Hypertextile, the Alentejo Textile Art Biennial, is organised by Córtex Frontal as part of Évora 27 European Capital of Culture. Its first edition includes a group exhibition of textile artworks at the Córtex Frontal house in Arraiolos, with Portuguese artists invited by the organisation and international artists selected through this open call.
Theme: Topophilia
Topophilia is the emotional bond between people and place. The term was coined by the geographer Yi-Fu Tuan to describe the tie between a person and their environment, a landscape, a town, a territory.
Hypertextile takes textile as an artistic and conceptual medium. It draws on the idea of hypertext, an open, non-linear and interconnected structure, to think of fabric as an expanded language and a system of relations.
In short
Rules and conditions
1. Organiser
The exhibition is organised by Cortexcult Associação Cultural (Córtex Frontal), Rua Melo Mexia 9a, 7040-067 Arraiolos, Portugal, hereafter "the Organiser". In these rules, the exhibition is called "the Exhibition" and selected applicants are called "Participants".
2. Exhibition dates and venue
The Exhibition runs from 17 April to 26 June 2027 at the Córtex Frontal house in Arraiolos. The Curators decide in which room each work is shown.
3. Theme
Works must relate to the theme Topophilia, the emotional bond between people and place.
4. Eligibility
4.1 The call is open to artists and collectives of any nationality other than Portuguese, aged 25 or over, who are legally resident in a member state of the European Union. The Portuguese artists in the Exhibition take part by invitation of the Organiser, so the call is open to international artists only. Applicants may be asked for proof of residence.
4.2 Collectives apply under one name and one contact person.
4.3 Applications that do not meet these rules will not be considered.
5. Artworks
5.1 Works must be mainly textile-based, or use another medium that refers to textile through material, technique or concept.
5.2 Each applicant may submit up to 3 works, made between 2024 and 2026.
5.3 There is no size limit.
5.4 The applicant must be the author of all elements of the work, or have agreed authorship with any third parties before applying.
5.5 Works that need electricity or audiovisual equipment must say so in the application.
6. Application
6.1 Applications are made online only, through the application form, by 6 January 2027 at 23:59, Lisbon time. Applications must be submitted in English.
6.2 There is no application fee.
6.3 Incomplete applications will not be considered.
7. Selection
7.1 Works are selected by a jury formed by Mercedes Vidal-Abarca and Diogo Ramalho, artistic directors of Hypertextile. The jury's decision is final.
7.2 Selection criteria: relation to the theme, artistic quality, use of textile, and feasibility of transport and installation.
7.3 The Organiser may decide not to select any application, or to select fewer works than planned, if the applications received do not meet the artistic quality or the relevance to the theme required by the Exhibition.
8. Results and confirmation
8.1 All applicants will be informed of the result by email by 25 January 2027. The selected artists will also be announced on www.cortexfrontal.org and on Córtex Frontal's social media.
8.2 Selected artists receive a Participation Agreement. They must sign it and return it by email by 1 February 2027. Participation is confirmed only once the signed agreement is received.
8.3 Selected works must remain in the Exhibition for its full duration and cannot be withdrawn.
9. Transport
9.1 The Organiser covers the cost of shipping the works to Arraiolos and of returning them to the address given by the artist. The artist ships the works and is reimbursed against invoice, once the Organiser has approved a quote sent in advance by the artist.
9.2 Works must arrive in Arraiolos by 15 March 2027. Works arriving late may be excluded.
9.3 Packaging is the responsibility of the artist. Works must be packed in reusable packaging strong enough for the return. Each package must include the artist's name and return address, the title of the work, a photograph of the work and installation instructions.
10. Insurance
The Organiser insures the works during transport and during the exhibition for the value declared by the artist in the Participation Agreement.
11. Installation
Works are installed by the Organiser's team following the artist's instructions, within the limits of the space. The Organiser does not cover artists' travel or accommodation costs, including for the opening.
12. Catalogue and communication
12.1 Selected works are included in the Exhibition catalogue. Each Participant receives one copy of the catalogue, which will be sent by post.
12.2 Participants authorise the Organiser to photograph and film the works and to use these images, together with the descriptions and biographies submitted, in the catalogue, on the website, on social media and in press and promotional material for the Exhibition and for Évora 27, always with credit to the artist.
13. Sales
Works may be available for sale. The Organiser takes no commission on sales and will put interested buyers in contact with the artist.
14. Return of works
Works will be returned by the end of July 2027. Participants must inform the Organiser of any change of return address. If a work cannot be returned because the Participant cannot be contacted, the Organiser will keep it for 6 months, after which it may dispose of it.
15. Copyright
The artist keeps all rights to the work.
16. Personal data
Personal data is processed by the Organiser only for the management of this call and the Exhibition, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679. Applicants may ask to access, correct or delete their data by writing to [email protected].
17. Acceptance
Submitting an application implies acceptance of these rules. Any situation not covered here will be decided by the Organiser.
18. Contact
[email protected], WhatsApp +351 936 650 003
Jury
Mercedes Vidal-Abarca (Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, 1980) is a curator and cultural manager. In 2015 she co-founded Córtex Frontal in Arraiolos, Alentejo, where she directs the artist residency programme. Since 2016 the programme has hosted visual artists, textile artists, writers and musicians, with curatorial follow-up, open studios and exhibitions. She co-directs Hypertextile, Alentejo Textile Art Biennial, organised by Córtex Frontal, whose first edition takes place in 2027 as part of Évora 27 European Capital of Culture. She lived and worked in France, Slovenia, England and Russia before moving to Portugal in 2008. She holds a degree in Educational Psychology and a master's in Applied Linguistics, and studied visual arts at Ar.Co in Lisbon.
Diogo Ramalho (Porto, Portugal, 1983) is an architect, graphic designer and independent curator. He holds a master's in Architecture from the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto and a master's in Communication Design and New Media from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon. Since 2012 he has worked with Rebelo de Andrade Studio, where he is Creative Director. In 2022 he founded Plato, a contemporary art gallery in Évora focused on emerging artists. In 2025 the project expanded to Porto with a new exhibition space. He is part of the mentoring team of the Córtex Frontal artist residency programme in Arraiolos and co-directs Hypertextile, Alentejo Textile Art Biennial.
Contact
Córtex Frontal, Rua Melo Mexia 9a, 7040-067 Arraiolos, Portugal
[email protected], WhatsApp +351 936 650 003