OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTS
Project Duration: 1 October 2026 – 31 December 2027
Artist Fee: €3,000.00
Production costs: up to a maximum of €1,000.00
Artform: participatory and socially engaged visual arts (including but not limited to photography, film, digital, sound, small installation)
ABOUT THE WONDER PROJECT
Women have played a crucial role in the fight against fascism, recognizing it as a serious threat to world peace and actively contributing to the democratic transition. They have fought for justice, freedom and peace: their sacrifice, often forgotten in great historical reconstructions, remains an essential pillar of collective memory.
The project aims to explore and valorize the contribution of European women in the Resistance during the Second World War, highlighting their protagonism in the post-war democratic transition and promoting a strengthened awareness of the value of female participation in the consolidation of democracies and the protection of fundamental rights. For decades, women’s contributions to the Resistance have remained largely invisible at the historiographical and institutional levels, relegated to a secondary role compared to the male narrative of the Liberation Struggle. This approach has diminished the impact of women who performed vital tasks in the anti-fascist network, such as intelligence gathering, clandestine propaganda, liaison between groups, and logistical support. Even the institutional criteria for recognition and awarding have penalized female participation, adopting almost exclusively military parameters.
WONDER strives to give voice to this silenced resistance, recognizing and valorizing the contribution of women as leaders, fighters, organizers, messengers and active supporters of the anti-fascist cause. Through this call, the project will collect testimonies, photographs, historical documents and personal stories that document the role and contribution of European female resistance fighters. The material collected will be reworked by artists selected within the project, and turned into works of art, visual installations and multimedia production to be exhibited in public spaces.
Over 15 months, WONDER will unfold across 5 cultural organisations in Austria, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland. We will support 5 artists, one in each partner country, to carry out community-based archival research and develop new artistic work on women’s roles in European resistance movements that will be presented at each project venue.
WONDER connects 5 European cultural organisations: ECCOM, Centro Europeo per l’Organizzazione e il Management Culturale (IT, lead); Frauenmuseum Hittisau, FH (AU); Frauen in der Einen Welt Zentrum für Interkulturelle Frauenalltagsforschung und Internationalen Austausch e.V., FEW (DE); IAWM International Association of Womens’ Museum, IAWM (IT); Stichting Herengracht 401, H401 (NL); Fundacja Instytut Beatboxu, FIB (PL).
ARTIST BRIEF
This is a call for 1 artist based in The Netherlands or with the possibility to easily move or travel to Amsterdam for the residency period and the exhibition, and the necessary language proficiency to engage in the research and creative work in Italian.
The artist will participate in a 1 x month-long international research and production residency at H401, Amsterdam. The undertake research and produce an artwork in response to their experience as well as organize a public presentation. The residency will be over 4 weeks or could be split in several periods, adding to one month. Following the selection and starting from January 2027, the hosting partner will engage with the selected artist to define his/her brief, including the details of the residency and exhibition, and the theme of the residency. undertake research and produce an artwork in response to their experience as well as organize a public presentation. The residency will be over 4 weeks or could be split in several periods, adding to one month. Following the selection and starting from January 2027, the hosting partner will engage with the selected artist to define his/her brief, including the details of the residency and exhibition, and the theme of the residency.
During the residency, the artist will have access to the organisation’s collection, local archive and the up to date WONDER research report on the cultural aspect of women in resistance in The Netherlands.
Behind the façade of Herengracht 401 lies the world of Gisèle d’Ailly van Waterschoot van der Gracht (1912–2013): artist, traveller and collector. In her living rooms and studio, art and everyday life come together. The Second World War forms a profound chapter in H401’s and Gisèle’s history. Gisèle sheltered people in hiding here. Their presence, and the significance of the protection she offered, remain part of the house. The history of the house also contains difficult aspects, which H401 investigated thoroughly and now addresses openly. Today, the house, and organisation, continue to evolve. Contemporary artists respond to its rooms, objects and stories, adding new perspectives and contributing to thematic year programmes, artist residencies and international cooperations.
Find out more about H401 in here.
Residency dates: 4 weeks, between March and April 2027
Exhibition dates: from the end of April 2027
WHAT WE OFFER
- Artist fee: we will pay a fee of €3,000.00.
- Production costs: we will reimburse up to €1,000.00.
- Expenses: we will cover travel, accommodation (if applicable) and subsistence expenses for the duration of the residency and for the time agreed within the exhibition. Expenses will be paid based on the criteria established in the EU travel guidelines, and 1 round trip will be booked from the city of residence identified in the application form for the residency and exhibition. Any other expenses must be agreed beforehand with the host organisation.
- Working space and support: we will provide a dedicated working space and will provide logistical, curatorial and networking support during your residency and exhibition.
- Communication and dissemination: we will promote your work on the WONDER social media channels, websites and newsletter.
APPLICATION PROCESS
The application process involves:
Stage 1: A short application form
Stage 2: A review by the national (Dutch) selection panel and a final selection by the WONDER Project Steering Committee (PSC). The members of both the national selection panel and the PSC will all be members of the WONDER project consortium. All selection decisions are final.
Call Opens: 2 November 2026
Deadline for applications: 6 December 2026 (23:59 CET)
Selected artists will be notified by: 18 December 2026
To apply, please fill in the application form available at this link.
Selection will be based on:
- quality of artistic practice;
- quality of response to the questions in the application form;
- demonstrable interest in the role of contemporary arts with particular reference to the themes of the project.
In addition, applicants must be:
- proficient in Dutch;
- aged 18 or older;
- based in The Netherlands or any other EU Member State, with the possibility to easily move or travel to Amsterdam for the residency period and the agreed time within the exhibition.
Key considerations:
- Artists are expected to engage creatively with the WONDER project: they will have access to the host organisation’s archive and documentation as well as to the initial research investigating how women’s contributions to the Resistance have been documented, represented, or marginalised over time while identifying gaps and biases in historical narratives.
- WONDER is a transnational project, and it is expected that the selected artists will participate in the final event that will take place in Rome in December 2027. Travel and accommodation will be provided by the organisers.
- English is the primary language across WONDER, but the selected artist will have to communicate effectively in Dutch as part of the development, production and presentation of their work. If the selected artist is not a citizen of an EU Member State, their work will need to have a valid visa and/or working permit for the period of the stay in Italy.
- WONDER will ensure equal treatment to all participants, irrespective of race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, disability, sexual orientation, religious or political beliefs, age, social class. However, given the nature and scope of the project, preference will be given to women artists.
WONDER partners
ECCOM, Centro Europeo per l’Organizzazione e il Management Culturale (Italy, lead partner). Founded in 1995, ECCOM promotes the role of culture in contemporary society as a tool for audience development, social inclusion, and lifelong learning. It combines consultancy, research, and training across the cultural sector and has led and partnered in numerous EU-funded projects (Culture Programme, Lifelong Learning, Creative Europe, Horizon, etc.). It was also a partner of the Study on Audience Development, delivered for the European Commission in 2015. ECCOM is part of major international networks such as Culture Action Europe, ICOM, IAWM, and Disorderly Women. https://www.eccom.it/en/
Frauenmuseum Hittisau, FH (Austria). As Austria’s only women’s museum, FH brings essential expertise at the intersection of gender, memory, and contemporary art. Its curatorial and institutional practice is rooted in feminist pedagogy and participatory approaches, often developed in collaboration with contemporary artists. Through its award-winning interdisciplinary work, the museum connects historical research with artistic expression to explore underrepresented narratives and reimagine forms of women’s agency. Addressing contemporary social challenges such as care, peace, justice, and sustainability through a gendered lens, FH contributes a unique and impactful methodology to the project’s broader goals of cultural justice and inclusive memory. https://www.frauenmuseum.at/
Frauen in der Einen Welt Zentrum für Interkulturelle Frauenalltagsforschung und Internationalen Austausch e.V., FEW (Germany). Since the founding of Frauen in der Einen Welt in 1989, and the Museum Museum Frauenkultur Regional – International, established in 2006, one focus was on women’s biographies of resistance—during National Socialism and in broader struggles for human rights and democracy. An essential part of our collections is narrative textiles created from individual and collective resistance movements, as well as traveling exhibitions that connect the results of our research internationally. https://www.frauenindereinenwelt.de/
IAWM International Association of Womens’ Museums, IAWM (Italy). Since 2008, IAWM has promoted cooperation and exchange between women’s museums around the world to give voice to women from different cultural and socio-political backgrounds. Its global perspective is reflected in exhibitions that highlight women’s struggles and achievements, fostering solidarity and collective action. The network and its museums advocate for inclusive curation and representation, intersectional approaches, interactive exhibitions, digital engagement, and institutional self-examination. IAWM has established itself as a hub of expertise: connecting museums, amplifying women’s stories, and promoting gender-sensitive policies in cultural heritage and remembrance. https://www.iawm.international/
Stichting Herengracht 401, H401 (The Netherlands). H401 is a private cultural foundation based in the former home of Gisèle d’Ailly van Waterschoot van der Gracht, who sheltered Jewish youth during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam. Through research, artistic practice, exhibitions, and public programmes, H401 promotes inclusive dialogue and social change. WONDER will coincide with H401’s reopening following renovations, using guided tours and a public programme to contextualise Gisèle’s resistance and connect her story to broader histories of women’s resistance, memory, and civic engagement. https://h401.org/
Fundacja Instytut Beatboxu, FIB (Poland). Founded in 2023, FIB builds on over two decades of experience in vocal arts, beatbox, and creative education. Its team has organised festivals, workshops, and programmes for youth, disadvantaged groups, and migrant communities in cooperation with cultural institutions and civil society organisations. FIB harnesses the creative power of the human voice— especially beatboxing—as a tool for empowerment and social change, promoting values of development, respect, and inclusion while fostering integration and building skills, confidence, and community through music-based techniques. https://instytutbeatboxu.pl/
