WITNESS — Call for Artists | Nuun Art Gallery

In a rapidly changing world, one that often feels as though the very fabric of society is coming undone, we are surrounded by promises of peace, happiness, comfort, freedom, and endless choice.

Yet beneath these promises, many of us find exhaustion, alienation, distraction, politico-economic injustice, and a deep uncertainty about how to navigate it all as believers.

What does it mean to witness all of this as Muslims?

What does it mean to behold the upheaval of this age while still believing, with confidence, that the world can be directed toward loftier ends, prophetic values, and more beautiful modes of being?

What does it mean to insist that beauty can still be expressed amid the chaos, and that those who witness will be held accountable for what they have seen?

How, then, do we turn witness into faithful action?

At Nuun Collective, we believe artists serve most powerfully as witnesses in this hour.

The visual identity

The thumbprint is the body's own signature.

Drawing on the Qur'anic image of hands and feet bearing witness when mouths are sealed, the thumbprint presents witnessing as the body itself becoming a record, something more than mere external observation.

A thumbprint is used when something must be verified, proven, or placed on record. It reminds visitors that they are not passive spectators, and that what they witness will leave a trace and, indeed, will place a weighty responsibility upon them.

We welcome artists working across every medium

We accept every medium.

We are especially interested in work that challenges narrow assumptions about what “Islamic art” is expected to look like.

Muslim artistic expression cannot be confined to devotional calligraphy or the familiar flowing leaf patterns reminiscent of the Arabesque style. While recognising the immense depth and beauty of these artforms, we seek work that expands and reimagines the visual languages through which Muslim life, thought, memory, faith, and experience in this new epoch are represented.

Before you begin

Have these ready.

01
Your details
Name, contact, Instagram or portfolio link.
02
The work
Title, category, and 300 words on how it responds to the Witness prompt.
03
Display & technical needs
Dimensions in inches, weight in pounds, how it's shown, and what it needs to run.
04
2–3 images
Finished photographs or in-progress shots. Under 10 MB each.
05
Auction decision
Whether you're opting in, and the lowest price you'd accept.

The form

Submit your work.

All fields marked * are required. Your submission is reviewed by the Nuun selection committee.

01 The artist

Full name * Email * Phone * City & country * Instagram or portfolio * A handle or a link — whichever best shows your work.

02 The work

Title of the piece * Category * Materials & process * How does the work respond to the Witness prompt? * Up to 300 words. 0 / 300 words Artist statement * Your practice, broadly — up to 250 words. 0 / 250 words

03 Display & technical needs

Height * Width * Depth * Weight * How is the work displayed, and what do you need to display it? * Tell us how it hangs, stands, or plays — wall-mounted, freestanding, on a plinth, suspended, screen-based, performed — and everything it needs to run: power, screens, projector, audio, headphones, wall space, dimmed or dark space, lighting, seating, hanging hardware, run time, assembly time, fragility. Be generous here; it is far easier to plan for now than on install day.

Who provides the equipment? *

04 Images

Upload 2–3 photographs * Finished work or in-progress shots. JPG or PNG, under 10 MB each.

01Add imageRequired 02Add imageRequired 03Add imageOptional

Link to further images or a video optional Drive, Dropbox, Vimeo — make sure the link is publicly viewable.

05 Auction

Would you like this work included in the exhibition auction? *

06 Artist fee

Submitting is free — nothing is due now. If your work is selected there is a artist fee, covering install, materials, printed labels, lighting and promotion. Payment details will be sent to you after acceptance.

I would like to request a fee waiver. No explanation is required.

07 Agreement

Copyright and every other right in the work you submit remain entirely with you. Nuun will not share, publish, exhibit, reproduce, or use your submission for any purpose — it is seen only by the selection committee.

Please confirm:

This is my own original work and I hold the rights to submit it. * The dimensions, weight and display needs above are accurate to the best of my knowledge, and I'll let Nuun know promptly if they change. * Type your full name as signature * Date *

You'll receive a copy of your submission by email. We'll be in touch once the selection committee has reviewed your work.

The thumbprint is the body's own signature.

We accept every medium.

Have these ready.

Your witness is on record.