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SWANFALL ART

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BENEFITS AND AWARDS

 

CURATORS' CHOICE AWARD
The Curators' Choice Award is designed to provide structural, curatorial, and market-driven support to help build a sustainable artistic career.

Award benefits include:

  • One-month artist residency in London, , including access to a professional artist studio

  • Fully sponsored solo exhibition with curatorial, production, promotional and sales support

  • Invitation to participate in major international art fairs

  • International media coverage, interviews, and editorial features

  • Formal invitation to join the SWANFALL GALLERY artist roster*

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* Note: The recipient of the Curators’ Choice Award will be offered a representation contract with SWANFALL GALLERY, granting access to long-term professional support. For reference, the Gallery usually allocate £3,000 - £10,000 per year (non-cash) per artist for artist development. This non-cash allocation is used for exhibitions, fair participation, artist features, content production, marketing and promotion and discretional gallery acquisitions.

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THE AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD

The Audience Choice Award is selected based on audience and collector responses gathered during the exhibition period, including feedback from guided tours and visitor engagement data. This award recognises works that generate strong public resonance and emotional connection.

  • Participation in a fully sponsored group exhibition

  • Dedicated artist profile on (www.swanfall.art)

  • Featured article or artist interview (www.swanfall.art)

  • Ongoing promotional and sales support

  • One-on-one career development consultation

 

ALL EXHIBITING ARTISTS

  • Official exhibition certificate

  • Virtual exhibition tour hosted on www.swanfall.art (minimum 1-year listing)

  • Feature on the official exhibition page and media showcase

  • Artwork sales support

  • Priority consideration for future SWANFALL exhibitions and curatorial projects

THE OPEN CALL

 

Fables | SWANFALL ART ANNUAL EXHIBITION 2025

26 - 31 August 2025｜Mall Galleries, London
OPEN CALL INVITATION

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“Narrative is the way we organise reality.” -  Edward Said

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SWANFALL ART returns to Mall Galleries, London in August 2025 with its annual exhibition. Titled Fables, the show explores how narrative functions as a method in contemporary art, reflecting a broader shift from expression to resonance.

 

Art’s power lies not merely in representation, but in transformation - in awakening perception, forging connection, and revealing essence. It renders the abstract perceptible and gives structure to the ineffable.

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As global uncertainty persists, so too does a quiet exhaustion with formalism and aesthetic detachment - a shift increasingly felt across artistic discourse. The experience of art is moving away from self-expression and toward emotional and intellectual resonance. Viewers and collectors are turning their attention to conceptual depth and affective power over technical virtuosity or stylistic novelty. This turn reflects a deeper, often unconscious, collective longing for memory, identity, and shared experience.

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Story remains a vital way we organise time, understand change, and locate ourselves in the world. Narrative is being redefined - not simply as storytelling, but as a structural and perceptual framework. Contemporary works often avoid singular viewpoints or linear conclusions, instead inviting open-ended interpretation.

 

This year's annual exhibition is a response to this shift - from explanation to insight, from statement to shared experience. The theme is not a return to moralistic fables, but an invitation for artists to explore emotional depth and narrative complexity across mediums. We welcome work across all media - painting, installation, moving image, text, sound, performance. We are drawn to works that generate rhythm, provoke thought, and activate the space between feeling and idea -  pieces that may resist explanation, yet resonate deeply in the silent structure between image and idea, gesture and memory.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

 

1. SUBMISSION LINK

https://swanfall.typeform.com/fables

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2. MEDIA AND SIZE

  • All media are welcome

  • Wall-mounted works: maximum side length 1.5m

  • Large sculptures or installations: maximum height 2m

 

3. DEADLINES

Early Bird Deadline: 15 July 2025

Deadline: 10 August 2025

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4. BEFORE YOU APPLY

Before completing the application form, please prepare the following

  • Your Artist Biography

  • Images of your work (JPG, JPEG, or PNG) and work details: title, year, medium, dimensions, and price

  • Or a complete portfolio in PDF format (may include multiple works, file size limit 10MB)

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​5. SUBMISSION OPTIONS

We welcome artists at all stages and practices. You may choose one of the following routes to share your work:

Option 1: Image Submission

  • Submit up to 3 works for consideration

  • Recommended for artists presenting a clear concept, focused project, or small series. A cohesive set of related works may be considered as one

 

Option 2: Full Portfolio Entry

  • Submit your full portfolio for a comprehensive curatorial review

  • This option allows our team to engage with your broader practice and select the works that most resonate with the exhibition theme. Ideal for artists working across multiple series, experimenting with various media, or wishing to share the depth and range of their creative vision.

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6. ADMISSIONS

Selected artists may be invited to exhibit up to three works, depending on conceptual coherence and curatorial alignment.

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7. FEES AND PAYMENT

To ensure a fair and rigorous selection process, and to support the professional presentation and promotion of selected artists, a modest submission fee is required:

  • Single work submission: £15

  • Full portfolio (unlimited works): £55 (Early Bird) / £65 (Regular)

  • Fees are payable online at the time of submission. Please note that all payments are non-refundable and do not guarantee selection

  • All submitting artists will receive a digital Artist Career Guidebook as a gesture of appreciation and professional support

  • Selected artists will be notified by email within five working days after the each deadline​s, no additional fees apply for participation in the exhibition.

  • Artwork sales commission: 35%

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8. ARTIST GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

  • All submitted works must be original and created by the artist;

  • If selected, artists are responsible for delivering their works to the specified address within the timeframe outlined in the confirmation email;

  • All artworks should arrive ready for professional installation. Works on paper must be framed unless otherwise agreed;

  • Artists are responsible for the transportation, insurance, and any customs procedures related to their artworks during shipping and the exhibition period;

  • If offered for sale, artworks should be priced consistently with the artist’s market value. To maintain pricing integrity, artists need to ensure the listed price reflects a universal retail price across platforms and includes applicable commission;

  • Artists based outside the UK may need to register for Value Added Tax (VAT) for the purpose of selling or exhibiting works. For more information, please refer to https://www.gov.uk


9. TERMS AND CONDITIONS
For the complete terms and conditions, please visit www.swanfall.art/termsandconditions

MALL GALLERIES

 

Following the success of our 2023 annual exhibition Through the Looking Glass at Mall Galleries, SWANFALL ART returns in 2025 to present its latest edition

 

Located between Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square, adjacent to St. James’s Park, Mall Galleries sits at the heart of London’s cultural and artistic district. As one of the UK’s most prominent exhibition venues, it provides an exceptional setting and cultural context for this significant showcase

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Mall Galleries is managed and operated by the Federation of British Artists (FBA), an organisation dedicated to advancing professional art practice and public cultural engagement. Over the past five decades, Mall Galleri

es has hosted major exhibitions for royal art societies and continues to present a dynamic programme of art fairs, auctions, solo and group exhibitions. With over 450 square metres of elegant exhibition space and state-of-the-art facilities, it offers an ideal platform for presenting contemporary artworks

 

Curated and organised by Swanfall Art with professional support from the Federation of British Artists, the 2025 exhibition is expected to feature approximately 300 works by contemporary artists

ABOUT US

 

SWANFALL ART is the curatorial and artist development division of SWANFALL, a London-based contemporary art platform dedicated to curatorial production, artist representation, art advisory, and secondary market transactions. Our core mission is to foster an open, diverse, and transnational platform that supports intellectually rigorous and experimentally driven artistic practices

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As the commercial exhibitions branch of SWANFALL, SWANFALL GALLERY represents a select roster of artists and presents their work through international art fairs and private sales. The synergy between curatorial vision and market structure enables us to enhance academic visibility while supporting the sustainable growth of our artists’ careers

 

By integrating curatorial strategy with a commercial framework, SWANFALL offers a comprehensive support system, committed to building bridges between cultural value and market potential - expanding the possibilities for contemporary art creation and public engagement

FAQs

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Q1. What are the selection criteria?
Submissions are evaluated based on concept, execution, and presentation. We look for clarity of intention, effective use of medium and form, and strong visual or spatial impact. Artistic background is not a primary consideration - submissions are welcome from artists at all career stages. To better understand our curatorial direction, you may view previously selected works.

 

Please find our past exhibitions HERE

 

Q2. How are prizes selected?
Prizes recognise the strength of an artist’s overall practice rather than a single submitted work. Key considerations include conceptual clarity, strength of expression, quality of presentation, sustainability of practice, and long-term potential.

 

Q3. Are collaborative submissions allowed?
Yes. Duo and group submissions are welcome. Please appoint a lead contact and provide full details for all contributors.

 

Q4. Can works be sold? What is the commission?
Yes. Artists may choose to price their works for sale. A 35% commission applies to all sales made through the exhibition.

 

Q5. How will I know if I’m selected?

Notifications will be sent via email:

  • Early submissions: by 20 July 2025

  • Final submissions: by 15 August 2025

Please check spam folders to avoid missing updates

 

Q6. Will I receive feedback if I’m not selected?

Due to the high volume of submissions, we’re unable to provide individual feedback. However, all applicants will receive a free PDF Artist Career Guide and be invited to join an online professional development seminar (date to be announced).

 

Q7. How should I price my artwork?

Artists are free to set their own prices, taking into account medium, size, edition (if applicable), and their current stage of practice. However, we strongly advise that prices remain consistent across all platforms and markets - whether selling through galleries, online, or directly. This ensures market integrity and protects long-term collector confidence.

Please find the Artwork Pricing Guide HERE.

 

Q8. Can this exhibition be considered international experience for visa or academic applications?

Yes. The exhibition will take place physically at Mall Galleries, London. Participating artists will receive an official exhibition certificate and access to a virtual exhibition tour. This exhibition may be considered as part of an artist’s international exhibition record for academic, professional, or cultural applications. However, please note that final recognition is subject to the specific requirements and evaluation criteria of the relevant institutions or visa authorities.

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