Shanghai’s 2025 Light Art Open Call Invites Global Artists to Illuminate Cultural Diversity

Shanghai, China Jun 26, 2025 (EMWNews.com) – The Shining Shanghai (Jing’an) 2025 International Light Art Open Call officially opens its global invitation, centering on the theme “Luminous Roots: Stories of Belonging”.

This year’s competition challenges artists to transform Shanghai’s Shenyuli into a canvas for cross-cultural storytelling. By projecting artworks onto century-old brick buildings, artists will explore how individual and collective identities rooted in urban, traditional, or digital realms intersect to shape narratives of universal significance. The Open call emphasizes cultural diversity, inviting creators from all backgrounds to redefine “home” through innovative light-based expressions.

Timeline

The 2025 edition follows a streamlined timeline to maximize global participation:

May 1st – July 5th, 11:59 pm (UTC+8): Concept Submission

July 9th: Finalist Announcement

July 9th – September 8th: Project Files Submission

September 17th: Final Jury

September 19th: Winner Announcement

September 28th – October 7th: Winner Exhibition

Winning works debut at Shanghai’s Shenyuli, and will have an opportunity to present the work in miniature form in other parts of the world.

Prizes

With a total prize pool exceeding 800,000 CNY( $110,000 USD,) the competition offers both financial rewards and unparalleled exposure:

Gold Award: 1  Artist/Team, Prize of 250,000 CNY   $34,000 USD

Silver Award: 1  Artist/Team, Prize of 100,000 CNY each $13,000 USD

Bronze Award: 3  Artists/Teams, Prize of 50,000 CNY each $6,800 USD/each

Finalist Award: 15  Artists/Teams, Prize of 20,000 CNY each $2,700 USD/ each

Diversity Driven

Since its 2023 debut, the Open Call has emerged as a beacon for inclusive creativity:

2023, over 60 international artistic teams, captivating over 1.3 million on-site visitors, and achieving over 2 billion online views during its exhibition in the historic Shenyuli neighborhood. Building on this success, the 2024 edition saw a global call for submissions, attracting 151 entries from 27 countries and reaching an international audience of over 5 million. Building on this legacy, the open call is steadily establishing a vibrant, inclusive, and globally connected art exchange platform right here in Jing’an, Shanghai. It is believed that within every artist lies a beacon, a unique lighthouse, waiting to shine and tell the world the rich stories of the places and cultures that shape who they are.

How to Apply

Artists and collectives are invited and welcome to submit existing and new works, and more than one work

The following are the general requirements:

• Storyboard for a 100s to 120s projection mapping work: Based on the front elevation image of the building, in PowerPoint / Keynote format.
• Two or more renderings (key frames): Based on the building model file, 6840*1200 pixels, PNG format.
• 10-second video demo (optional): 3420*600 pixels, 25fps, MP4 format, including background music.
• Artist/team CV/resume and portfolio: PDF format.

For a complete and detailed guide, please visit the official website: https://www.shiningshanghai.com/