[OPEN CALL] DECK Associate Creative Programme 2025/26

DEADLINE

30 AUGUST 2025, SAT

18:00, GMT+8 (Singapore Time)

About

Launched in 2021, the DECK Associate Creative Programme aims to support creative thinkers from around the world by providing a platform to explore, develop, and share new knowledge surrounding the photographic medium and broader visual culture through original research and programming.We are honoured to welcome a distinguished panel of judges, each bringing their unique expertise and insight, to thoughtfully evaluate the submitted works.

Applicant Eligibility

The DECK Associate Creative Programme is open to applicants of all nationalities, ages, ethnicities, genders, and levels of professional experience. Applications are welcome from individuals as well as collectives.

The programme is designed for the following profiles:

Curators
Artists
Programmers
Cultural producers
Collectives

Applicants should have an interest in presenting an original photography-based project.

Programme Support

Up to SGD 3,000 for costs related to exhibition production or public programming.
A professional fee of SGD 1,000 to support the Associate’s contribution and engagement.
Project proposals will be reviewed and supported by the panel of esteemed curators representing diverse disciplines within the visual arts and photography sectors.

Proposal Criteria

Proposals must fulfill the following criterias:

Engage meaningfully with photography or image-based arts
Be relevant to the Asia-Pacific region
Align with the goals of the Associate Creative Programme

Project Scope and Format

Proposed projects may take, but are not limited to, the following formats:

Exhibition proposals
Scholarly research and publications
Outreach or educational programmes
Photography-based research projects
Public engagement initiatives exploring photography and/or visual culture

Existing Work Requirement

This programme does not support the creation of new artworks or artist studio-based research. Proposals focused on artistic production should be submitted under DECK’s Artist-in-Residence programme instead.

Application Fee

There are no fees required to apply.

Key Dates

Application Deadline:
30 August 2025, 6PM SGT.

Only selected applicants will be contacted latest by October 2025.

Enquiries

For any general enquires or technical difficulties accessing the form, please feel free to reach out to adrianna@deck.sg

Previous Editions

The Unstable Image (26 Nov 23)
Curated by Clara Che Wei Peh
A symposium exploring the realm of post-photography and our evolving relationship with images in an increasingly mediated world

queer life / drawing (17 Feb—25 Feb 24)
Curated by Singmoolsung (Minsoo Bae & Anonymous Collaborator)
A photo-research project exploring queer ways of seeing — beyond the form; inherently holding room for instability and expansion; and as an act of care

Archives of One’s Own (6 Mar—14 Mar 24)
Curated by Sean Cham
An online talk series exploring the absences and gaps within the colonial archives

Featuring

Kong Yen Lin

Assistant Curator (Design), National Museum of Singapore

Yen Lin is an assistant curator at National Museum of Singapore contributing to the establishment of the inaugural National Design Collection. Her research interests include the evolution of modern photography in Singapore from the 1950s to the 1980s, vernacular photographic practices, and the interpretation of design as a reflection of social history.

Dr. Wang Ruobing is an artist, educator, and independent curator whose practice explores environmental relationships through the lenses of ecology and knowledge production. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including the Singapore International Festival of the Arts (2025), Children’s Biennale at the Groninger Museum, Netherlands (2024), Articulate Waste in Taiwan (2024), and National Gallery Singapore (2023). As a curator, she has led projects such as Sama-Sama (2025), Alternative Ecology: The Community (2024), and Artist as Collector (2021). Her research focuses on ecology, everyday practices, and transcultural discourse in contemporary Chinese and Southeast Asian art, with writings published in ISSUES, JCCA, Yishu, and Nanyang Art. Ruobing holds a DPhil from the University of Oxford and was formerly a curator at the National Gallery Singapore. She currently lectures at LASALLE College of the Arts | University of the Arts Singapore and co-founded the independent art space Comma Space.

https://ruobingwang.com/

ANG Song Nian (b. 1983, Singapore) is a visual artist whose practice explores traces of human behavior in landscapes through photography and installation. Known for his detailed, microscopic approach, his work examines the impact of human intervention on nature. His solo exhibitions include *Artificial Conditions: Something To Grow Into* (Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, 2019) and *Hanging Heavy On My Eyes* (DECK, Singapore & Sunderland University, 2017). He has shown internationally at Photo Espana, Lianzhou Photo Festival, and more. In 2018, he won the Grand Prize at Canon’s New Cosmos of Photography. Song Nian holds degrees from Camberwell College of Arts and the London College of Communication. He currently teaches at Nanyang Technological University and founded THEBOOKSHOW, a platform supporting self-published photobooks.

Gwen Lee, DECK’s Co-Founder and Executive Director, has been shaping Singapore’s photography arts landscape. In 2008, she co-founded 2902 Gallery, a commercial gallery for photography. She also established the Singapore International Photography Festival (SIPF), now one of Southeast Asia’s longest-running photo festivals. Recognising her artistic impact, Gwen received accolades from the Japan Chamber of Commerce & Trade in 2010 and the Chevalier, Ordre des Arts et des Lettres conferred by France’s Ministry of Culture in 2022. In 2023, she was recognised in Singapore 40-over-40: Inspiring Women as a Social Contributor.

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