PRESENT TENSE

CONTEMPORARY ART EXHIBITION • OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTS

PRESENT TENSE is a contemporary art exhibition at Espacio Gallery in Shoreditch, London, bringing together artists working across painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, digital art and other contemporary practices.

The exhibition has an open theme, allowing artists to submit work that reflects their individual practice, ideas and visual language. The title PRESENT TENSE refers to the present moment, to presence, immediacy and the experience of encountering art now.

Applications are free and open to artists working across contemporary art practices. Selected artists will be invited to exhibit their work at Espacio Gallery in October 2026.

Curated by: Espacio Gallery

Apply Now

Participation begins with a free application. Every submission is carefully reviewed by our curatorial team based on artistic quality, originality and the strength of the work.

If selected, artists will receive an invitation to participate and will then be able to reserve their preferred exhibition wall or presentation space.

How it works

Submit your application free of charge.
Our curatorial team reviews every submission.
If selected, you will receive an invitation by email.
Reserve your exhibition wall or presentation option.
Prepare your work and exhibit at Espacio Gallery.

Apply for Free Exhibition Information

Exhibition Details

Application Deadline
25 September 2026

Installation Day
30 September 2026

Private View
1 October 2026
6 PM to 9 PM

Exhibition Open
2 to 5 October 2026
1 PM to 7 PM Daily

Takedown
6 October 2026

Venue
Espacio Gallery
159 Bethnal Green Road
London E2 7DG

About the Exhibition

PRESENT TENSE explores art as something experienced in the here and now. Its title refers not only to time, but also to presence, immediacy, perception and the relationship between an artwork and the person encountering it.

With an intentionally open theme, the exhibition creates space for different ideas, subjects, materials and artistic approaches to coexist. Rather than asking artists to respond to a single concept, PRESENT TENSE invites each artist to bring their own visual language into a shared contemporary moment.

The exhibition welcomes work that is personal, experimental, observational, emotional, political, abstract, figurative, conceptual or simply rooted in the artist's current practice.

Presence and immediacy
Contemporary life
Identity and expression
Personal narratives
Perception and observation
Colour and visual language
Material and experimentation
Figuration and abstraction
Emerging ideas and perspectives
Open contemporary practice

Accepted Media

Painting
Photography
Sculpture
Mixed Media
Installation
Textile Art
Printmaking
Drawing
Digital Art
Video Art

Ready to Apply?

Submit your application and become part of PRESENT TENSE, a contemporary group exhibition bringing different artistic practices together at Espacio Gallery in London.

Submit Your Application

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