French Exhibition Project at the Rothko Museum
Yves Brayer in Dialogue with French Contemporary Art
11 September – 29 November 2026 | Daugavpils, Latvia

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The Rothko Museum invites visual artists from France to submit works for a group exhibition centred on the legacy of the French modernist painter Yves Brayer (1907–1990). The exhibition takes as its historical point of departure Brayer’s paintings from the 1930s and 1940s, created during a period of political and social instability in Europe.

Opening as part of the museum’s autumn programme in September 2026 and curated by Gilles Bonnevialle, the project explores Brayer’s structured and compositionally disciplined approach to painting. The works are presented not as direct political commentary, but as visual constructions of order emerging against a backdrop of tension – reflections on the resilience of form in moments of historical fragility.

ELIGIBILITY

The open call invites applications from French artists, as well as artists of other nationalities who live and work in France.

 EXHIBITION DATES

The exhibition will run at the Rothko Museum in Daugavpils from 11 September to 29 November 2026 (Opening event: 11 September 2026, 16:00).

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Applications must be submitted by 1 July 2026, 23:59 (EET) via the application form below.

SELECTION PROCESS

Applications will be reviewed by the exhibition’s curatorial team:

  • Gilles Bonnevialle (France);
  • Māris Čačka (Latvia);
  • Pāvels Terentjevs (Latvia).

Submissions will be assessed for conceptual clarity, professional quality, and the ability of the work to engage in a meaningful dialogue with Brayer’s historical material.

Artists will be notified of the selection results on 10 July 2026, and must confirm participation within five days of receiving the invitation.

THEMATIC FRAMEWORK

In dialogue with Brayer’s artistic legacy, the exhibition seeks to bring his work into conversation with the practices of contemporary artists working in France. Applicants are invited to submit works that engage with questions such as:

  • the relationship between form and instability;
  • the construction of space under conditions of geopolitical tension;
  • the capacity of visual structures to stabilise or disrupt our perception of reality;
  • the psychological condition of society in prolonged states of tension.

Works will be considered not as illustrations of a historical moment, but as independent contemporary reflections on structural tension.

PREFERRED ARTISTIC MEDIA

Priority will be given to works created in the following media:

  • photography;
  • video;
  • installation;
  • sculpture / object-based practice.

TRANSPORTATION OF ARTWORKS

Transportation arrangements for selected works will be coordinated individually with each participating artist. Artworks must be ready for transport in August 2026.

 SUPPORT

The exhibition is supported by the Daugavpils City Council and Latvia’s Culture Capital Foundation.

ABOUT YVES BRAYER

Yves Brayer (1907–1990) was a painter, printmaker, illustrator and stage designer, recognised as one of the most significant figures in twentieth-century French figurative art. His work is distinguished by compositional clarity, carefully structured spatial organisation and a confident, expressive use of line. During the 1930s and 1940s, as Europe faced growing political and social instability, Brayer’s paintings reveal a pronounced search for visual balance and inner order – an artistic response to the turbulence of his time.

In case of questions or technical difficulties, please contact us at communication@rothkomuseum.com.

 

APPLICATION FORM

French Exhibition Project
Name
Name
First Name
Last Name
Please include country code, e.g. +33
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Please provide a link to images of artworks for consideration (JPEG format). The link must be publicly accessible (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.).
Please provide a link to a PDF document containing your CV and portfolio of selected works. The link must be publicly accessible (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.).
Please provide one link to your website or professional social media page (e.g. Instagram).
I confirm that I have read and agree to the terms and conditions of the Open Call and consent to the use of my personal data for the purpose of administering and evaluating this application.
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