THE SINGING OF THE NIGHTINGALE 2ND EDITION
International Trans-Balkan Art Project
Open Call for Artists & Creators – 2026
Artists, writers, poets, researchers, sound artists, students, collectives, and interdisciplinary practitioners from all countries are invited to participate in The Singing of the Nightingales, a collective artistic initiative connecting participants through shared gestures, local memories, artistic collaboration, and cultural dialogue.
The project focuses on the ideas of freedom, cultural coexistence, and the unity of peoples, using the nightingale as a shared symbol of voice, memory, communication, and resistance.
The project is organized by the Art Group BUFF of Western Strokes (Greece) and the School of Fine Arts of Florina (Greece) in coordination with the Third Painting Workshop, in collaboration with NI Manifestation “Smilevo Congress” (North Macedonia) through the Kooperacija Sessions platform, as well as the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Pustec (Albania).
The initiative develops as a moving translocal artistic network across the Balkans and beyond.
The first gathering took place on 1–2 May 2026 in Smilevo (North Macedonia), activating participations from Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, North Macedonia, and the first contributions beyond Europe, including Argentina. This first phase marked the beginning of an expanding collective archive of sounds, images, texts, memories, and artistic gestures.
Following this introduction, the project continues in Deskati (Grevena, Greece) before culminating in the trinational Prespa region (Greece – Albania – North Macedonia).
ARTISTIC IDEA & FORMS OF PARTICIPATION
The Common Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) appears throughout Balkan poetry, literature, and oral traditions as a symbol of voice and collective cultural memory.
Within the framework of the project, the nightingale functions as a conceptual point of departure rather than a literal object of representation.
Each contribution is inspired by the broader conceptual field of the project and becomes part of a shared collective installation and archive.
The project develops through interconnected forms of participation, including:
- small sculptural works
- photographic documentation
- sound recordings / field recordings
- poetry and literary contributions
- theoretical and research-based texts
- interdisciplinary and performative practices
- interventions in natural or public spaces
- visual works (drawing, painting, image-based practices)
All contributions become part of:
- the collective installation
- the digital map / Digital CHARTA
- the evolving project archive
Re-participation
Previous participants may contribute again by activating new locations, interventions, or contributions within different points of the Digital CHARTA.
POETRY & LITERARY CONTRIBUTIONS
Poetry and literature are approached as forms of oral and written expression connected to memory, voice, place, and collective experience.
Participants may submit poetic or literary works inspired by themes such as:
- voice
- memory
- place
- freedom
- coexistence
- cultural connection
Texts may take the form of poetry, prose, fragments, experimental writing, or hybrid textual practices without strict formal limitations.
These contributions become part of the evolving textual and conceptual archive of the project.
ELIGIBILITY
Open to creators worldwide, including:
- visual artists
- writers and poets
- translators, cultural mediators, and researchers
- multimedia artists
- sound artists
- students
- independent creators
- collectives and communities
Participation is free of charge.
Participants are responsible for shipping costs for physical works.
OPTIONAL SCULPTURAL PARTICIPATION
Participants may submit a small sculptural work inspired by the broader conceptual framework of the project.
The sculpture does not need to literally represent the nightingale. It may take any form inspired by ideas such as:
- voice
- memory
- place
- communication
- freedom
- coexistence
Free choice of materials.
Maximum dimensions:
- Length: 18–20 cm
- Height: 12–15 cm
Optional base 3D model:
https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/art/the-singing-of-the-nightingale
DOCUMENTATION
1. Photographic Documentation (Required)
Participants are asked to photograph their work within a meaningful local context connected to:
- local memory, history, or identity
- natural landscapes
- cultural landmarks
- communities and everyday life
- people or practices connected to freedom and cultural dialogue
Please include:
- photograph (PNG/JPG)
- short explanatory text (max. 100 words)
- date & time of documentation
- location (latitude/longitude or Google Maps link)
2. Sound Recording (Optional)
Participants may submit a sound recording of 30–60 seconds, including:
- natural environments
- bird songs
- local soundscapes
- urban or social environments
- ambient recordings connected to local contexts
These recordings will become part of the collective Balkan sound archive accompanying future exhibitions and presentations.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Core Material (Required)
- artist name and city/country
- short contextual text (max. 100 words)
- short artist biography (2–4 lines)
- latitude/longitude (lat/long)
Additional Material (Optional)
Participants are invited to submit one or multiple forms of the following contribution.
- photographic documentation (PNG/JPG)
- physical sculpture / sculptural intervention
- audio file (WAV or MP3)
- sound recording / field recording (WAV 44.1 kHz / 16-bit or MP3)
- text / poetry / literary contribution (PDF/DOC, max. 1 page)
- additional visual or archival documentation
ARCHIVE & FUTURE EXHIBITIONS
All contributions become part of the project archive and may be presented in future exhibitions, screenings, installations, publications, and curatorial presentations.
The project develops as a continuously expanding cultural network of connected voices and territories.
All participants will be credited in all forms of presentation.
DIGITAL CHARTA / DIGITAL MAP
The digital map functions as a continuously evolving field of collective cultural expression, a kind of “Google Maps” for sounds, images, memories, local histories, and artistic contributions from the Balkans and the world.
Each contribution becomes a new point within a shared digital territory of memory, freedom, and cultural connection beyond borders.
🗺 Explore the Digital CHARTA
https://nightingale.pgk.gr/
PARTICIPATION
🗺 Submit your contribution to the Digital CHARTA:
nightingale submit
Participants may contribute through sculpture, sound, poetry, photography, research, documentation, translation, or other interdisciplinary practices connected to the themes of freedom, memory, cultural coexistence, and the unity of peoples.
APPLICATION
Artists who wish to participate are invited to send a short confirmation of participation including:
- name
- city / country
- production method (3D model or free construction)
Email:
thenightingale.2026@gmail.com
DEADLINES
Online Submission Deadline
20 July 2026
Physical Work Shipping Deadline (optional)
25 July 2026
NEXT STATIONS
Deskati (Grevena, Greece) — Summer 2026
Trinational Prespa Region
(Greece – Albania – North Macedonia) — Autumn 2026
SHIPPING ADDRESS
Submission by Box Now
Selected works should be sent via Box Now to the following pickup point:
Recipient: Maria Papagelou
Box Now Locker: Total Market Archaeological Museum
Address: Ioannou Arti 30, Florina 53100, Greece
Phone: +30 698 208 2045
Email: maria2papageloy@yahoo.com
Please ensure that the sender’s name and contact details are clearly indicated on the shipment.
CONTACT
For more information and the full project description:
Email: thenightingale.2026@gmail.com
Phone / WhatsApp:
+306987683766
+306972890252
The Team
Sofia Antonakaki
Vasko Gjorgiev
Harris Kondosphyris
Panos Kountanis
Dimitra Marini
Sotiris Minas
Leonidas Nikolaidis
Maria Papagelou
Pece Trajkovski “Brada”
Our Partners
Co-organized by
- Regional Unit of Western Macedonia (Greece)
- Municipality of Prespa (Greece)
- Municipality of Deskati (Greece)
- University of Western Macedonia – School of Fine Arts of Florina, Third Studio (Greece)
- PELEKANOS – Agricultural Cooperative of Bean Producers of the Prespa National Park (Greece)
- Smilevo Congress Festival (North Macedonia)
- BUFF Visual Arts Collective (Greece)
Supported by (alphabetical order)
-
A & B Primary School of Deskati (Greece)
-
Floroi Visual Artists Platform – Third Studio (Greece)
-
Antonis I. Petsas Art & Culture Center, Deskati (Greece)
-
Western Macedonia Model Forest (Greece)
-
Third Studio, University of Western Macedonia (Greece)
-
Florina Conservatory of the Region of Western Macedonia (Greece)
Graphic Design
Vasko Gjorgiev
Communication
ecozani
Coordination and communication management
Anastasia Mimikou
Maria Papagelou
