2027 Festival Open Call

Description

Open Call & Submission Guidelines

Ras Al Khaimah Art 2027 Festival

6th April – 5th June 2026

Artists are invited to submit works responding to the 2027 Festival theme
“Lost in Translation.”

About Ras Al Khaimah Art

Founded in 2013 by the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research, the Ras Al Khaimah Art Festival has grown from a modest gathering of 30 emerging local artists into the Emirate’s leading art and cultural festival.

Formerly known as the Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival, it has since evolved into Ras Al Khaimah Art—a dynamic creative platform that supports both local and international talents through its annual Festival, grants, masterclasses, workshops, and year-round programming. Set within the historic Al Jazeera Al Hamra Heritage Village, the Festival serves as a distinctive space where global artistic practice meets Emirati cultural heritage.

Festival Visual

The Theme

For the Ras Al Khaimah Art 2027 Festival, we invite you to submit your proposals around the theme of "Lost in Translation." Inspired by Sofia Coppola's iconic film Lost in Translation (2003), the festival takes “translation” as a central idea and metaphor. It is not only about language but also about emotions, culture, and the experience of being in a place where you do not fully belong. It is about the distance between people, quiet loneliness, and the deep human desire to transform and connect even when understanding seems incomplete.

It becomes a framework for thinking about transformation and adaptation in today’s world. Many people move between countries, cultures, and identities. They adjust to new environments, new expectations, and new ways of living. But what does this process demand emotionally? What does it mean to search for your place in a world that feels unfamiliar? When does adapting make you stronger, and when does it make you feel invisible?

This exhibition invites artists to explore the experience of being “in between.” In between languages, in between cultures, in between past and present versions of oneself. It encourages works that reflect miscommunication, emotional distance, or the quiet effort it takes to feel understood. Artists might think about migration, memory, belonging, or the tension between private identity and public role. They may explore how meaning changes when it moves from one context to another, or how spaces and landscapes can create either connection or isolation.

Lost in Translation is about discovery. It suggests that moments of uncertainty can lead to deeper self-understanding. Through the experience of difference and adaptation, new forms of connection, strength, and identity can emerge.

Who Can Apply

The open call welcomes artists and filmmakers from all nationalities and backgrounds, regardless of gender, religion, or geographic location.

Applicants can apply under one category only:

Emerging Artists – Artists developing their practice and beginning to exhibit professionally, including those currently enrolled in or recently graduated from artistic programs.
Established Artists – Artists with a sustained professional practice and a minimum of two solo exhibitions in galleries, museums, or comparable institutions.
Filmmakers – Emerging filmmakers working in narrative, documentary, or animation formats, with at least one short film previously screened publicly.
Students – Young artists enrolled in K–12 education, ages 6–19.

Eligible Medium

Photography
Painting / Drawing
Sculpture / Installation
Video Art
Short Film (Narrative, Documentary, or Animation)

General Submission Requirements

Applicants must submit:
Up to two (2) related artworks per medium, in no more than two (2) different mediums (maximum of four [4] artworks in total)
A statement (maximum 100 words) describing the work and its connection to the theme
Personal details, CV, and biography (maximum 200 words)
No submission fee.
Works previously submitted to the Festival within the last four years are not eligible.
Failure to provide final materials by stated deadlines may result in exclusion.

Technical Specifications

Photography, Paintings, and Drawings

Image size: Up to 2 MB
Accepted formats: JPG, JPEG, PNG, PDF

High-resolution files are not required at the submission stage and will only be requested if the work is selected.

Video Art

A brief description of the work
Link for free viewing (YouTube, Vimeo, or equivalent platform)
12 minutes maximum
Non-English video art must include English subtitles

Sculpture Requirements

Sculptures and Installations

At submission, artists must upload:

An image of the sculpture or installation
A manual drawing or digital rendering of the work
Full technical details, including materials used, physical dimensions, weight, and installation requirements

Please note that sculptures and installations must:

Be suitable for outdoor display
Withstand UAE climate conditions, including heat, humidity, wind, dust, and direct sunlight
Be structurally stable and safe for public interaction
Avoid hazardous, fragile, or perishable materials
Be either shippable to the Festival site or proposed as site-specific installations

Selection Timeline

6 April – 5 June 2026 — Open call for submissions
5 June 2026 — Submission deadline
30 July 2026 — Selection notifications sent by email
15 August 2026 — Final documentation due from selected artists
11 December 2026 — Arrival of selected sculptures/installations on site
22 January 2027 — Festival opening

Awards

Grand Jury Prize — One overall winning work across all mediums
AED 12,000 + Trophy
Website feature and press mention
Photo of the Year — 1st Prize: AED 6,000 + Trophy / 2nd Prize: AED 4,000 + Trophy
Painting/Drawing of the Year — 1st Prize: AED 6,000 + Trophy / 2nd Prize: AED 4,000 + Trophy
Sculpture/Installation of the Year — AED 6,000 + Trophy
Video Art of the Year — AED 6,000 + Trophy
Best Documentary Short Film — AED 6,000 + Trophy
Best Narrative Short Film — AED 6,000 + Trophy
Best Student Artwork — 6–12 years old: AED 2,000 + Trophy / 11–19 years old: AED 2,000 + Trophy

Register & Apply

General Conditions of Entry

Original Work

All works must be original and created by the artist. By submitting work, the artist represents and warrants that the work does not infringe upon any third-party rights, including but not limited to copyright, trademark, moral rights, or rights of privacy.

Content Guidelines

The Ras Al Khaimah Art Festival is a public event suitable for all audiences. Works containing explicit violence, sexual content, or offensive material may be excluded.

Copyright

Artists must hold the full legal rights, title, and interest in the submitted works. The Festival or its organizers shall not be liable for any claims, disputes, or legal actions arising from copyright infringement or unauthorized use of third-party material by the artist.

Use of Images and Promotional Rights

By submitting work, artists grant the Festival a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to photograph, publish, display, or otherwise use images of the submitted work for promotional and non-commercial purposes, including but not limited to:

Festival catalogues
Press releases and media coverage
Marketing and promotional materials
Website and social media channels

AI-Generated and AI-Assisted Work

Artists must disclose at the time of submission whether the work has been created, in whole or in part, using artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including generative AI.

If AI tools are used:

The artist must clearly describe the extent and nature of such use of AI tools.
The artist represents and warrants that they have the legal right to use any AI-generated content and that such content does not infringe upon any third-party rights.

The Festival reserves the right to accept, reject, or categorize AI-assisted or AI-generated works at its sole discretion.

Failure to disclose the use of AI may result in disqualification or removal of the work at any stage.

Shipping and Logistics (Sculpture and Installation)

Selected artists are responsible for all shipping, transport, and installation costs.

Sales

The Festival does not mediate artwork sales but may connect interested buyers directly with artists.

Compliance

The Festival Committee reserves the right to disqualify or remove any submission that does not comply with these guidelines at any stage.

User Entry Process Tutorial