Open Call

Prijs van de MAKERS 2026

Echoes are more than sound bouncing off a wall. They are memory, repetition, and entanglement between past and present. They are what lingers, long after the moment has passed.
This theme invites artists to reflect on what resonates:

  •  An image that keeps haunting the memory
  • A sentence you cannot forget
  • An emotion that repeats itself
  • A landscape bearing traces of what it once was
  • A body or identity shaped by the past
  • A place where history continues to influence the present

Echoes can be visible, audible, or tangible. Sometimes loud. Sometimes barely a whisper.
Echoes is not about looking back in nostalgia, but about recognizing resonance: What moves you? What remains once the sound has faded?

With the annual Prijs van de MAKERS, the municipality of Maldegem aims to encourage (local) visual artists to showcase their work. An open call will run until April 19, 2026, culminating in a special group exhibition at Sint-Annakasteel in Maldegem. This year's competition is entirely
dedicated to Echoes.

Deadline
19 April 2026
Organizer
Gemeente Maldegem
Participate

How to participate

Participation is free of charge. Each participant may submit one artwork (a pair or series needs to be captured in one image) until April 27, 2025, at midnight. The registration form allows you to upload one image of your work. If submitting a video, you must provide a still image along with a link to a video excerpt of a maximum of 3 minutes.

Accompany your submission with a brief motivation (max. 2000 characters) explaining why you chose this work and its connection to the assigned theme Echoes You can upload your work and motivation here via Beeld. 

If you provide a link to a video excerpt, you may also include a link to the full video work in your motivation. The full work will only be reviewed after the first selection round.


What is allowed, what is not

  • Virtually all disciplines within the visual arts are accepted: drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, printmaking, illustration, ceramics, glass, textiles, photography, video art, computer animation, and more. Performance art is only accepted in recorded form via video; live
    performances are not allowed.
  • Only recent works, made in 2025 or 2026, are eligible.
  • Works must be exhibition-ready (with a suitable hanging system) and transportable (sufficiently protected). As the exhibition space is a protected heritage site, works requiring nails or similar mounting methods are not eligible.
  • The participant (or their representative) must be able to carry the artwork independently.
  • 2D works must be ready for hanging. 3D works must be installed and dismantled by the artist (or their representative) within a maximum of 30 minutes.
  • The work must be placed in the building Sint-Annakasteel. The doorway the work has to go through, has the following measurements: 2,50m x 1,20m and is accessible by a doorstep.
  • Large, heavy 3D works (including those suitable for outdoor display) can also be submitted. Selection will be based on a photo (first round) and a scale model (second round). The scale model must accurately represent the original work in proportions, materials, and anchoring. Without a model, the work cannot be selected.
  • If selected, the artist (or representative) is responsible for transportation and installation of the work. Outdoor works must be securely anchored. The participant must submit a public space usage request within seven days of selection confirmation. (Inname openbaar
    domein Maldegem)


Selection process

Only submissions received by April 19, 2026, at midnight will be accepted for selection. The selection process consists of two rounds:

  • Round 1:
    In this digital round, a professional jury reviews submissions based on the provided image (and video excerpt, if applicable) and the connection to the theme.
    No individual feedback is provided after this round.
     
  • Round 2:
    In May, the second selection round takes place. The artists (or representatives) of the works shortlisted in the first round will be invited to submit their artwork (or scale model for large/heavy 3D works) along with a portfolio/images of previous works.
    Based on this, the jury will determine the final selection for the group exhibition and designate the laureates.
    Individual feedback is provided after this round.
     

Group exhibition

The works selected in the second round will be exhibited in the group exhibition at Sint-Annakasteel, Westeindestraat 1 in Maldegem, from June 13 to July 13, 2026. The placement of works within the exhibition is determined by the curatorial team, whose decision is final. If your
work is site-specific, you may mention this in your application. 
The vernissage will take place on Friday, June 12, 2026.
 
 

Prizes

The jury will select several laureates from the exhibited works, who will receive the following cash
prizes:

  • First laureate: €1,000
  • Second laureate: €750
  • Third laureate: €500
     

Additionally, the first laureate will have the opportunity to hold a solo exhibition at Sint-Annakasteel. The laureates will be announced at the vernissage.
 

To provide opportunities to as many artists as possible, the first laureate is excluded from future participation in Prijs van de MAKERS.

Regulations