Social Dive Open Call for Art Projects at Tokyo Biennale

Deadline: 30-Sep-2026

The Social Dive Open Call invites artists, curators, and collectives from around the world to propose research-based art projects for presentation at the Tokyo Biennale 2027. The initiative explores the theme “From ‘Me’ to ‘Us’” and encourages applicants to engage creatively with Tokyo’s traditions, emerging values, and the lived experiences of its residents. Selected projects will be developed and presented at 11 distinct sites across Tokyo, including historic temples, business districts, back alleys, old wooden buildings, train stations, entertainment venues, shopping districts, and wholesale areas. Projects are expected to respond to the social, historical, and cultural characteristics of their chosen locations while encouraging collaboration with local communities. Selected participants will receive support including round-trip travel expenses of up to 300,000 JPY for one person, accommodation in Tokyo, project development support of up to 200,000 JPY, a 100,000 JPY honorarium, interpretation and translation assistance, and venue coordination.

About the Social Dive Open Call

Social Dive is designed to support artistic projects that emerge through research, residency, and engagement with the local context of Tokyo. Rather than creating projects independently from the surrounding environment, participants are expected to investigate the social, historical, and cultural characteristics of Tokyo and develop work that responds to those findings. The programme encourages artists to move from individual perspectives toward broader forms of community engagement in line with the theme “From ‘Me’ to ‘Us’.”

Theme: “From ‘Me’ to ‘Us’”

The Social Dive Open Call invites creative responses to the theme “From ‘Me’ to ‘Us’.” Applicants are encouraged to explore the theme through research and artistic practice while considering Tokyo’s unique traditions, emerging values, and the everyday experiences of its residents. Proposals should demonstrate how the project can connect individual artistic perspectives with wider communities and the specific social and cultural context in which the work will be developed. Where Will Selected Projects Be Presented? Selected projects will be realized at 11 different sites across Tokyo.

Potential site contexts include:

- Historic temples. - Business districts. - Back alleys. - Old wooden buildings. - Train stations. - Entertainment venues. - Shopping districts. - Wholesale areas. Each location offers a different social, historical, cultural, and physical context for artistic intervention. Applicants should therefore consider how their proposed project can respond meaningfully to its selected environment. Research and Residency-Based Production Projects must be developed through research and residency-based production. The residency provides artists with time to investigate their surroundings, engage with local communities, and develop their artistic response based on the specific context of Tokyo. The programme emphasizes projects that emerge from this process of research and engagement rather than projects that are developed independently and simply presented in Tokyo. Community Collaboration Collaboration with local communities is an important part of the Social Dive Open Call. Selected artists are expected to develop projects that are responsive to the people, histories, cultures, and social environments surrounding their chosen site. Community engagement can help artists understand the context in which their project will be presented and develop work that connects with local experiences. Who Can Apply?

The open call welcomes:

- Individual artists. - Curators. - Artistic collectives. - Groups working across relevant artistic practices. Applicants can be from any nationality or place of residence. There are no nationality or residency restrictions, but applicants must be at least 18 years old. Eligible Artistic Approaches The Social Dive Open Call is intended for research-based projects that demonstrate: - Originality. - Social relevance. - Experimental spirit. - Feasibility. - Responsiveness to Tokyo’s social, historical, and cultural context. - Potential for presentation during Tokyo Biennale 2027. Applicants should demonstrate how their artistic practice and proposed project connect with the programme’s theme and residency-based approach. What Support Is Available? Selected participants will receive several forms of financial and practical support. Travel Support Round-trip travel expenses of up to 300,000 JPY are available for one person. Accommodation Accommodation in Tokyo will be provided for selected participants during the residency and project development period. Project Development Support Selected participants can receive a support fee of up to 200,000 JPY for project development. Honorarium

Participants will receive an honorarium of 100,000 JPY

Interpretation and Translation Interpretation and translation support will be available to assist participants during the project development process. Venue Coordination Support will also be provided for coordination with the venue where the selected project will be realized. Invitation Letter The programme can provide an invitation letter to selected participants. Project Implementation Support Selected artists will also collaborate with the Tokyo Biennale Secretariat during the implementation of their projects. Residency Requirement A minimum one-month residency in Tokyo is required. The residency duration may be adjusted depending on the proposed project, giving applicants some flexibility to develop a schedule appropriate to their research and production needs. Applicants should therefore explain how the residency period will contribute to the research, development, and realization of their project. What Should a Strong Proposal Demonstrate? A strong proposal should clearly communicate the relationship between the artistic idea, the Tokyo context, and the theme “From ‘Me’ to ‘Us’.” Appl