The Contemporary Art Festival – Ruse 2026 transforms the city and its partner locations into an open stage for new artistic ideas, experiments, and interventions. The format brings together contemporary artists from Bulgaria and abroad and encompasses a wide range of practices – from visual and spatial arts to new media, video, sound, performance, and site-specific projects.

The event is organized by the Ruse Art Gallery and is implemented with the financial support of the National Culture Fund, “Creation and Distribution – Large Projects” Programme 2025.

THEME: “Space”
DATES: 16 May – 16 June 2026
LOCATIONS: Ruse, Popovo, Isperih, Nisovo, Pisanets

ELIGIBLE MEDIA:

Contemporary Visual Arts: painting, sculpture, graphics, objects, installations
New Media: video, sound, digital and interactive technologies

Formats:

• Urban interventions and site-specific projects
• Performances
• Video screenings
• Artist–audience meetings, discussions, lectures, workshops

WHO CAN APPLY:

Professional and emerging contemporary artists (individually or in groups) from any country, aged 18 or older, who accept the Statute of the Contemporary Art Festival.
The call is suitable for artists working with conceptual, experimental, or multidisciplinary approaches, as well as creators interested in engaging with local communities and contexts.

TERMS

Fees and Financial Conditions:

• There is no application or participation fee.

Materials and Technical Support:

The festival provides materials and technical support only if they are pre-specified in the application form and are realistic in relation to the project’s scope.

The festival provides:

• Space for realization and exhibition
• Technical assistance
• Available equipment and tools (according to the described needs and possibilities)
• Accommodation: up to three nights of accommodation in Ruse for artists during the realization or presentation of their project.
• Professional and Creative Support:
• Work in an international and interdisciplinary environment
• Curatorial support for conceptualizing and presenting projects
• Combined online and on-site formats
• Media visibility through the Gallery’s channels and partner networks
• Inclusion in the online catalog of selected participants
• Professional photo and video documentation for archive and portfolio purposes

COPYRIGHTS:

By applying, artists confirm the authorship of the submitted materials and grant the festival permission to use images and documentation solely for communication and promotional purposes related to the edition.