unbag’s Summer, 2019 call for proposals has closed. To receive information about future opportunities, please subscribe to our mailing list.
For inquiries about submissions, email [email protected].
unbag invites proposals for new works of art and writing for our forthcoming issue dedicated to discussions on politics, place, and entropy. Set for publication in Summer 2019, the issue is to be comprised of a variety of media including, but not limited to: essays, fiction, visual art, film, browser-based projects, and public programs.* Applications may be made through the form below. The deadline for submission is 11:59pm, Sunday,
January 6.
In his 1967 photo-essay, “A Tour of the Monuments of Passaic, New Jersey,” Robert Smithson re-imagined a chaotic suburban development on the outskirts of the city of Passaic as “ruins in reverse.” Through an archaeological survey undertaken with a mix of journalistic diligence and poetic lyricism, he viewed the site as “the opposite of the romantic ruin because the buildings don’t fall into ruin after they are built but rather rise into ruin before they are built.” Entropy, Smithson contends, is what the suburb is made from.
Taking our cue from Smithson’s ontological analysis, this issue of unbag is devoted to stories from places that are formed by entropy. We are particularly interested in narratives, explorations, and investigations that, through an examination of local concerns, speak to broader social, historical, and political questions. What relationships does entropy have to time? How does entropy arise in social, political, and economic systems? How do social and political histories permeate physical and/or social spaces? How can order be construed in situations marked by chaos?
* Unlike previous calls, we are also seeking proposals for public programs that, in addition to those slated for publication, may be developed within the context of the issue. Programs may take the form of performances, lectures, seminars, screenings, walking tours, or other events that dialogically engage with audiences. Projects that are sited in the places that they address are particularly welcome.
Contributors will Receive
– Close editorial and technical support throughout the development of the project;
– Publication in the print and/or online editions of our magazine (as appropriate);
– A small honorarium of $100 for a new work developed for unbag, $200 for cover projects that are used heavily in unbag marketing or $50 for an existing work formatted for unbag;
– Inclusion in our forthcoming initiative that provides community and networking resources to creatives.
To Apply
To make your application, please complete the form below. Proposals should include a project statement (300 words or less), a writing sample (for text-based projects), a URL linking to an online folio (as appropriate), and an updated CV, should you have one.
Selections will be made according to the way that proposed projects take up the theme, the quality of the proposed work, and the relationships that proposed projects form with other workable submissions. We do not publish works of journalism, exhibition reviews, or artwork documentation. For those who would like to make a submission and have questions, we kindly encourage you to reach out at [email protected].
About unbag
unbag is a New York City-based community arts organization that produces a digital and print publication promoting critical engagement with contemporary art and politics.