OPEN CALL - TAC AWARD 2026 SIXTH EDITION SUPPORTED BY ALSERKAL​

Organized annually, The Art Circle Award aims to supports the local art scene by showcasing talented artists. 

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A jury of art and culture professionals ensures visibility for participants among curators and cultural leaders. The award winner will receive a financial prize and the artwork will be part of The Art Circle collection.

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• Open call deadline: September 10th, 2026.

• Open to UAE Nationals and residents (18+ years, men and women, no entry fee).

• Medium: Painting & mixed media (no digital techniques).

• Artwork size: Minimum 40 cm, maximum 80 cm per side.

• Framing: Simple wooden American-style frame (max 3 cm width, no glass/Plexiglas).

• Labelling: Artist’s name, surname, and artwork title must be on the back. Front signatures are not accepted. 

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Theme: On Mending

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In a world that is becoming increasingly broken, what does it mean to mend… a city, a body, a people, a planet? Especially as the breaking rages on.

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Mending is not restoration, nor is it the total act of repair. Mending admits that it can never erase a wound, nor does it pretend that the breakage never occurred. It is the act of remaining present inside destruction and making something, a stitch, a mark, a colour, a form that insists on continuity. Mending is both an act of love and an act of resistance.

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Artists are invited to respond to the idea of mending in its widest sense: the personal and the political, the intimate and the collective, the rupture that emits a story, the scar that becomes a map, the fragment that evokes a whole.​

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Winner Announcement: Unveiled at the exhibition opening.

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Finalists’ works will be exhibited, with the winner receiving a financial award of AED 20,000. All finalists receive a certificate of participation and social media coverage.

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The winning artwork will be reproduced in Giclée Prints and offered to various art specialists and directors of major art institutions as well as artists and collectors during 2027 collaborations and exchanges. 

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The original artwork will be part of The Art Circle Collection.

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See full Terms & Conditions and Guidelines for Artists HERE