Science Gallery Melbourne is inviting proposals for projects to be included in their 2023 exhibition ‘Dark Matters’. This open call is extended to everyone, from every level of experience and from every discipline and every culture. First Peoples, Queer, CALD, BIPOC, Neuro-diverse, Disabled People and people from the Deaf community are encouraged to apply.
Dark Matters explores the fundamental essence of life and the universe and how so much of it remains a mystery to us. We don’t know what makes up about 95% of our universe – which we believe is dark energy (70%) and dark matter (25%). Dark matter consists of a mysterious substance that does not present an interaction with electromagnetic forces, which means it does not absorb, reflect it, or emit light.
In an era defined by the power of modelling data, technology and simulations, the search for dark matter can be seen as a symbol of the limits of our cognitive experience – will we ever fully understand it? What other unseen or unspoken materialities and forces are at play in our lives? How can the search for dark matter help us imagine new possibilities for life, and our relationship with non-human entities and systems? How can we build creative technologies and tools that help us access new environments and understandings that are undefinable, unmeasurable, and unsettling?
Projects can be new, in-development or existing works that have already been presented. They can take any form and involve any equipment or materials. The exhibition will be on for approximately 4 months, so this should be taken into consideration. However, projects can be evolving and dynamic and continue to experiment with time and space and take risks over this time.
Typically, projects selected via Science Gallery Melbourne open calls are funded for up to $8000 AUD (~5400 EUR), which would include all fees, materials, and travel costs.
