OPEN CALL for multicultural artists in the U.A.E:
“CONVIVIO – From Italian Literature to Art: The Practice of Erasure”
In collaboration with AT Fine Arts Consultancy, our Institute will offer to a group of local artists a one-day artistic residency and a community workshop on its premises to develop on-site artworks, realized with the Erasure technique, for an impro-exhibition.
CONVIVIO is an innovative artistic project presented within the framework of the XXVI Week of the Italian Language in the World, promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, during the week 19-25 October 2026.
CONVIVIO is also the title of one of the literary masterpieces of Dante Alighieri: we adhere to Dante’s idea of knowledge as something to be worldly shared. Our project explores how the Italian language can move beyond the written word through artistic experimentation, dialogue and cultural exchange, bringing Italian literature, contemporary art and people around the same table. Our Italian CONVIVIO wants to become a creative platform of exchange for artists from all over the world.
During the one-day artistic residency, we would also ask you to take part in the Community workshop to be acknowledged about the Erasure technique, taking inspiration from the Italian language and literature.
We will bring together a selected group of approximately 16 to 20 artists from different cultural and artistic backgrounds. Participants in the community workshop will explore the practice of Erasure, inspired by A Humument by Tom Phillips, one of the most radical works of twentieth-century conceptual art. Working directly on selected Italian literary texts, they will erase, obscure and transform portions of the original text, revealing new meanings and creating an original visual artwork.
All art materials required for the workshop will be kindly provided by Industria Maimeri, one of Italy’s leading manufacturers of fine art materials.
The artworks created during the workshop and one-day artistic residency will subsequently be presented in an impro-exhibition at the Italian Cultural Institute, the opening is scheduled for Thursday, 22 October 2026, at 6:30 PM, and the exhibition will remain open until October 31st. Should there be any changes to the schedule, the Italian Cultural Institute will inform participants promptly.
Each artwork will remain the full property of the artists.
Please email your expression of interest, together with your CV and artistic portfolio, to abudhabiiic.segre@esteri.it by September 18. Places are limited and all the candidatures will be processed for the selection.
Date: Saturday, 26 September 2026
Arrival: 10:00 AM
Working time: Participants may continue working until 5:00 PM
Venue: Italian Cultural Institute, Abu Dhabi
Participation: Free of charge