Gallary

Open Call: "Exposure • Photosynthesis"

"Exposure • Photosynthesis" Global Healing Arts Contest and Exhibition

General Curator: Ananda Zhao
General Consultant: Zongde Deng
Curator:Livin Liu

General Secretary :James Tian

Judging Panel

Lily Baylon Escritora(Spain), Lidia Chiarelli（Italy), Lucilla Trapazzo（Italy/Switzerland), Maki Starfield (Japan), Pозалия Александрова（ Bulgaria), Rika Inami (Japan), Sabrina De Canio（Italy), Tobias Burghardt（Germany), Fahredin Shehu（Kosovo), Xiao Suhong( China)
Sponsor
International Arts Education & Therapy Development Academic Association（IAETDAA）

Preview

The sunlight is at its fiercest in the summer, and there is nowhere to hide.

This is an era that mirrors the season. We too live in an "inescapable exposure" — information overload, public judgment, anxiety laid bare under harsh light, and the growing tension between humanity and nature. We are watched, judged — like plants in summer, exposed under countless eyes.

But summer teaches us something else: plants never evade the sun. They open their leaves and turn the fiercest light into the most vigorous growth.

This is the wisdom of "photosynthesis" — not resistance, but transformation; not evasion, but acceptance; not being burned, but becoming oneself under exposure.

The "Exposure • Photosynthesis" Global Healing Art Competition & Exhibition now extends an invitation to creators worldwide. We look forward to seeing you use brushes, lenses, bodies, voices, or any medium to tell stories about "being seen" — anxiety or ease, struggle or growth, the shadows beneath exposure, or the quiet moments of photosynthesis.

In this season of fiercest light, let us learn the courage of plants: do not evade the gaze, do not betray yourself. Absorb light under exposure. Become yourself through photosynthesis.

Part I: Theme Interpretation—What Does "Exposure • Photosynthesis" Mean?

Summer is the season when light is most intense and nothing can hide.

This is precisely our situation — not only nature's summer, but the summer of our era.

🌞 What is "Exposure"?

Summer — when light is fiercest and there is nowhere to hide.

“Exposure” captures three layers of contemporary heat:

· Information Exposure: Blurred privacy, public trials, the gray zone between truth and lies

· Emotional Exposure: Anxiety, anger, helplessness — emotions laid bare under harsh light

· Ecological Exposure: Climate crisis, urban heat islands, the strained relationship between humanity and nature

“Exposure” is forced visibility. It is the confrontation we cannot escape.

The purpose of art is this: when there is nowhere to hide, we still choose to see clearly.

🔥 What is "Photosynthesis"?

"When evasion is not an option, we choose to transform."

Plants never evade the sun. They open their leaves and turn the fiercest light into the most vigorous growth.

“Photosynthesis” is a gentle ritual of transformation:

· From passive scorching to active absorbing: Turning gaze into nourishment, not burning

· From solitary burning to inner growth: Maintaining one’s own rhythm even while being watched

· From destructive heat to healing warmth: Art as the vessel that transmutes heat into care

“Exposure · Photosynthesis” is not a gentle summer gathering.

It is a mirror that reflects what is real — and a gentle power of transformation.

Part II: Submission Guidelines

1. Eligibility

Open to artists, creators, and collectives worldwide. There are no restrictions based on age, nationality, or professional background.

2. Theme & Accepted Formats

Original artworks closely aligned with the theme “Breaking Barriers • Tender Shoots.” All media and forms of expression are welcome, with a special encouragement for diverse formats, including but not limited to:

· Visual Arts: Painting, sculpture, photography, installation, digital art, etc.

· Time-Based Arts: Video, animation, documentation of performance art, etc.

· Performing & Auditory Arts: Theater, dance, music (instrumental, vocal, sound installation, etc.).

· Literary Arts: Poetry, short stories, creative texts, and other written works.

· Interdisciplinary & Social Practice: Socially engaged projects, bio-art, textile art, etc.

3. Submission Requirements

Please compile all materials into a ZIP/RAR folder named [Your Name + Submission for ‘Breaking Barriers • Tender Shoots’] and send it to the official email: iaetdaa@gmail.com.

The folder must contain:

· Work Files (Choose as applicable):

· Static/Visual Works: Provide high-resolution images (1-5 images, each ≥2MB). Naming format: Your Name《Work Title》Material Dimensions Year.jpg (e.g., Feizi《Rebirth》Oil on Canvas 60×80cm 2026.jpg).

· Video/Performance Documentation: Provide MP4 video (≤5 mins, ≤500MB). Use the same naming format.

· Music Works: Provide audio file (WAV or MP3). Naming format: Your Name《Work Title》Year.mp3.

· Theater/Dance Works: Provide MP4 video of full performance or excerpt (≤15 mins, ≤1GB). Use the same naming format.

· Literary Works: Provide PDF or Word document. Naming format: Your Name《Work Title》Year.pdf/.docx.

· Other Formats: Provide images, videos, or documents that clearly document the work's essence and core concept.

· Text Materials (Compiled into a single Word document):

1. Artist Bio: Include name, gender, contact details (phone, WeChat, email), and a personal portrait photo (landscape 16:9 ratio).

2. Work Information Table: List each work's title, type, material/format, duration/word count, and year of creation.

3. Artist Statement (300-500 words): Explain the work's connection to the theme and its healing philosophy.