ISLANDS 2025: MEMORY — Open Call for Emerging Artists

In collaboration with Caravel Art Center & ARTEM – Artistic and Cultural Association

Each year, Caravel Art Center and ARTEM join forces to present a new edition of the Islands exhibition — a platform for artists connected to Madeira Island.

Organized as part of the Art Hub Madeira residency program, this initiative is especially committed to supporting young and emerging talents from the island.

This year’s theme is MEMORY.

MANIFESTO:

 We choose an original term or subject every year that reflects what's crucial to people in the arts and to everyone else right now. We take in the world around us and try to identifythe things that seem most pressing and relevant.

We move on to Memory in 2025.Things are evolving at a rate no one has seen before. Conflicts persist. With cyberattacks, the boundaries between fact and fiction become more porous. As soon as we scroll past tragic events, we quickly disregard them.

We wonder, in the middle of this chaos, what has stayed with us.Here are the things we must always keep in mind.

This year, we're encouraging creatives to look into their family trees, beginnings, and personal and shared history. To make sense of the here and now, we gaze past.In order to picture a future, we forget.

This year we ask:

What do you remember?

What should never be forgotten?

We invite artists to explore their roots, their beginnings, and their personal or collective stories.To make sense of the present, we look to the past.To imagine the future, we begin with memory.

Opportunities for Artists

The Islands 2025: MEMORY open call is aimed at artists based on Madeira Island or with a strong personal connection to it. We especially encourage young and emerging artists to apply.

Selected participants will:

• Exhibit a minimum of 5 works at Caravel Art Center (works stay for the full 2-month exhibition)

• Collaborate with the curatorial team and take part in promotional activities

• Be invited to lead free public workshops or talks (material support up to €100)

• Have access to an open studio space to create and share their process

• Gain visibility through interviews, press, and social media coverage

The exhibition is co-funded by the Municipality of Funchal, and all sales are managed transparently with a standard gallery commission.

🗓️ Deadline: July 1, 2025

📍 Location: Caravel Art Center, Funchal, Madeira

This is more than an exhibition — it’s a creative residency, a platform, and a chance to be part of Madeira’s growing art community.Whether you’re just starting out or looking to expand your practice, this is your space.

APPLY NOW