science gallery melbourne open call: emergence(y)

Want to be part of an exhibition at Science Gallery Melbourne?

Applications are now open for EMERGENCE(Y) opening 2026.

As we enter a future defined by climate crisis, humans and non-humans must adapt in order to survive. Looking forward, back and all around, how might we change in response to the cataclysmic shifts occurring on this planet we call home? Will we acclimatise, or will we abandon ship? A new future blooms, and the environment will look drastically different. Cities are growing and densifying, natural landscapes are shrinking. Will we re-wild? Re-create? Re-emerge into a positive new world? Surviving and thriving is the goal, how are we going to achieve it?

Submissions could explore subjects such as climate crisis, sustainable energy, First Nations knowledge and culture, urban environments, species survival, design adaptation, food production, hope and resilience.

We love projects that are iterative, interactive, contribute to genuine research and that are interdisciplinary. We love humour, provocation, speculation, and irreverent ideas that entertain people first and then educate them. The project you propose can be a new idea, in-development or evolved for another presentation or existing works that are ready to go.

If you’ve got a project or idea that is sure to get our attention, we want to hear about it!

Applications close Sunday 27 October, 11:59pm AEDT (UTC +11).

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This open call invites you to propose installations and research projects that can operate in a shared-space group exhibition context in a non-traditional gallery environment, where the light and sound conditions aren’t constant. Projects selected via our open call are generally funded for up to $8000 AUD (Australian dollars), and will be open to the public for approximately six months attended by upwards of 30,000+ people, with a focus on 15–30-year olds.

Science Gallery Melbourne at the University of Melbourne is part of the acclaimed Global Science Gallery Network pioneered by Trinity College Dublin. The Gallery is part of the Museums & Collections department at University of Melbourne.