COPY / PASTE

From ancient mosaics to Renaissance workshops, from academic studies “after the master” to contemporary memes and remixes, artists have always copied, quoted, paid homage, and stolen. To copy is not merely to repeat — it is to transmit, transform, translate.

With this new Open Call, we invite artists and thinkers of all disciplines to engage with the enduring practice of replication — not as mimicry, but as a method of invention. What happens when an image is repeated? When a gesture is rehearsed? When a fragment is lifted from its source and re-contextualized?

In 2025, copy-paste is not just a tool—it’s a language, a gesture, a condition. Artists have always copied each other: in reverence, in protest, in play. What does it mean today to quote, remix, reenact, clone, or counterfeit?

We invite submissions that engage with the act of copying—not just as imitation, but as transformation. We are looking for works that sample and subvert, that echo and distort — whether through appropriation, pattern, citation, détournement, or tribute. The copy becomes a tool of reverence, resistance, and recursion.

This year’s jury — composed of writer and curator Léa Simone Allegria, independent curator Pierre Allizan, and The Curators co-founder Augustin Doublet— will be looking for works that reflect the complexity, irony, and creative potential of the copy today.

Submission Deadline

September 1st, 2025 MIDNIGHT (EST)

APPLY

EXHIBITION

10 FINALISTS will be will be exhibited and available for purchase on our online platform.

CASH PRIZES

· 1st Place: $500

· 2nd Place: $300

· 3nd Place: $200

APPLICATION

· All Mediums Accepted

· Up to 3 works

· Submission fee: $15

The Jury

Lea Simone Allegria

Artist, gallerist, and novelist, Léa Simone Allegria makes art and literature her playground. After studying Modern Literature and Art History at the Sorbonne and the École du Louvre, she worked internationally as a model before turning fully to writing.

Her first novel, Loin du corps (Seuil, 2017), explores the tensions between image and identity. Her second book, Le Grand Art (Flammarion, 2020), offered a sharp and intimate dive into the lives of artists and collectors, and was praised for its elegant critique of the contemporary art scene. Douce menace (Albin Michel) is her third novel. Set against the backdrop of the Eternal City and in the shadow of Caravaggio, with Douce Menace (Albin Michel, 2025)  she explores the mysteries of creation and forgery.

Pierre Allizan

Pierre Allizan is a French curator specializing in 19th- and 20th-century painting. After working at the Palais de Tokyo and alongside art advisor Laurence Dreyfus, he has curated numerous exhibitions featuring artists such as Olafur Eliasson, Claire Tabouret, Edmund de Waal,Tomás Saraceno, andCindy Sherman.

Based between Paris and the south of France, he supports emerging artists and collectors alike.

He is now co-curator of Échos de Cézanne at Gallifet Centre d’Art in Aix‑en‑Provence (July 1–Sept 28, 2025). This exhibition explores the modern echoes of Cézanne’s legacy—showcasing contemporary painters, sculptors, and photographers whose work resonates with the master’s aesthetic and themes

Augustin Doublet

Augustin Doublet is a curator, writer, and co-founder ofThe Curators, a gallery dedicated to emerging practices in contemporary art.

With a background in art history and editorial work, his projects often explore repetition, appropriation, and narrative structures across visual media. He has collaborated with both artists and institutions on exhibitions, publications, and hybrid formats that question the boundaries between fiction, history, and display.

“Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed.”

Antoine Lavoisier

We look forward to discovering your take on Copy / Paste—its repetitions, its ruptures, its possibilities.

REQUIREMENTS

· Artists must be the creator of the artwork submitted and not infringe anyone else's copyrighted material. If there is any question about authenticity, The Curators reserves the right to demand proof of authorship. Non-compliance to this rule will be a disqualification of the entry.

· Artists must ensure high quality of images. 

· Artists must submit their work before the DEADLINE : September 1st, 2025 Midnight (EST)
· Artists must be in possessions of the artworks submitted and be ready to send it to our Gallery in Paris.

·Artists may be asked for additional material and interviews if selected as finalists

·Artists from any country are welcome to apply

·The competition is open to all, regardless of age or professional status.

FEE

Submission fee is $15, nonrefundable, for each submission - up to 3 images can be uploaded per submission.

FINALISTS

· All selected works will be exhibited and for sale on our platform.

· Additional opportunities include editorial coverage, curatorial texts, and artist features across platforms.

AGREEMENT

· The Curators reserves the right to use images of the artwork on their website and social media.

· We keep a 50% commission from every sale.

For any questions regarding the open call, please email:

info@thecurators.com

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