Magic Carpets x Contextile 2026
Public Art Artistic Residencies
5th September to 10th October 2026 | Guimarães | Portugal
Ideias Emergentes is a cultural association dedicated to the creation, production, and curation of contemporary artistic projects. It focuses specifically on experimental practices, artistic research, and the link between creation, territory, and community. Contextile – Contemporary Textile Art Biennial, organized by Ideias Emergentes, is a world-renowned international biennial dedicated to contemporary textile art. It explores the intersection of tradition and innovation, art, design, and industry.
Theme: WEAVING THE GREEN
The world is hanging by a thread: vulnerable, stretched to the limit by ecological, social and economic crises. But it is on this fragile thread, open to transformation, that we find the possibility to resist, imagine and regenerate other futures. The activities of the “Weaving the Green” project arise from this horizon: between the urgency of action and the power of creation, inspired by the vision of Guimarães Green Capital 2026, they are proposed as a living laboratory, where art, science and community intersect to experiment alternatives and new ways of relating to the world.
Location: The residencies will take place in Guimarães, with a specific focus on sites mapped under its designation as European Green Capital, which this year define the main areas of interest for the residencies.
Community: The primary community involved in the residency will be elderly residents from the Nursing Homes of Santa Casa da Misericórdia. This community is composed mainly of people aged approximately 65 to 95 years old, with a mixed gender representation and a large group size of participants, depending on health conditions and availability.
Community engagement will be central to the project and will be adapted to best support each artist’s proposal. However, all engagements will follow a workshop-based approach, ensuring active participation and meaningful exchange between the artist(s) and the community.
Timeline: Contextile Biennial will take place from 5th September to 29th November; Magic Carpets residencies will take place from 5th September to 10th October. Resultant Artworks: exhibition will take place from 10th October to 29th November 2026 in outdoor space.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION applications must include the following elements:
– An up-to-date Curriculum Vitae;
– Portfolio (PDF or link to a website).
Applications must be submitted in a single file with a maximum size of 20 MB to this email [call.contextile[et]gmail.com]
Deadline: Apply before 9th of March.
All the information for the applicants in here: Open Call MC2026 Portugal