Call for Artwork Submissions: IA Current 2026 Exhibition

Non-profit gallery / art space · Toronto, ON, Canada · 1 program

Play, by its very nature, resists fixed definition. Bernard Suits sees play as the redirection of useful resources into activities valuable only in themselves; Maria Lugones says play is moving between worlds lightly, without arrogance, with the openness to change. Being playful allows us to disarm the stakes that make understanding systems intimidating. Within new media, it means technologies pushing towards uses they weren't built for; players trying a nonsensical way of being; and communities responding outside of existing systems. The methodology of play behaves almost as a generative rehearsal, in which we're able to explore ideas and participate in a time and place that doesn't yet exist.

In order to foster play, an impulse we've had since childhood, this show asks artists to make play a conscious act, encouraging oddity and openness over consumption, with intention to experiment without reason.

We invite submissions of new media works that are process-driven, chaotic, colourful, and nonsensical. Submitted works should examine the notion of what play means in artists' lives and how it is impacted or upheld through technology. We encourage a variety of media, including but not limited to kinetic sculpture, net art, performance, multimedia installations, sound art, games, etc.

Questions for Consideration

• How can comedy, irony, and make-believe create space for intentionality and criticism?
• How has technology changed the ways in which we approach instincts of play?
• There are several means of community-driven learning, such as open-source code, maker culture, hacking, speedrunning, and glitching. How does play support these means of learning or vice versa?
• How can play be supported by tools that were not originally meant for "uselessness", and what is lost or gained?
• Is it possible to play alongside our machines? What might a playful machine look like?
• Is boredom a prerequisite for play, and if so, what has automation done to our capacity for boredom?

Submission Requirements

• Project description, including whether the work is completed or in progress (<250 words)
• Documentation (five (5) images with captions or five (5) minutes timed media maximum)
• Additional behind-the-scenes process documentation is optional but encouraged for completed works. The curator is interested in the process of making. You may include sketches, preliminary research, material trials, studio notes, or outtakes (up to three (3) additional images, or three (3) minutes timed media maximum).
• A detailed description of artwork dimensions and anticipated installation and technical requirements (please outline materials provided by the artist and materials expected from InterAccess)
• Artist statement (<250 words)
• CV and/or Portfolio (optional, recommended)

Submission Process

Send submissions to iacurrent@interaccess.org with subject line: IA Current 2026 | <ARTIST NAME> in one of the following formats:

• Single PDF (images linked or embedded, maximum 20MB - preferred)
• Zipped folder (maximum 20MB) attached to email or through file hosting service (GoogleDrive, Dropbox, etc)
• Video/ASL (10 minutes, 100MB maximum)

We ask that applicants ensure their files are properly formatted, with no broken links, and file share permissions are functional for downloading and viewing. We may not reach out for corrections if submissions are technically inaccessible.

Floor plans for InterAccess's gallery space can be shared upon request. Gallery floor area is approximately 26' x 38' with a gallery wall height of 15'-6".

InterAccess is committed to equity and strongly encourages applications from equity-deserving communities, including individuals who are Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, LGBTQ-identified, Gender Diverse, Two-Spirit, and Persons with Disabilities.

Exhibition Details

• The exhibition will take place in person at InterAccess (32 Lisgar Street, Toronto) from November 4 – December 5, 2026
• Selected artists will be notified by the end of September 2026
• All artworks must be ready for exhibition by October 26, 2026
• All participating artists will receive a CARFAC exhibition fee

About the Curator

Komal Lally is an emerging interdisciplinary artist and curator based in Tkaronto.

Her artistic practice is material focused, valuing experimentation, and exploration. Currently, she is interested in working (or fighting) with light materials, like paper and fabric, to create immersive environments. In her curatorial work, she uplifts the idea that technology should be for everyone through well-meant nonsense and irony. Encouraging curiosity and creation over credentialism, she wants to make room to play. Lally aims to create ongoing spaces of encounter, dedicated to working with and in service of other artists to create works that feel honest, responsive, and warm.

Lally has a BFA in New Media from Toronto Metropolitan University, where she co-founded and led NEXT (New Media Exhibition Team), her program's first curatorial collective, leading her to oversee her thesis exhibition, METAMORPHOSIS. She founded machines of, an artist collective dedicated to uplifting and creating new media art, with which she made "synthesis" an interactive art installation funded by the Creative School in 2024, and co-curated a garage group show, Residua and Remnants in July of 2025. Most recently, she independently curated i see myself and no one in millions of other systems, a new media group exhibition at Little Robot Friends. Her artwork has shown with the Art Gallery of Ontario's Art Bash Fundraiser and Nuit Blanche Toronto (forthcoming). She is eager to continue bringing a DIY ethos and passion for strange art into every single thing she does.

The InterAccess Current (IA Current) program supports the professional development of emerging curators and artists interested in new media and electronic practices. Each year, InterAccess selects an emerging curator, who works closely with InterAccess staff to conceptualize and execute an exhibition of works by emerging artists.