Open Box After Hours is a program inviting artists to join in events at Forum Box outside normal gallery opening hours. We welcome proposals for performances, screenings, talks, concerts, readings, or other time-based artistic events.
Open Box: After Hours returns to the founding spirit of Forum Box: a space where artists encounter the professional field through direct action. Once per month, during off-hours, the gallery becomes a live testing ground for experimental, time-based, and situational work inside the ongoing Forum Box exhibition.
This program is designed primarily for young and emerging artists seeking a professional platform to test ideas in a live context, while also welcoming established artists ready to step outside conventional exhibition formats and embrace unpredictability. What matters is not your career stage, but your readiness to enter this experimental condition.
Presence over Product.
After Hours prioritizes live presence over static presentation. We are not simply presenting works; we are creating live situations in which the boundaries among artist, curator, and audience can shift in real time. We are looking for a presence that cannot be replayed.
How the Evening Works: The “Rule”
Each After Hours evening is structured by a simple “Rule”; the invisible script of the night. The Rule does not limit your artistic expression; it gives your work a specific vantage point. Because After Hours takes place within an ongoing exhibition, the Rule acts as a bridge between your performance and the existing artworks. You are not just using a room; you are navigating a pre-existing landscape.
We first select a group of artists based on their Call for Action proposals. Only then do we draft a specific Rule of Engagement in response to the chemistry, technical needs, and energy of the selected acts. On the night of the event, the Rule is activated. It might shape how the audience moves in the space, how long an action lasts, or how the viewer can influence the performer. For example, the volume of a sound performance might change depending on the distance between the audience and an artwork in the gallery.
We make sure that the rule respects the limitations and does not create a safety hazard or a technical impossibility at the last second.
Your Role as Artist
You are the catalyst. The curator provides the code; you provide the action. Success in this format requires a willingness to engage with uncertainty and respect for the ongoing exhibition surrounding you. Artists are responsible for their own props and equipment and must remove everything from the space immediately after the experiment concludes.
Possible Formats
After Hours supports:
- Performance art and live installation
- Spoken word, screenings, and hybrid formats
- Sound art, DJ sets, and audiovisual performance
- Works-in-progress and open rehearsals
- Artist-led workshops and live sessions
- Live Visual Interventions
- Uncategorized Actions: If your work doesn’t fit a label but is live, unpredictable, and situational, we want to see it.
The scale of the work must remain compatible with the physical and technical limits of the gallery and the ongoing exhibition. High-risk or large-scale productions may require further discussion. Nothing can be mounted on the walls, no constructions may require a lift, exhibition lights cannot be moved from their positions, and smoke machines are not allowed.
Selection process
- Artists apply with a proposal for an event or time-based work.
- The proposals are reviewed and curated by the program coordinator.
- Participants are selected based on how their works resonate or interact with one another.
- After selection, a simple rule or framework for the evening will be introduced to the participants.
- The selected artists present their works together during a collective after-hours event at Forum Box.
Revenue Model
After Hours operates through a transparent revenue-sharing system. We utilize a tiered ticketing model (Regular and Student/Reduced) to ensure accessibility for the creative community. 40% of all ticket sales form a stipend pool for that evening’s participating artists, divided equally. There are no participation or rental fees for Artists.
Timeline
- Review: Applications are reviewed on the 21st of each month.
- Planning: Proposals submitted by the 21st are considered for events scheduled 1–2 months ahead.
- Notification: You will hear from us by the end of the same month regarding your proposal’s fit for an upcoming slot.
Event Windows & Timing
- Events take place once a month on weekday evenings.
- Access for setup starts at 17:00, immediately after gallery closing.
- Because we operate within an ongoing exhibition, exact dates are aligned with the gallery’s curatorial calendar and activities.
Important Distinction
- This is not an application for a month-long exhibition.
- This is not part of Forum Box’s official exhibition programme.
- After Hours is a one-night live activation format.
- For independent events with full creative control and ticket retention, please see our Venue Hire program.
- The event takes place under the terms of the ongoing exhibition. Forum Box staff are always present to supervise the artworks.
Feel free to contact us if you have further questions:
FAQ
What exactly is the “Rule of Engagement”?
The Rule of Engagement is a simple prompt introduced for each Open Box After Hours event. It creates a shared condition that connects the different performances with the exhibition space and with each other.
The rule is intentionally simple and flexible. It does not restrict your work, but introduces a small condition that shapes how the evening unfolds.
The rule may influence different aspects of the event, such as:
- how the audience moves through the space
- How long does an action lasts
- how performers interact with the audience
- how sound, light, or other sensory elements are experienced
For example, the volume of a sound performance might change depending on the distance between the audience and an artwork in the gallery.
When will I receive the Rule?
It depends on the Rule’s nature. If the Rule impacts your technical preparation, you will be notified at least one week before the event. If the Rule is designed to shape audience behavior or live atmosphere, it may be revealed closer to the event or even as a live prompt on the night.
Can I suggest a Rule for my own performance?
We draft the Rule based on the chemistry of all selected artists for that night. However, your Call for Action proposal helps us understand what kind of conditions would best challenge or enhance your work. For any Reactive or Technical Rule that relates to the artist, we will inform the selected artists at least one week in advance and work in a close, collaborative dialogue with you. This ensures the constraint is technically safe for your equipment and creatively feasible for your practice.
What if the Rule conflicts with my technical needs?
The Rule is a collaborative bridge, not a barrier. We work closely with selected artists to ensure that the experimental conditions are feasible and respect the safety of both the artist and the gallery’s artworks.
Will the Rule prevent me from performing my prepared work?
No. The Rule of Engagement is not meant to replace or restrict your prepared work. You are welcome to present the work you propose in your application.
The rule simply introduces a small shared condition for the evening that connects the different performances to the exhibition and to each other. In most cases, it only requires minor adjustments or a different way of activating your work in the space.
It should be understood as a framework for the event rather than a limitation on your artistic expression.
Do I perform alone or with others?
You can apply as an individual or as a collective. If you apply as an individual, we will include your ”Action” in a curated program for the evening (usually 2–3 acts in total). Each artist or group has their own dedicated time slot; you are not required to perform simultaneously with others unless specifically discussed. We curate the lineup so that each separate performance creates a meaningful dialogue with the others.
Is the Rule of Engagement a thematic constraint? (Do I have to perform on a certain topic?)
No, not at all. We will never tell you what your work should be about. The Rule of Engagement is a situational script, not a thematic one. Your artistic content and the meaning behind your work remain entirely yours. The Rule simply provides a physical or behavioral lens for how that work is delivered and witnessed within the gallery for one specific night.
Can I apply with a work-in-progress?
Absolutely. We are not necessarily seeking perfectly finished work. The program is a live testing ground. We are also looking for artists ready to test fresh ideas in an unpredictable, live structure
If I am not selected this month, do I need to apply again?
Applications are reviewed on the 21st of each month. If your proposal is a good fit but doesn’t find a slot immediately, we may keep it in our archive for future event windows
(typically 1–2 months ahead)
What happens if I submit after the 21st?
Proposals submitted after the 21st will be automatically moved to the next month’s review cycle.
Can I choose which month I perform?
We match proposals to event windows based on the chemistry of the acts and the nature of the ongoing exhibition. While you can indicate your availability, the final slotting is determined by the curatorial needs of the project.