Open Call by Bushy Pony, Berlin
Exhibition: March 2027
Final Deadline: 1 December 2026
Bushy Pony invites artists to submit work for HOPP, HOPP, GIDDY UP — HORSE FEVER, a group exhibition opening in Berlin in March 2027.
The horse has haunted art history for centuries — worshipped, ridden, broken, loved, feared, fetishised and mythologised.
For HORSE FEVER, we invite artists to approach the horse not only as an animal, but as a charged symbol of body, power, fantasy, control and escape. We are interested in the horse as figure, force, fever dream, companion, weapon, mirror, myth and misbehaving body.
This is not a call for decorative equestrian imagery. We are looking for works that use the horse — literally, symbolically, emotionally or perversely — to speak about the human body, desire, domination, tenderness, class, fantasy, labour, girlhood, violence, freedom, transformation and the strange closeness between humans and animals.
Bushy Pony is a Berlin-based platform for contemporary figurative art — part gallery, part community, part event space. Founded by artists, we create exhibitions, performances and gatherings around the body, identity, storytelling and the emotional power of figuration.
We invite artists to respond freely to the theme of HOPP, HOPP, GIDDY UP — HORSE FEVER.
Anatomy, flesh, movement, physical force, sweat, breath, muscle, animal presence.
Domination, intimacy, guidance, surrender, partnership, dependency, discipline.
Fantasy, adolescence, obsession, identity, longing, innocence, power.
Transformation, folklore, sacred animals, horse-human bodies, Pegasus, unicorns, monsters, dreams.
Class, status, service, violence, history, aristocracy, colonial imagery, military power.
Speed, instinct, rebellion, wildness, restlessness, transformation, heat.
Projection, attraction, fear, tenderness, betrayal, beauty, closeness and distance between species.
We want works that gallop, sweat, seduce, haunt, misbehave, collapse, transform or kick back.
We welcome submissions in painting, drawing and textile. Only original works.
Works do not need to depict a horse literally, but should clearly respond to the theme.
Artists may submit up to 3 works.
Early Bird Submission Fee
Regular Submission Fee
The submission fee supports the selection process, administration, promotion and production of the exhibition.
There are no additional participation fees for selected artists.
Please note that the submission fee is non-refundable and does not guarantee selection.
All submissions will be reviewed by the Bushy Pony team. The selection will be made by Bushy Pony curatorial team and will be based on artistic quality, relevance to the theme, originality, and how the works contribute to the overall exhibition.
Artists selected for the second round will be notified on 14 December 2026.
The final selection will be announced on 10 January 2027.
Due to the number of expected submissions, we may not be able to provide individual feedback.
Selected original works may be offered for sale during the exhibition.
Bushy Pony takes a 40% commission on sold original works. Artists receive 60% of the sale price.
Please submit your work through the application form.
You will be asked to provide: