Events awards

Premiere Art Biennale Opens Call for Entries from Emerging Visual Artists

Premiere Art Biennale Opens Global Call for Entries, Spotlighting Next Wave of Emerging Visual Artists

London, U.K., November 22, 2025 — The London Art Biennale on Friday launched its open call for the 2025 edition, inviting emerging visual artists worldwide to submit paintings, sculptures, digital works, photography, and time-based media for consideration in the July 16–20 exhibition at the Chelsea landmark. More than 400 artists are expected to be selected from an anticipated 5,000-plus entries, underscoring the event’s reputation as one of the fastest-growing satellite fairs on the international biennale circuit.

The 2025 fair returns as the global art market rebounds from a two-year contraction. According to the Art Basel & UBS Art Market 2025 report, aggregate dealer sales rose 4 percent year-on-year to an estimated USD 37.2 billion, with online sales now accounting for 21 percent of global volume. Biennials and juried fairs are increasingly viewed by collectors as cost-efficient discovery platforms, particularly for works priced below USD 10,000—a segment that grew 9 percent in 2024.

“There is no quota for nationality, medium, or theme,” said Santiago Parra, CEO of the Biennale’s parent group, London Contemporary Art. “Our jury—comprising museum curators, gallerists, and critics—grades each submission blind, ensuring that early-career artists compete on merit alone.” Parra noted that 38 percent of exhibitors in the 2024 edition were first-time biennale participants, and sales by artists with no prior auction record totalled GBP 1.7 million.

Awards include the GBP 5,000 London Art Biennale Prize, the Visitors’ Choice Award, and 25 juror nominations for automatic inclusion in the 2026 Chianciano Biennale in Tuscany, Italy. All selected artists receive a full-colour catalogue page, social-media promotion reaching 1.2 million followers, and complimentary access to a four-day professional-development program covering pricing, IP licensing, and digital archiving.

Entry is GBP 36 per artwork, capped at five works per applicant; previous exhibition history is not required. Final selections will be announced on March 31, 2025, allowing artists three months to arrange shipping or produce new pieces. The fair will again partner with arts-insurance specialist AXA ART to provide discounted transit coverage and on-site storage.

The 2025 edition coincides with London’s newly expanded Creative Visa route, introduced by the U.K. Home Office in October to streamline entry for cultural professionals. “That regulatory tail-wind, combined with a weak sterling, makes this the most artist-friendly London Biennale on record,” Parra added.

About London Art Biennale

Founded in 2013, London Art Biennale is a juried contemporary-art exhibition held every two years in Chelsea’s Old Town Hall. The event has hosted more than 3,400 artists from 72 countries and generated cumulative sales exceeding GBP 38 million. Programming is managed by London Contemporary Art, an independent arts organization registered in England & Wales.