Call Description

Exhibit and publish your masterpiece infused with melancholic thoughts and feelings

Gallerium proudly presents Melancholy 2026, the 3rd annual juried exhibition, publication, and sales opportunity to explore the realm of melancholy and express your deepest emotions and imaginations. 

Acedia, sacred diseases, or melancholy has intrigued artists from antiquity to the contemporary. It remains a source of inspiration for artists since melancholy is not simply a state of sadness but a complex and nuanced emotion found in geniuses and heroes. 

As Pablo Picasso once said: “Within the depths of melancholy lies the birthplace of great art, where sadness intertwines with beauty to create a masterpiece.” 

Melancholy in art refers to a deep emotional state that evokes a mixture of sadness, introspection, and longing. It captures the fragile beauty of fleeting moments, the transience of life, and the inherent human vulnerability. It invites us to dive into the depths of our innermost thoughts and feelings and encapsulates a range of emotions such as introspection, solitude, longing, and nostalgia. 

Melancholy often manifests through subdued colors, ethereal imagery, and contemplative subjects, inviting viewers to reflect on the complexities of existence. 

For Melancholy 2026, we encourage artists to delve into the realm of melancholy and express their unique interpretations. The possibilities are endless, whether you choose to display melancholy through somber landscapes, poignant portraits, abstract compositions, or other thought-provoking 2D or 3D art in any medium.

To broaden the possibilities for artistic interpretation, we encourage artists to explore the following categories and themes:

1. The Seasons of Melancholy
   • Autumn’s Solitude: Capture the wistful beauty of falling leaves and fading light.
   • Winter’s Stillness: Reflect on the quiet introspection brought by frosty landscapes.
2. The Melancholy of Memory
   • Nostalgia: Explore cherished moments that evoke bittersweet emotions.
   • Forgotten Spaces: Depict abandoned places or lost histories imbued with longing.
3. Human Connections in Melancholy
   • Poignant Portraits: Convey emotions through the subtle expressions of your subjects.
   • Love and Loss: Depict the delicate interplay between love, longing, and absence.
4. Dreams and Disappointments
   • Surrealist Melancholy: Use abstract or dreamlike imagery to explore inner worlds.
   • The Weight of Expectations: Illustrate the tension between aspirations and reality.
5. Nature’s Melancholy
   • Somber Landscapes: Create moody depictions of forests, mountains, or oceans.
   • Nature’s Decay: Highlight themes of mortality and renewal within natural cycles.
6. Melancholy in Abstraction
   • Shadows and Light: Experiment with the interplay of darkness and illumination.
   • Muted Palettes: Use subdued colors to evoke introspection and depth.
7. Cultural and Historical Melancholy
   • Melancholy in Mythology: Depict stories or figures from myths steeped in sorrow or introspection.
   • Historical Reflections: Examine themes of melancholy in historical contexts or eras.
8. The Complexity of Melancholy
   • Inner Conflict: Explore the duality of emotions like tranquility and turmoil, meekness and rage.
   • Existential Themes: Reflect on the fragility and fleeting nature of life.

Embrace the interplay of light and shadow, explore muted color palettes, and infuse your creations with a sense of introspection to allow the viewers to immerse themselves in the rich thoughts and emotions that melancholy evokes.

The subject is free, and all thoughts and feelings that demonstrate the melancholic moodiness are welcomed. It may imply both dreaminess and disappointment, serenity and desperation, meekness and violence, prostration and rage, tranquility and turmoil. 

Submission is free of charge, and a small fixed fee applies to jury-selected artists only.

Capture the essence of melancholia and exhibit in an international group exhibition organized by Gallerium and publish in The Book of Arts: Melancholy publication.

An Exclusive Triple Art Opportunity

Selected artworks will receive global exposure and career-boosting opportunities, including:

Exhibition by Gallerium – Your art will be showcased in an exclusive international online exhibition, reaching art lovers, collectors, and curators worldwide.

Publication – All jury-selected artworks will be published in the official catalog. A selection of featured works will have a chance to get published in The Book of Arts, extending your art’s legacy.

Sales and Global Promotion – Your work will be featured on ARTSY, the largest global art collector platform, giving your art greater visibility and opportunities for sales.

Who Can Apply?

Open to all artists worldwide – Any age, background, or career stage
All 2D & 3D mediums accepted – Painting, drawing, digital, mixed media, sculpture, installation, fiber art, photography, and more.
All styles welcome – Abstract, conceptual, figurative, contemporary, modern, surrealism, minimalism, and beyond.

Free Submission – Only selected artists will be required to pay a small fixed selection fee to participate.

Get inspired! See last year’s exhibition: https://www.gallerium.art/melancholy-2025 

Explore Gallerium’s past exhibitions that have engaged over 4 million art lovers worldwide: https://www.gallerium.art/exhibitions 

AWARDS

■ International Exhibition
Selected artworks will be part of an exclusive two-month global online exhibition, running from March 14 to May 14, 2026. 

■ Publication Feature
A subset of the selected artworks may be chosen to be highlighted in The Book of Arts Publication. The book will be available in both digital and premium print editions, featuring vivid, colorful A4 pages. It will reach a wide audience, including art experts, galleries, curators, businesses, and collectors, through prominent publication networks.

■ Artwork Promotion and Sales
All exhibited works will be available for viewing through the online showcase, with the option to sell. Artists are welcome to participate, whether or not their works are listed for sale or sold.

■ Artsy.net Global Marketplace Shop
Selected works will be showcased and featured on ARTSY, one of the leading platforms for art collectors worldwide, broadening exposure and enhancing sales opportunities for artists.

■ Curated Reviews
Selected artists will have the opportunity to receive professionally curated reviews, designed to enhance their artistic profile and broaden their impact.

■ Focused Interviews
A group of selected artists will be invited to participate in personalized interviews that strengthen their exhibition presence and deepen their connection with global audience.

■ Audience Feedback
A select number of participating artists will be chosen to receive this award, which features curated and insightful feedback about their artworks—gathered through audience surveys and direct engagement with a trusted network of art enthusiasts. These reflections reveal how the artwork resonates with viewers, offering meaningful perspectives that enhance visibility, connection, and artistic growth.

■ Exhibition Collection Catalogue
All exhibited artists will be featured in the catalogue. Artists can request printed copies via print-on-demand services from a partner platform, and the catalogue will be promoted internationally online, reaching art lovers, galleries, curators, and collectors.

■ Honorable Mention Artist Award
Up to 10 outstanding artists will receive a personalized, distinguished artist award digital certificate, recognizing their exceptional skill, originality, and artistic contribution. This honor will also be featured across our social media channels, spotlighting these remarkable talents.

■ Permanent Online Presence
Exhibition links, along with artist profiles, will stay active permanently, enhancing online visibility and boosting search engine presence. After the exhibition concludes, the Buy button will be deactivated, but artist pages will continue to promote the artist's work and achievements.

■ Exhibition Poster
Each artist will receive a downloadable exhibition poster in various styles, providing a meaningful keepsake from the event.

■ Artwork Visibility Badges
Artists will be provided with a downloadable promotional badge for each selected artwork, encouraging them to share their participation on social media, boosting their visibility and audience engagement.

■ Visitors Comments
All exhibition visitors can submit their comments and ratings of the exhibition and each artwork online. These opinions and ratings can provide valuable insights about the audience's feelings and understandings of the artworks. Artists will be notified about the received comments by email.

■ Promotion Campaign
A comprehensive promotional campaign will be launched to enhance exposure for all selected artists and drive artwork sales during the exhibition. This will include press releases, catalogue distribution, social media promotions, and more.

■ Performance Insights and Reports
Artists will receive detailed reports with insights on exhibition visits, artwork engagement, popularity, and sales performance. These analytics will be sent periodically, helping artists understand their impact and audience reach.

■ Professional Artist Profile 
Each artist will be granted a complimentary profile page on Biafarin platform, offering a professional space to showcase their portfolio, biography, and accomplishments.

■ Certificate for Exhibited Artists
All selected artists will receive a Digital Certificate of participation, acknowledging their contribution to the exhibition.

FEES

Submission: FREE

Only jury-selected artists will pay a selection fee of USD 40

An early bird selection fee with a 15% discount (USD 34) will be offered.

Up to 6 artworks can be submitted.

A maximum of two artworks will be selected per artist.

Jury Process

We use two phases for jurying. The first phase of jurying is the Yes/No selection, and the 2nd part is the scoring model. For scoring, each jury member scores artworks from 1 to 10. Artworks with the highest scores in the "Yes" group will be selected.

Why Selection Fee?

Submission to this art opportunity is free of charge, and we only ask the selected artists to pay a small fixed fee to proceed. 

This decision was made in good faith because we wanted artists to only pay when selected. We have a thorough jury process as our art opportunities are popular and have a low acceptance rate.

Money-back Guarantee

A money-back guarantee is available for all selection fee payments until the exhibition's official opening day.

About Gallerium

Gallerium art exhibitions are intended to create equal showcasing opportunities for brilliant visual artists worldwide.

Art improves people's lives, and showcasing art is a true and effective way of playing a part in building a better world. In this way, Gallerium utilizes the Biafarin exhibition platform to boost the benefits of the exhibitions. It is always free to submit your art in Gallerium competitions, while only selected artists need to pay a small selection fee.

Each one of Gallerium's shows focuses on a unique subject.

International artists are encouraged to express their artistic interpretation of the subject for an opportunity to be selected for exhibition.

Gallerium exhibitions have been seen by more than 4 million visitors worldwide.

About The Book of Arts

The Book of Arts is a series of contemporary art books published by Discover the Artist Media Holding and Art Publications Network. The mission is to publish prominent art from artists of various cultures and nationalities via several editions each year. Each edition focuses on a specific subject to make a visual story of modern and contemporary art in the art world.

The publications are available to hundreds of thousands of art experts, collectors, galleries, museums, curators, and enthusiasts in digital and print format and reach readers in over 150 countries.

The online version of the book will be published and circulated globally, while the high-quality hardcopy version can be ordered online and directly via a print-on-demand platform.

Application Requirements

ARTIST DATA

Artist Headshot Photo
Artist Full Name
City and Country of Residence
Phone
Email
Social Media Links (optional)
Website (optional)

Biography 

Artist Statement (optional)

ARTWORK DATA

Title

Category

Technique

Surface

Creation Year

Size (WidthXHeightXDepth) in cm or inches

Artwork/Series Description (Optional)

Price in USD

Eligibility Criteria

ARTIST ELIGIBILITY

This opportunity is open to all visual artists worldwide.

ARTWORK ELIGIBILITY

Art Categories

The submission is open to all visual artists creating original artworks in 2 and 3-dimensional media.

Visual Arts Categories: Painting, drawing, landscapes, printmaking, illustration, photography, digital arts, sculpture, metalsmithing, installation, crafts, jewelry, glass art, ceramic art, paper art, book art, land art, fiber art, textile art, wood art, collage, abstract, graphic arts, design, and mixed media are accepted.

Style
All styles are accepted.

Any abstract or representational interpretations of the subject are welcome.

Size
There is no size limit for submitted artwork.

Duration
There is no limit to the artwork creation year.
Artworks created within the last 5 years are preferred.

Originality and Rights
Artworks must be entirely the work of the entrant, executed without the supervision of an instructor.

Entries must not be copies or derivatives based in any way on other copyrighted or published paintings, photographs, or other artistic work. Any infraction of this rule will result in serious consequences.
Artists should have all the rights to present and publish their artworks internationally.

Artwork Photo

Only the artwork should show in the photo (no frames or extraneous backgrounds).

Invited artists might be asked for high-resolution artwork photos if needed.

Availability

Artists can submit artworks that are not for sale.

Number of Artworks

Artists can submit up to 6 pieces of original artwork in relation to the subject.

The artworks are subject to selection, and a maximum of two artworks might be selected from the chosen artists.

Other

Artworks that, in the reasonable view of the organizer, include porn, violence, and/or racial, and religious hatred, inappropriate and/or offensive content, are not admissible.