Deadline: 30-Jun-2026
The “Home Grown” exhibition and publication by The Starving Artist is a multidisciplinary creative call that invites artists, writers, and practitioners to explore food as a cultural, political, and social lens. It focuses on themes such as land, labour, identity, memory, farming systems, food equity, and community connection.
The project encourages diverse artistic interpretations across visual, digital, and performance-based mediums, and seeks to highlight how food systems shape lived experiences of belonging, survival, and collective heritage.
What is the Home Grown Exhibition & Publication?
The Home Grown exhibition and publication is a curated creative initiative organized by The Starving Artist. It brings together artistic and written works that examine the deep connections between food, land, labour, memory, identity, and community.
The project presents food not only as nourishment but as a symbolic and material force that reflects cultural histories, political systems, and social relationships.
The final outcome may include both online and physical exhibition formats, alongside a published compilation of selected works.
Purpose of the Project
The initiative aims to:
- Explore food as a cultural, political, and emotional medium.
- Highlight relationships between food systems and social inequality.
- Document agricultural heritage and intergenerational knowledge.
- Examine labour, land use, and farming practices.
- Encourage reflection on food access, scarcity, and abundance.
- Promote awareness of food-related social and environmental issues.
- Strengthen community storytelling through artistic expression.
- Connect personal experiences with broader global narratives.
Key Focus Areas
The call for submissions focuses on several interconnected themes:
Food Systems and Agriculture
- Farming equity and land use.
- Modern agricultural production systems.
- Traditional and evolving farming practices.
- Visibility of agricultural labour.
Food Access and Inequality
- Food scarcity and food security.
- Unequal access to nutritious food.
- Economic and social barriers to food systems.
- Consumption patterns and abundance disparities.
Memory, Heritage, and Identity
- Intergenerational food knowledge.
- Family recipes and culinary traditions.
- Cultural identity through food practices.
- Oral histories and storytelling.
Food as Social and Political Practice
- Food as care and community building.
- Food as resistance and activism.
- Food as continuity across generations.
- Food as a tool for social connection.
Conceptual Approach
The project positions food as a central lens for understanding human experience.
It encourages contributors to reflect on:
- How food systems shape daily life.
- The hidden labour behind food production.
- Cultural meanings embedded in cooking and sharing meals.
- Environmental and ecological implications of food practices.
- The emotional and symbolic significance of food in communities.
By doing so, the project highlights the often invisible systems that structure how food is produced, distributed, and experienced.
Accepted Mediums
A wide range of artistic and creative formats are accepted, including:
- Painting.
- Drawing and illustration.
- Sculpture (documented through images).
- Installation art (submitted via documentation).
- Photography.
- Digital art.
- Mixed media.
- Collage.
- Performance art (documented visually or via video links).
- Video art (submitted as stills or links).
Submissions may be presented in formats suitable for:
- Online exhibitions.
- Physical exhibitions (depending on final curation decisions).
- Publication inclusion.
Who Can Participate?
The call is open to:
- Artists.
- Writers.
- Creative practitioners.
- Interdisciplinary creators.
- Visual storytellers.
- Community-based practitioners.
There are no strict limitations on professional status, but submissions should align with the thematic focus of the project and demonstrate conceptual engagement with food-related systems and narratives.
Why the Project Matters
The Home Grown initiative is significant because it:
- Brings attention to invisible food systems and labour structures.
- Encourages critical reflection on food inequality and access.
- Preserves cultural memory through food-related storytelling.
- Connects artistic practice with social and environmental issues.
- Amplifies diverse voices and lived experiences.
- Strengthens community-based creative expression.
- Encourages dialogue between art, ecology, and society.
By centering food, the project creates a shared platform for exploring identity, survival, and collective belonging.
How the Submission Process Works
Although specific procedural details may vary, submissions typically follow a structured creative call format:
Step 1: Concept Development
Artists and writers develop work that responds to themes such as food, land, labour, and identity.
Step 2: Medium Selection
Participants choose an appropriate format such as visual art, digital media, performance documentation, or writing.
Step 3: Submission Preparation
Creators prepare:
- Artwork or documentation.
- Written description or artist statement.
- Supporting images or video links (if applicable).
Step 4: Submission Review
Submissions are evaluated based on:
- Thematic relevance.
- Conceptual depth.
- Artistic quality.
- Originality of interpretation.
- Contribution to overall exhibition narrative.
Step 5: Curation and Selection
Selected works are included in:
- The Home Grown exhibition.
- The accompanying publication.
Selection Criteria
Works are generally assessed on:
- Relevance to food, land, and labour themes.
- Conceptual strength and clarity.
- Originality and innovation.
- Ability to communicate social or cultural narratives.
- Artistic execution and presentation quality.
- Engagement with community or lived experience.
Characteristics of Strong Submissions
Strong contributions often demonstrate:
- Clear connection between food and identity or community.
- Thoughtful exploration of social or environmental issues.
- Innovative use of medium or format.
- Personal or collective storytelling elements.
- Engagement with cultural memory or heritage.
- Conceptual depth beyond aesthetic representation.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid:
- Treating food only as a literal subject without conceptual depth.
- Ignoring the broader themes of land, labour, and identity.
- Submitting incomplete documentation for installations or performances.
- Lack of clarity in artist statements.
- Weak connection between artwork and thematic focus.
- Overly generic or non-contextual submissions.
Tips for a Strong Submission
To strengthen participation:
- Clearly link your work to food systems or cultural narratives.
- Highlight personal or community-based experiences.
- Use strong storytelling elements.
- Consider social, environmental, or political dimensions of food.
- Ensure clarity in documentation and presentation.
- Experiment with interdisciplinary approaches.
- Provide a thoughtful and reflective artist statement.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the Home Grown exhibition?
It is a curated exhibition and publication by The Starving Artist that explores food as a lens for examining land, labour, identity, memory, and community.
Who can submit work?
Artists, writers, and creative practitioners working across visual, digital, performance, and interdisciplinary formats may submit work.
What themes are explored in the project?
Themes include food systems, farming equity, food access, inequality, cultural memory, identity, and community relationships.
What types of artwork are accepted?
Accepted mediums include painting, illustration, sculpture documentation, photography, digital art, mixed media, collage, performance documentation, and video art.
Is food only treated as a literal subject?
No. Food is explored as a cultural, political, emotional, and social concept, not only as physical nourishment.
How is work presented?
Selected works may be included in both online and physical exhibitions as well as a publication.
What makes a strong submission?
Strong submissions clearly connect food to broader themes such as identity, community, labour, or social systems, and demonstrate conceptual depth and originality.
Conclusion
The Home Grown exhibition and publication by The Starving Artist is a multidisciplinary platform that uses food as a powerful lens to explore human experience, cultural memory, and social systems. By inviting diverse artistic interpretations across mediums, the project highlights the interconnected realities of land, labour, identity, and community. It offers creators an opportunity to contribute to a broader dialogue about food as both sustenance and meaning, shaping how we understand belonging, survival, and collective heritage.
For more information, visit The Starving Artist.
