Open Call for the Transylvania Jewelry Festival 2026

The call is open to contemporary jewelry artists, designers, goldsmiths, collectives, schools, and galleries worldwide, regardless of age, educational background, or professional experience. Bringing together emerging voices and established artists from around the world, the festival transforms the heart of Transylvania into a vibrant meeting point for creativity, dialogue, and experimentation throughcontemporary jewelry. The concept of the 2026 edition, developed in collaboration with Philip Sajet, invites artists to reflect on jewelry beyond context and boundaries, proposing works that speak an international, timeless language.


For this edition, the curatorial concept and theme were developed in collaboration with Philip Sajet.

Subject: In Everytime & In Everywhere

Jewellery is a message in a language, spoken today for people of here and now. But so often it is not understood, not seen or heard, not recognised. Seen as a sign of an elitarian Rich Fringe culture.
And here is the question:
Can you make a work of wearable art which will be meaningful in When-ever and a Were-ever? A work above Contemporary or Culture? A piece to be appreciated; be it a cave, an iglo or a mansion. Be it appreciated in the total North to the total South of this Globe, from the East to the West? Spoken in an International Timeless language?
Can we make a piece were we truly meet each other?


Key Dates:
20 July l Application deadline.
10 August l Announcement of the Selected Artists.
31 August l Deadline for payment of the participation fee.
20 September l Deadline for arrival of works.
7–17 October l Festival period.
9 October l Official Opening Evening and Award Ceremony November l Return of works.


Venues:
The main exhibition takes place at the National Art Museum of Cluj-Napoca.

Satellite exhibitions:
Biju Gallery.
Casa Matei Gallery.
Dimitri and Sons Gallery.
Parter Gallery.
University of Agricultural Sciences Gallery.
Electroglobal Gallery.
Pharmacy Museum.
The Franciscan Church.
Urban Culture Center Firefighters’ Tower.
Urban Culture Center Tailors’ Bastion.
Urban Culture Center Youth Center.


Application Materials:
1. Bio.
Provide a short biography of yourself, max. 700 characters.
Focus on your artistic journey, practice, and identity, not a detailed CV or education list. Submit as a PDF file.

2. Artist Statement
A brief introduction presenting your artistic vision and approach, max. 700 characters.
Emphasize your creative philosophy, inspirations, and objectives for your jewelry practice. Submit as a PDF file.

3. Work Overview / Collection Concept
Include the title of each piece and, if applicable, the collection name.
Provide a short concept description, max. 700 characters, explaining your artistic intention and connection to the festival theme.
For each piece, clearly include: Dimensions, height × width × depth, in cm, materials used.
Any special techniques or details important to understanding the piece. Submit as a PDF file, one per artist.

4. Visual Documentation
Submit at least two high-resolution images per piece.
Pieces may be shown on a neutral background or worn.
Minimum resolution: 300 dpi.
Accepted file formats: .jpg / .jpeg /
File naming convention: artistname-jewelrytitle.
Ensure images show all elements of the piece clearly.


Conditions:
- Applications must comply fully with the festival requirements, be submitted on time, and include all requested materials.
- Only fully realized, self-designed jewelry pieces are accepted, sketches, digital renderings, or concept mock-ups will not be considered.
- Works must have been created in 2024 or later.
- Each participant may submit 3–5 pieces.
- All submitted works must be wearable contemporary jewelry.
- Selected works must be delivered physically by the stated deadlines, and participation fees must be paid on time.


Participation Fee:
- Solo Artists: €100 per participant-
- Artist Groups / Collectives: €400 total for groups of max 10 participants.
- Galleries: €400.
- Art & Design Schools: €250 total for groups of max 10 participants.
- Artists must ensure their works are safely transported to and from the festival venues. All costs related to shipping, transit insurance, customs fees, and applicable taxes must be covered by the artist.

The fee includes:
- Exhibition at prestigious venues in Cluj-Napoca, presenting works to national and international audiences for 10 days.
- Participation in the competition across multiple award categories.
- Professional photo and video documentation of the exhibition.
- Priority access to festival events and networking sessions.
- Artist presentation on the festival’s online platforms and social media.


For any questions or further information, please contact the festival team at the above email address. We look forward to receiving your creative submissions and celebrating your work at this international contemporary jewelry event in Cluj-Napoca.