Open Call BIEN 2027 for Students

About this call

The Carnica Institute is calling on students, faculty mentors and textile departments to take part in BIEN 2027, the Textile Art Biennial held across the Slovenian cities of Kranj, Trzic, Jesenice and Skofja Loka from 29 May to 14 August 2027. The student strand is called Textile School of Thought, a programme built around art and design departments as places where knowledge passes between people, and around the idea that textile knowledge travels through matrilinear traditions of learning, storytelling and connection. Students are invited to develop work with their mentors in response to the curatorial theme, Traces of Grace. Lovro Ivancic curates the selection of student projects. Students and student collectives anywhere in the world may enter, submitting three works no more than three years old, online only, primarily in textile or in a medium that references textile through material, technique or concept. Applying is free. Applicants pay to ship their work to the organiser and carry the customs charges; the organiser pays for the return and insures works up to 999 EUR, with limits on package size and weight set out in the artist agreement. Results are announced by 10 February 2027 and works travel to the organiser between 10 April and 1 May 2027. The biennial opens over 29 May to 3 June 2027 across its four cities, arranged so participants can attend every opening.

Who can apply

• International applicants
• Medium: Textile
• Free entry
• Open to students and student collectives anywhere in the world, applying with their faculty mentors. Submit three works no more than three years old, online only, thematically aligned with the theme Traces of Grace and made primarily in textile or in a medium that references textile through material, technique or concept. Free to apply. Applicants pay the cost of shipping works to the organiser and any customs duties; the organiser covers the return and insures works up to 999 EUR, with exceptions in the artist agreement, and takes no responsibility for returning a package at its own expense if it exceeds 150 cm on any side, 300 cm combined length and girth, or 20 kg. The ETA Award is for entrants under the age of 29.