Rooted Utopias: Our Future at Play
Curated by Karla Sánchez Zepeda
11th October – 1st November 2025
Wex-Art Festival Gallery at Westgate Heritage Centre
The yearly WexArt exhibition is aimed at artists working in the South East region with a particular focus on County Wexford. The aim is to give artists a platform to showcase their work during the prestigious Wexford Opera Festival, as well as the opportunity to work with different curators, such as this year’s guest curator, Karla Sánchez Zepeda.
The theme of the 2025 exhibition is Rooted Utopias: Our Future at Play.
Our current world requires a re-telling of stories that incorporate other beings, human and more-than-human, as well as a re-imagining of structures and modes of living and doing. New and better futures grounded in nature have to be dreamed of and worked on without delay.
This open call invites work by artists based in the South East of Ireland, with a particular focus on County Wexford, which voices what they have to say about these matters.
Artists are also encouraged to consider within their application both the space in which this exhibition is to take place, Westgate Heritage Centre, as well as the further context in which it will be presented: WexArt Festival.
A maximum of 8 artists will be selected for this group exhibition. Each will receive an exhibition fee in line with best practice.
The deadline for applications is 12pm on Monday July 14th, 2025.
To submit an application, please email the required information and images to wexfestartists@gmail.com with the subject line: Rooted Utopias.
Karla Sánchez Zepeda is an art historian, curator, and cultural producer. She has participated in numerous educational, research and curatorial projects in Ireland. Her research interests are the environment, art education, the role of art in contemporary societies, interdisciplinary collaborative practices, and the construction of the concept of the rural. Karla, who is also a farmer (Regenerative Agriculture), is the founder of Blackbird Cultúr-Lab, an experimental laboratory of culture that aims to generate spaces for holistic thinking where agriculture, the arts and other disciplines meet.
APPLICATION DETAILS
- Artists applying will be currently living and working in the South East region. and a particular focus for this exhibition will be on artists in County Wexford.
- Artists are asked to submit no more than six examples of works in Jpeg format (with a maximum file size 3MB) and/or three links to previous projects (including films or audio works).
- Artists are also asked to submit a CV, artist statement, and a brief description on each work and how they respond to the theme.
CRITERIA
- The WexArt exhibition is aimed at artists whose work responds to the theme. Artists are required to be based in the South East region and a particular preference will be given to artists based in County Wexford.
- In addition, WexArt is eager to showcase work of artists who have not previously exhibited as part of WexArts Festival.
- Selection of work will be based on its relevance to the theme and in consideration of the overall coherence of the group exhibition.
