Call for Artists: Linguaphobia, Linguistic Indifference, Linguistic Disobedience, & the Monolingual University

 

Special Call for Artists: Linguaphobia, Linguistic Indifference, Linguistic Disobedience, & the Monolingual University 
Drs. David Gramling & Ervin Malakaj, UBC Comics Studies Cluster

Strangely, there’s a scarcity of visual art, photography, and graphic narratives when it comes to matters of language(s), translation, multilingualism and other aspects of linguistic life. Either you get clip art of diverse-looking people communicating with lots of hand gestures, an abstract representation of language conveyed in speech balloons with various alphabets, a clash of cultures, or a message “lost in translation”.

This project seeks to expand the visual language around these themes, inviting critical, conceptual, experimental, experiential, personal, and political work of various kinds that tests the boundaries and critical power of the concepts below.

We invite artists to compose a visual narrative on one or more of the following topics. Artists can interpret these themes freely, though we encourage artists to take topic’s associated survey (linked next to the concept) before making a proposal:

Project Timeline

  • June 30: Deadline for applications.
  • July 15: Artists will be notified of their selection.
  • July 21: Depending on the topic, artists might receive (or request) additional research material.
  • September 15: Thumbnails for graphic narratives will be due.
  • October 1: Project Team will provide feedback.
  • October 29: One-Day Symposium at UBC (Work-In-Progress Presentations)
  • December 31: Drafts of graphic narratives will be due.
  • January 31: Editorial comments and requested revisions will be provided.
  • February 29: Final versions of the graphic narratives are due.
  • April 2026: Exhibition & Final Symposium (Final Presentation of Works)

Compensation

Each artist will receive $1500 for their contribution to this project, which includes an initial consultation meeting and ongoing conversations with the project team,  participation in a one-day symposium to present works-in-progress, one round of revisions, the completion of a single 8-12-page comic, and a 500-750-word artist statement or reflection that elaborates on the comic by highlighting the artist’s intentions and motivations.  Artists will also be invited to participate a final symposium and an exhibition of their works at the conclusion of the project.

The team will engage up to six artists. Artists are encouraged to work in any language or mix of languages. About half of the projects should either be in English-only formats or feature appropriate translations for an English-speaking readership. The remaining projects might be in French, Indigenous languages, or other languages or mixes of languages.

Application Instructions:

Application materials should include the following in one PDF document:

  • Letter of Interest (maximum 1 page)
  • 3 examples of comic art (maximum 10 pages)
  • OPTIONAL Creative Statement or Thumbnails (for one of the various themes)

Applications are due Monday, June 30, 2025, by 5 pm PST.  Shortlisted candidates will be invited for a brief interview via Zoom at a mutually convenient time. Artists notified of their selection by July 15, 2025.

APPLY HERE

Questions?

For more information, please contact Dr. David Gramling, david.gramling@ubc.ca and cc Dr. Biz Nijdam, biz.nijdam@ubc.ca.