Artist critiques systemic inequities in open calls, revealing 0.3% selection rates and structural violence

An artist in their forties critiques the hidden violence of open calls for residencies, grants, and exhibitions, arguing they create structural barriers despite contemporary art's discourse of inclusion and care. Selection processes often involve unpaid labor with unclear criteria and generic rejections, failing to provide learning opportunities. The artist notes a recent open call had a 0.3% selection probability—comparable to being left-handed with green eyes or struck by lightning—revealing systemic exclusion. While dominant narratives emphasize decolonization, ecology, and interconnection, selection methods perpetuate homogeneity and concentrate resources. The artist, who works full-time to support a family, highlights how access depends on unevenly distributed preconditions rather than proposal quality alone. They question why selection committees pretend neutrality when evaluating hundreds of lives and practices, suggesting radical alternatives like random selection or arbitrary variables. Without addressing power dynamics at their root, discussions of care remain insufficient for transforming production conditions. The artist proposes redefining the artist's role as contributing to a community's emotional and symbolic fabric, making artistic practice a collective concern.