OPEN CALL SEATING AREA

Open call: We are looking for artist(s) to create a commissioned functional artwork to be included in an exhibition about medical research on biological female bodies, opening in May 2026. 

About the project: 

In January 2025, the Steno Museum (part of the Science Museums, Aarhus University) opened the exhibition The Overlooked Body, which explores how biological female bodies have historically - and continue to be - overlooked in medical research, and the consequences this has for knowledge, diagnosis, and treatment. This exhibition is the first of two on the subject. The next exhibition will open in May 2026. 

We are currently looking for an artist to create a functional artwork for an exhibition section on breasts and lactation in this final exhibition. The artwork will be developed in dialogue with researchers from Aarhus University and the museum's curators. 

The project is supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The exhibition is curated by the Science Museums, Aarhus University. 

APPLICATION DEADLINE: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25 2025

About the exhibition 

The exhibition aims to prompt visitors to reflect on the inequalities in medical research, both past and present. Through this exhibition, we hope to encourage curiosity and reflection on this highly topical issue across art, science, and medical history. 

The exhibition will include various cases/themes, all of which highlight how biological female bodies have been overlooked in medical research. One of these sections will focus on breasts and breastfeeding. 

In this context, we wish to produce a functional artwork that can serve as a seating area or gathering spot for school groups, while also acting as a visual focal point in the exhibition section. 
(See specifications for the artwork below.) 

Breasts and lactation 

The breast are an overlooked organ in the sense that we know very little about the healthy, natural breast and its functions. A central focus of this theme will be breastfeeding research from Aarhus University. This can be supplemented with content on breasts as “objects” - that is, breasts in a sexual and cultural context, breasts as “maternal,” and breasts as “ill.” 

The breast is one of the most fascinating and vital organs in the body. It is one of the few organs that develops after birth and primarily functions for the benefit of others: it provides nourishment and protection to babies in their most vulnerable period. 

Reflection questions about the theme: 

• Why don’t we know more about the biological breast and female biology? 

• How can we define what is diseased if we don’t know what is healthy? 

• How should the breast be understood as an organ? 

The purpose of the artwork is to create an artistic element that can spark curiosity and conversation within the thematic exhibition section, while also serving as a gathering point during educational programs for school groups. 

Specifications for the functional artwork 

• The artwork should be a social gathering point or seating installation that can accommodate a school class. Not all students must be seated. 

• It should visualize or interpret the biological breast (or multiple breasts) in a physical form. 

• Dimensions: The artwork will be placed in an exhibition section on breasts measuring approx. 30 m², which will also include other exhibition elements. 

• The piece must be durable and able to withstand significant wear. 

Application process 

To apply, please submit the following documents as a single PDF to curator and project manager Anne Sofie Bomholt Larsen at asbl@biomed.au.dk: 

• Max 1-page motivation for joining the project, including your ideas for collaboration with curators, and a draft process plan and budget. 

• Max 2-page sketch draft and brief description of the functional artwork. 

• Max 1-page concise CV of applicant(s), including contact details. 

• Max 3-page visual documentation of previous work and projects. 

Applications must be submitted in Danish or English by June 25. 

A limited number of applicants will be shortlisted for interviews. Shortlisted candidates will receive an invitation by July 1. Interviews will take place in week 28. 

Structure of artistic collaboration 

The artistic collaboration will run from August 18, 2025 until the exhibition opening in May 2026. During this period, the selected artist is expected to participate in: 

• Background reading and familiarization with the topic. 

• Interviews/workshops with relevant researchers and curators. 

• Monthly meetings involving dialogue with the museum's curators and researchers. 

• Submission of a work sketch for the commission by mid-October 2025, including a description/visualization of the concept, materials, and production plan. 

• In-house or external production of the work, delivered by end of March 2026. 

Remuneration 

We offer: 

• An artist fee of DKK 75,000, paid in two installments, with the final payment contingent upon completion of the work for the exhibition opening. 

• A contribution of up to DKK 100,000 for materials and production. Material purchases can be coordinated with the museum's curators. 

More Information 

More about the Science Museums: https://sciencemuseerne.dk 

More about the exhibition The Overlooked Body: https://sciencemuseerne.dk/steno-museet/udstillinger/den-oversete-krop 

Questions can be directed to project manager Anne Sofie Bomholt Larsen at asbl@biomed.au.dk.