Curatorial Ethics Network Opens Submissions for the Inaugural Issue of the CEN Journal

The Curatorial Ethics Network (CEN) has officially opened submissions for the first issue of the CEN Journal, a new interdisciplinary online publication dedicated to exploring ethics, accountability, inclusivity, and responsibility within contemporary curatorial practice and the wider visual arts sector.

The launch of the journal comes at a time when conversations around representation, collaboration, institutional responsibility, and care within the arts feel increasingly urgent. Through this publication, CEN aims to create a platform for critical reflection, knowledge exchange, and dialogue across global contemporary art ecosystems.

Issue 1 Theme: Collective Action + Advocacy

The inaugural issue is centred around the theme “Collective Action + Advocacy.”

This issue seeks to explore how collaborative approaches, collective thinking, and advocacy-driven practices are shaping contemporary curatorial work today. The journal welcomes submissions that engage critically, practically, conversationally, or reflectively with ethics-focused themes across exhibitions, institutions, artist-led initiatives, and curatorial processes.

The publication is particularly interested in contributions that investigate how curators, artists, institutions, and communities work together to create more inclusive, responsive, and ethically grounded art environments.

Suggested Areas of Exploration

CEN welcomes submissions that engage with topics including, but not limited to:

• Collaborative curatorial models

• Co-curation and shared authorship

• Advocacy through exhibitions and public programming

• Artist-centred and audience-centred approaches

• Curatorial care, mediation, and responsibility

• Ethical collaboration and dialogue

• Peer learning, networks, and knowledge exchange

• Participation, representation, and curatorial process

• Interdisciplinary approaches to ethical curation

The journal encourages submissions that bridge the space between academic research and professional practice, opening the conversation to both scholars and practitioners working within contemporary art and curatorial fields.

Who Can Apply?

The open call is relevant for a wide range of contributors, including:

• Curators

• Researchers and academics

• Artists and artist-curators

• Writers and critics

• Arts practitioners

• Cultural workers and educators

• Individuals working within museums, galleries, and artist-led spaces

Submissions may take different forms and approaches, including:

• Theoretical essays

• Critical writing

• Reflective texts

• Conversational or interview-based pieces

• Practice-led contributions

Get more information on submission guidelines in the attached PDF:

CEN Issue 1. Call for Papers _ Articles.pdf

Download PDF • 487KB

Accessibility and Inclusion

The Curatorial Ethics Network has also stated its commitment to accessible and inclusive publishing practices. Contributors who may benefit from writing support or accessibility accommodations during the submission process are encouraged to contact the editorial team directly.

This emphasis on accessibility reflects the larger intentions of the journal itself: to build conversations around curatorial ethics that are open, collaborative, and genuinely inclusive.

Why This Open Call Matters

As contemporary curatorial practice continues to evolve, questions around ethics, care, authorship, participation, and representation are becoming central to how exhibitions and institutions operate.

The inaugural issue of the CEN Journal arrives at an important moment, offering space for deeper reflection on how collaborative and advocacy-driven approaches can reshape curatorial work across local and global contexts.

For practitioners, researchers, and cultural workers engaging with these questions, this open call presents an opportunity to contribute to an expanding conversation around the future of ethical curatorial practice.