Naturalist Gallery Surrealism Exhibition

Naturalist Gallery of Contemporary Art is conducting a curatorial review for the Surrealism Exhibition. Selected works will be presented online as part of a structured exhibition program examining contemporary approaches to surrealist thought, imagery, and methodology. Accepted works will be listed for sale within the exhibition for a minimum duration of sixty (60) days.

OPEN CALL FOR EXHIBITION: Naturalist Gallery Surrealism Exhibition

“Surrealism is destructive, but it destroys only what it considers to be shackles limiting our vision.” – Salvador Dalí

Surrealism occupies a distinct position in the history of modern and contemporary art as a mode of practice concerned with disruption of rational order, the interrogation of perception, and the articulation of unconscious or displaced realities. While historically associated with specific movements and figures, surrealist strategies continue to appear in contemporary practice through varied material, conceptual, and psychological approaches.

The Surrealism Exhibition at Naturalist Gallery of Contemporary Art examines how contemporary artists engage surrealist logic today, whether through symbolic distortion, associative imagery, altered narratives, dream structures, irrational juxtapositions, or the reconfiguration of familiar forms.

The exhibition is not intended to reproduce historical surrealism, but to situate current works that operate within, extend, or critically reinterpret its underlying concerns.

Submissions are reviewed with attention to conceptual coherence, formal decision-making, and contextual relevance. Works are evaluated in relation to the exhibition’s curatorial framework and to broader contemporary discourse, rather than stylistic adherence alone.

This call is open internationally to artists working in all visual media, excluding video.

Exhibition Inclusion

Artists whose works are selected through curatorial review will be included in the Surrealism Exhibition. Exhibition inclusion constitutes the primary curatorial outcome of this call.

Selected works will:

• be documented and archived as part of the Surrealism Exhibition

• be presented within the exhibition’s public presentation for a minimum of sixty (60) days

• be made available for sale under Naturalist Gallery’s net pricing model

Optional Institutional Placements
In addition to exhibition inclusion, selected artists may be considered for optional institutional placements within Naturalist Gallery’s broader curatorial framework. These placements are discretionary and not guaranteed.

Available placements may include:
Featured Collection Placement – Selected works may be presented within the NGCA Featured Collection on the gallery’s homepage for a limited duration. Additional fee applies.
New Arrivals Curated Placement – Selected works may be included in the New Arrivals collection documenting recently reviewed artists. Additional fee applies.
Institutional Publication Inclusion – Selected artists may be considered for inclusion in a formally authored editorial publication. Additional fee applies.

Review Process
All submissions are reviewed by a panel consisting of members of Naturalist Gallery’s curatorial team. All submissions are reviewed; not all are advanced to public presentation.

Application Fee
Artists submitting work for review are required to pay a one-time application fee of $30.

TIMELINE:
Application Opens: 10/19/26

Application Deadline: 10/26/26

Jury Dates: 10/19/26 – 10/27/26

Exhibition Dates: 10/27/26 – 12/26/26

[Minimum of 1 Artwork]

[Maximum of 20 Artworks]

Submissions are open internationally to established and emerging artists aged 18 years or older.

All visual art media are eligible, excluding video.