Genius Loci Festival Competition Open Call 2026: Democracy & Society

GENIUS LOCI WEIMAR IS SEEKING INNOVATIVE IDEAS FOR THE PROJECTION FESTIVAL FROM SEPTEMBER 11 TO 13, 2026

The 13th edition of Genius Loci Weimar is dedicated to the theme of Democracy & Society.

At a time when democracy and social cohesion are under pressure from rising populism and digital polarization, video and light art as forms of art in public spaces that are physically and morally accessible to all, offer an opportunity to engage broad segments of the population and foster dialogue among them.

During the festival, three historic buildings in the Old Town are transformed into unique stages for light art and reflection. The facades of the Temple of Nike, the House of the Weimar Republic, and Friedrich Schiller’s former residence are bathed in projections that weave the festival’s theme into the history of these sites.

The Competition

Applicants have until June 14, 2026, to submit a 30-second video clip to be projected onto this year’s buildings, the Nike Temple, the House of the Weimar Republic, and Schiller’s Residence.

Genius Loci Weimar is once again seeking to capture the unique spirit of the selected location through an atmospheric and even experimental-visual language and narrative structure. Entries may be realized as animation, 3D animation, or live-action film. We strongly encourage motion graphics designers as well as video and short film artists of all disciplines and genres to submit proposals for the selected locations, drawing on their diverse aesthetics, animation techniques, and narrative styles.

The three winners will receive a total of 24,000 euros in prize money to produce a five- to ten-minute high-definition audiovisual work, which will be presented during the festival.

The exact contest rules and detailed information about the venue are available on the website:

https://www.genius-loci-weimar.org/en/competition 

The Festival

Genius Loci Weimar is an annual festival dedicated to site-specific audiovisual art, with a particular focus on facade, spatial, and object projections. The festival combines Weimar’s historical spirit with the contemporary art of video mapping, a projection technique that integrates the object into the visual composition, thereby lending still objects multiple dimensions and creating audiovisual narratives.

Through its international competition, the Genius Loci Weimar Festival provides an overview of current video mapping productions from around the world. As a meeting place for the international video mapping scene, the festival attracts culture enthusiasts and professionals from the fields of architecture, media art, design, performing arts, and visual arts to Weimar. With nearly 50,000 visitors, the festival is one of the highlights of the Weimar summer.

Genius Loci Weimar is organized in collaboration with the festival organization MXPerience gUG. The festival is also supported by the City of Weimar, ReBeam GmbH, and Logando.

www.genius-loci-weimar.org