Application period: September 23–November 22, 2026
Wattwiller 68700
France
Hours: Wednesday–Sunday 11am–6pm
“Talents Contemporains” competition—16th edition
The Fondation François Schneider is pleased to announce the call for applications for the 16th edition of its international Contemporary Talents—Water Competition, based in Wattwiller (France). International artists are invited to explore the timeless and universal theme of Water across a wide range of mediums, including painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, photography, and video.
Grants
Up to seven laureates will be selected, each receiving a grant of 15,000 USD dedicated to the acquisition of their work.
The award also includes:
A collective exhibition hosted at the foundation’s Art Centre. The production of a video portrait featuring the artist. The integration of the winning artwork into the foundation’s collection.
(Note: For photography and video, multi-edition works are accepted, with a revised baseline acquisition grant of 8,000 USD).
Entry guidelines
Eligible mediums: Sculptures and installations may be submitted either as project proposals (with a maximum production budget of €50,000 incl. VAT) or as existing works. For all other mediums (drawing, painting, photography, video, etc.), entries must be completed only with single-edition works.
Submission period: September 23–November 22, 2026 (11:59pm French local time).
Application: Online submission is mandatory via the official Fondation François Schneider platform.
Selection process : Initial screening will produce a shortlist of around thirty finalists selected by four Expert Committees. Each committee, comprising two professionals from the cultural and art world, evaluates all incoming applications to present their selection to the Grand International Jury.
The Grand International Jury
Jean-Noël Jeanneney: Former President of Radio France, former Secretary of State, and former President of the Bibliothèque nationale de France—Paris (France)
Constance de Monbrison: Head of the Insulinde Collections, Musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac—Paris (France)
Alfred Pacquement: Honorary general curator of heritage—Paris (France)
Chiara Parisi: Director of Centre Pompidou-Metz—Metz (France)
Ernest Pignon-Ernest: Artist—Paris (France)
Roland Wetzel: Director of the Tinguely Museum—Basel (Switzerland)
Rosa Maria Malet: Former Director of Fundació Joan Miró (1980–2017), Board Member—Barcelona (Spain)
Calendar
September 23, 2026–November 22, 2026: Registration and application period for the competition
December 2026–February 2027: Shortlisting of finalists by the Expert Committees
March 2027: Announcement of finalists
Spring 2027: Deliberations of the Grand International Jury and official selection of the laureates
January 2029: Group exhibition at the Fondation François Schneider Art Centre presenting the edition’s winning artworks
How to apply?
Applicants are requested to review the competition guidelines and terms on the Fondation François Schneider website. Applications must be submitted exclusively via the online platform under the "Contemporary Talents Competition" section:
François Schneider Foundation — Contemporary Talents Competition
Fondation François Schneider
Established in 2000 and recognized as a public-utility foundation in 2005, the Fondation François Schneider operates on a dual commitment: supporting education through grants in Alsace and Yonne, while actively promoting contemporary artistic creation.
Inaugurated in 2013, its Art Centre occupies a former bottling plant in Wattwiller, Alsace (France). The space is entirely dedicated to the theme of Water, explored annually through temporary exhibitions showcasing both internationally renowned figures and emerging voices. The institution addresses Water through its multifaceted dimensions: sculptural, poetic, aesthetic, geographic, political, and scientific.
An adjoining sculpture garden extends the exhibition space outdoors, where permanent works by 20th and 21st-century artists, including Niki de Saint Phalle, Pol Bury, and Renaud Auguste-Dormeuil, engage in a continuous dialogue with nature.
Fondation François Schneider—Art Centre
27 rue de la Première Armée—68700 WATTWILLER (France)
www.fondationfrancoisschneider.org
Email: info@fondationfrancoisschneider.org
Tel: +33 (0)3 89 82 10 10
