date of publication of this call until May 31, 2026.

Incomplete or untimely regisrations will no be considered.

FIFTH. SELECTION PROCESS

A jury, composed of specialists in the field, will evaluate and select the three best projects according to the following criteria:

Overall conceptual strength of the exhibition project.
Coherence between concept and execution.
Technical management and development of the work.
Contribution to the field of visual arts.

The jury's decision shall be final.

Selected participants will be notified by email at museolf@uaemex.mx, and the results will also be published on the website http://arteabierto.uaemex.mx on June 16, 2026.

SIXTH. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

Participants are obliged to vouch for the authorship and originality of the submitted exhibition project, thereby releasing the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico from any present or future claims that may arise in this regard.
Participants are obliged to vouch for the authorship, originality, and public and social impact of the submitted work, releasing the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico from any third-party claims.
The intellectual property rights of selected participants shall be recognized at all times. These individuals shall assume responsibility for the authorship and originality of their work and will therefore be required to sign the corresponding legal instrument in accordance with the Federal Copyright Law and its current regulations, through which they will authorize the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico to use their work free of charge, on an exclusive and non-profit basis, as well as to review, reproduce, and include the content of the exhibition project in the catalog.

NOTE: The corresponding form will be sent via email, and this process will be formalized in person at the University Museum "Leopoldo Flores" at the time the work is delivered.

SEVENTH. EXHIBITION

The selected projects will be exhibited individually in "Room D" or "Room E" at the MULF during 2026, for a minimum duration of six weeks, as established in the terms of reference.

EIGHTH. PRIZES

Each of the three selected projects will receive the following:

Exhibition in "Room D" or "Room E" at the MULF during 2026, for a minimum duration of six weeks.
A financial award of $30,000.00 MXN (thirty thousand Mexican pesos 00/100 MXN), to be delivered in a single payment on the opening day.
Printed certificate of participation.
Catalogue and/or brochure, poster, and invitations (subject to the assigned budget).
Promotion of the exhibition through all available electronic media.
Insurance coverage for the works during the exhibition period and up to 10 days after the close of the exhibition, in accordance with the applicable policy and the form provided by the museum, to be signed by the selected artists, when applicable depending on the nature of the work.

NINTH. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Participation in this call implies full acceptance of its rules and terms of reference.
Cases not foreseen Will be resolved by the organizing committee.
Expenses not foreseen in this call shall be borne by the participant.
The jury may declare the call void if the submitted projects do not meet the provisions established herein.
This call shall enter into force upon its publication.

PRIVACY NOTICE

The personal data collected through this call for applications shall be processed in accordance with the privacy notice available at https://www.uaemex.mx/avisos/Aviso_Privacidad.pdf, and in compliance with the legal provisions applicable to the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico regarding transparency and personal data protection.

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"Hall D" and "Hall E"

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