Open Call One Nest Stand 2026

We are excited to invite students of the KABK to participate in this year’s One Nest Stand exhibition, taking place at Nest in Laak from 6 to 8 November 2026. This exhibition is a response to the exhibition Creation Myths and Other Beginnings, which takes place at Nest during the same period, from 4 September to 29 November.

Each year Nest invites art academy students to reflect on a previous exhibition and create new work. This year’s One Nest Stand will be held at Nest in Laak, next to Club Laak. Nest was situated in Laak to present an experimental, multidisciplinary art program focused on art, listening, and radical attention. Since January, Nest has reopened its doors at Constant Rebecqueplein. With exhibitions across two locations, this year's One Nest Stand offers a special opportunity: for the first time, visitors can move between One Nest Stand in Laak and Creation Myths at Nest within the same weekend.

Creation Myths, curated by Nest's director Laurie Cluitmans, invites visitors to consider the stories societies tell about their origins. Creation stories shape how we understand ourselves, where we come from, and how we imagine the future. They explain the world, but they also reveal who gets to belong within it.

“Hurtling downward, she saw only dark water below. But in that emptiness were many eyes gazing up at the sudden shaft of light. They saw there a small object, a mere dust mote in the beam. As it grew closer, they could see it was a woman, arms outstretched, long black hair billowing behind as she spiraled toward them…”

In her book Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer retells the Indigenous Potawatomi story of Sky Woman. Falling from Sky World through a hole in the sky, she descends towards a vast expanse of dark water. The animals below see her approaching and gather to help. Goose softens her fall. A turtle offers his back. Together they create a place where she can live. Kimmerer describes Sky Woman as the first migrant on earth, welcomed with care and generosity.

This story stands in sharp contrast to the biblical story of Adam and Eve, who are cast out of paradise after eating the forbidden fruit. Different creation stories offer different ways of imagining our relationship to the world and to one another.

The artists in Creation Myths return to origin stories that have shaped both their lives and artistic practices. Claudia Martínez Garay presents a monumental installation inspired by Andean civilization, exploring how pre-Columbian languages and worldviews were suppressed through colonialism. Müge Yılmaz turns to the symbols of the matriarchal Göbekli Tepe, imagining a creation story for a future yet to come. Nathaniel Mellors and Erkka Nissinen create an absurdist myth about the origins of Finland, in which God is an egg and patriarchal ideas are gleefully mocked. Narges Mohammadi reflects on the destruction of heritage and its sudden reappearances in Afghanistan. The exhibition also includes work by Mounira Al Solh, Yael Bartana, Louis Braddock Clarke, Yaïr Callender, Fiona Lutjenhuis, Rithika Merchant, Marie-Claire Messouma Manlanbien, Selma Selman and Müge Yilmaz. The exhibition design by Zoë Hollander invites visitors to move through different ways of understanding the world.

For One Nest Stand, we invite you to consider the stories that have shaped you. Which origin stories do you carry with you? Which myths, memories or encounters continue to inform your artistic practice?

As One Nest Stand takes place in Nest in Laak, next to Club Laak, we are also interested in the myths of the night. The stories that circulate through nightlife and its temporary communities. The first rave.

As a selected participant, you will receive an introduction to the contemporary art scene, with regular assessments from critics, curators, and coaches. You will be expected to attend meetings, assist with exhibition setup and takedown, and approach your work with professionalism. Ten students will be chosen to exhibit their work at Nest in Laak. The selection will not be based on the quality of your work, but on the idea and how it relates to Creation Myths and/or the Nest in Laak location.

• Send documentation of your work, including up to 12 JPEG images and/or 6 minutes of video material. The total size of all files combined should not exceed 7MB.
• Deadline: Submit your application by September 7, 2026, to [email protected]. Ensure the subject line includes your full name followed by “One Nest Stand.” The results will be announced via email on September 9, 2026.

If selected, please attend the first meeting on Friday, September 11, 2026, 10:00 – 13:00 at Nest.

The opening of the One Nest Stand will be on Friday, November 6, 2026.
The exhibition Creation Myths will be on view from September 4 to November 22, 2024.

We are looking forward to your proposal!

Best regards,

Team Nest