cuchifritos curatorial open call
Know before you apply
- Curators with a (Re)Building themed proposal
- Curatorial collectives submitting one joint application
- Curators able to work on-site in NYC
- Students in degree programs not eligible
- Accommodation not provided for non-NYC curators
- Budget amounts confirmed only upon selection
The 2027 Curatorial Open Call asks applicants to engage with the notion of **_(Re)Building_**—an inquiry into how cultural practitioners reconstruct, repair, and reimagine the forms and systems that shape collective life. Proposals may approach rebuilding through material transformation, spatial intervention, archival research, or the reconsideration of social and economic frameworks. Curators are encouraged, though not required, to consider the particular resonance of this theme within the context of Cuchifritos Gallery’s location inside Essex Market, a working city-owned public marketplace that has itself been a site of relocation, reconstruction, and reinvention.
Three exhibitions will be selected through this open call and presented at Cuchifritos Gallery in Fall/Winter 2027-2028.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Proposals will be evaluated according to the following criteria. No single criterion is determinative; evaluation balances multiple factors.
– Artistic and Creative Merit: Originality, conceptual rigor, technical proficiency, and innovative use of materials, methods, or form.
– Cultural and Intellectual Significance: Cultural relevance, intellectual depth, and engagement with a range of ideas, perspectives, or forms of inquiry.
– Relevance to Theme: The degree to which the proposal engages (Re)Building as an artistic and curatorial framework.
– Need to Exhibit at Cuchifritos: A clear articulation of why the proposed exhibition is well-suited to Cuchifritos Gallery + Project Space and its context within Essex Market.
– Feasibility: The practical viability of the proposal within available space, staffing, and resources.
– Artist and Curator Qualifications: Professional background, demonstrated commitment to practice, and relevance of prior work to the proposed project.
Proposals are evaluated without regard to the political, ideological, or social viewpoints expressed in the work. The potential for controversy or disagreement is not grounds for exclusion. AAI does not endorse all ideas presented in the work it exhibits; rather, it provides a platform for artistic inquiry and dialogue consistent with its mission.