Deadline: April 28, 2026
Applications are invited for the COAL Prize 2026. The COAL Prize 2026 is dedicated to the theme of night. The COAL Prize invites artists to defend the night as a common good, a major ecological issue for the regeneration of life, a refuge, a diversity of languages to be celebrated, a right to rest and to darkness.
Inventing stories to relearn how to inhabit the shadows, creating art with the night, is to contribute to an ecology of rhythms. Restoring the fear of the night is a perfect antidote to anthropocentrism, because it forces us to be humble, confronting us with the depths of the sky, the intimacy of the vast, the immensity of the cosmos.
Grant
- The artist awarded the COAL Prize receives a grant of €12,000 and a creative residency at the heart of the Domaine de Belval, property of the François Sommer Foundation, supported by the scientific and educational teams of the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature and those of the Domaine de Belval. A true observatory of rural life and wildlife, the estate hosts selected artists each year for the relevance of their contribution to renewing the vision of the human relationship with the natural environment.
- The artist awarded the Special Jury Prize receives a grant of €3,000. The artist awarded the Ateliers Médicis mention benefits from a residency in Clichy-sous-Bois/Montfermeil, in connection with the regional forest of Bondy. The artist awarded the Centre Wallonie-Bruxelles/Paris mention, also known as Le Vaisseau, receives a grant of €2,000 and will be invited to exhibit at the Parisian institution.
Eligibility
- Open to artists from around the world.
- Artistic value, relevance to the issues, originality (new approaches, themes, or perspectives), pedagogy (ability to convey a message and raise awareness), social and participatory approach (engagement, testimony, efficiency, societal impact), eco-design, project feasibility, and collaboration with nature conservation actors are taken into account. The COAL Prize supports artistic projects in progress or forthcoming. Its grant is not intended to cover the full production costs of the project and should be considered as support for its development.
Application
The application file must consist of the following documents, compiled into a single PDF file named SURNAME_First name_2026_Project title (the file must not exceed 30 MB):
- the application form, available for download HERE
- A detailed description of the proposed project, presenting its artistic dimension, its relevance to the theme, as well as a technical note and a budget estimate
- At least two HD visuals illustrating the project
- A Curriculum Vitae and an artistic portfolio
All proposals must be submitted by 23:59 on 28 April 2026 at the latest, via the COAL server: upload.projetcoal.org
For more information, visit COAL Prize.
