International Symposium for Visual Culture & Exhibition 2026

ISVC Website: https://cicamuseum.com/isvc

Exhibition: Visual Culture 2026
September 9–27, 2026
CICA Museum, Korea

International Symposium for Visual Culture (ISVC) 2026
September 19–20, 2026
The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center
Visual and Performing Arts Department
Montgomery College

Exhibition: Visual Culture 2026 Popup Show
September 19–20, 2026
Maze Gallery
The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center
Visual and Performing Arts Department
Montgomery College

The CICA Museum invites artists, scholars, and researchers from around the world to participate in the International Symposium for Visual Culture & Exhibition 2026.

The symposium brings together a global community of artists, researchers, and academics in vibrant downtown Silver Spring, adjacent to Washington DC, USA. The symposium and popup show will be hosted by Montgomery College, while the international exhibition will take place at the CICA Museum in Korea. These events are organized in collaboration with the CICA Museum and the Visual and Performing Arts Department of Montgomery College, Takoma Park/Silver Spring.

ISVC serves as an international platform for diverse and critical perspectives on visual culture. Through this program, they aim to build a global network of researchers, artists, and creators and audiences of visual culture, fostering critical discourse and a deeper understanding of visual culture worldwide.

Participating artists and researchers will be featured in the publication New Media Art 2027, to be released in full-color paperback in December 2026 by CICA Press. Contributions may include English texts (e.g., interviews, essays, poetry), drawings, and images introducing the artist’s work.

Categories & Keywords:

• Art and Capitalism
• Art, Technology, and Culture
• New Media Art
• Mass Culture
• Postmodernism
• Globalism
• Critical Studies
• Nationalism and Visual Culture
• Race and Identity in Art & Culture
• Feminist Studies on Visual Culture
• Art & Culture in a Global Pandemic
• Digital Culture and Social Media
• Digital Humanism
• Artificial Intelligence and Humanism
• Algorithmic Bias & Visual Culture
• Data Aesthetics
• Post-Human & Ecological Perspectives
• Post-humanism
• Environmental Issues and Culture
• Bio Art & Post-Nature Culture
• Global Mobility & Diaspora Visualities
• Archival Art
• Digital Nomad
• Immersive Media & Presence
• [Symposium] International Symposium for Visual Culture (ISVC) 2026

The symposium will be held at the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center, Montgomery College, Silver Spring, on September 19–20, 2026.

Each accepted presenter will have the opportunity to discuss their work with peers. All presenters must register upon acceptance and deliver a presentation or performance during their assigned session.

ISVC welcomes proposals for paper presentations, workshops, experimental sessions, and artistic performances.

Each presenter (or presenting team) will receive three complimentary general admission tickets to ISVC 2026 to invite guests. Additional tickets will be available for purchase on the ISVC website.

The symposium will be held onsite, and presenters are required to attend in person and present onsite. Online presentations are permitted only for presenters who have previously applied for online sessions; applications for online sessions are now closed.

Montgomery College students will receive a free guest pass to the symposium, while faculty and staff are eligible for a 51% discount on registration as presenters or guests. For more information, please contact ISVC.

Timeline:

• June 19, 2026 — Submission deadline
• June 25–July 1, 2026 — Presenter registration
• September 9–27, 2026 — Exhibition at CICA Museum
• September 18, 2026 — Installation day (Popup Show), Cafritz Foundation Arts Center
• September 19–20, 2026 — Symposium at Cafritz Foundation Arts Center
• September 20, 2026 — ISVC Party, 4–7pm at Cafritz Foundation Arts Center
• September 20, 2026, 7–8pm (tentative) — Dismantling, Cafritz Foundation Arts Center
• December 15, 2026 — Publication Release

All dates are subject to change.

If you have any questions, please visit CICA Museum’s “Contact Us” page and leave a message.

Requirements

Exhibition: Visual Culture 2026 at the CICA Museum

The international exhibition Visual Culture 2026 will be held at the CICA Museum from September 9 to 27, 2026. Each artist may exhibit up to two works. Participation is optional. The installation guidelines are listed as follows:

– Photographs & 2D Digital Art

Selected works will be printed in 10 by 15 or 10 by 10 inches, framed, and installed by museum curators and assistants. Larger sizes may be available upon request; additional fees may apply.

– Video & Interactive Art

The museum will provide projectors and DVD/DIVX players. Multiple single-channel works may be screened on a shared projector. If your work requires exclusive screening or more than two projectors/monitors, please indicate this in your submission email. Additional fees may apply.

– Physical Works & Installation Art

Artists are responsible for shipping and delivery costs to and from the CICA Museum. Two-dimensional works must not exceed 39 inches (one meter) on the longest side. Installation works must not exceed 39 by 39 by 79 inches (1 by 1 by 2 meters, Width by Length by Height). Wall-mounted works must not exceed ten kilograms. Curators and staff will install framed works, paintings, and sculptures. Additional fees may apply if the artist requests CICA Museum’s team to install installation art or works that require specific installation instructions. Please let them know if you are interested in exhibiting works that exceed the size/weight limits or if you would like to request the installation of installation art.

Exhibition: Visual Culture 2026 Popup Show at Maze Gallery

Presenters may bring one work for the popup show at Montgomery College, open during the symposium (September 19–20, 2026). Participation is optional.

Artists are responsible for delivering, installing, and removing their artworks. Size and weight limitations are the same as above.

The college may provide monitors for video works; however, availability may be limited. CICA Museum will coordinate with artists regarding space and equipment after final selection.

Application Instructions

Please visit the CICA Museum’s website for more information: https://cicamuseum.com/open-call-isvc-2026/

They look forward to the participation of creative artists.