"Call for proposals for the programming that will be part of the Fifth International Architecture Biennial of the Basque Country Mugak/"

The International Architecture Biennial of the Basque Country Mugak/, organized by the Department of Housing and Urban Agenda of the Basque Government, will celebrate its fifth edition between October and November 2025 across the three Basque capitals. Mugak/ continues its aim to be an open space, the result of collaboration between various agents, becoming a meeting point with citizens and establishing itself as one of the main architectural events in the Atlantic Arc.
The Open Mugak/ call aims to financially support cultural programs that will be part of the Mugak/ 2025 Biennial.

In its 2025 edition, Mugak/ focuses on the theme "Castles in the Air."

Over time, utopias have demonstrated their ability to guide and shape theworld’s evolution towards more desirable scenarios. In them, we seek visions of harmonious, fraternal, and supportive communities; illusions of freedom and desires for fairer and more egalitarian forms of social order; innovations in productive, economic aspects and in our relationship with the world and with each other. Many of today's political and urban proposals (universal suffrage, gender equality, minority rights, skyscrapers, garden cities, mass public transport, and so on) were once deemed utopian. After the First World War, historian, philosopher, and urbanist Lewis Mumford, author of The Story of Utopias, argued that the most important task of the moment was to "build castles in the air," advocating for a proactive and visionary attitude.
The fifth edition of the International Architecture Biennial of the Basque Country Mugak/ invites participants to share spaces of collective reflection and experimentation to explore what architectural utopias of our time can help us move towards the better futures we wish to inhabit. A border meeting place that allows us to navigate between the urgencies of the moment and the emergence of proposals projecting us towards possible futures.
Projects submitted to this call must maintain a direct relationship with the theoretical framework proposed by this year’s biennial: https://www.bienalmugak.eus/en/castillos

This call is open to any entity and/or individual, nationally or internationally, with the capacity to contract.

Proposals may include thematic programs, talks or conferences, visits, exhibitions, and open and free cultural expressions. The proposals must justify their connection to the theme proposed for this fifth edition of Mugak/, “Castles in the Air.”

The proposed activities should preferably take place in one of the three Basque capitals (Bilbao, Donostia-San Sebastián, and Vitoria-Gasteiz).
Proposals with a confirmed venue for the program will be positively valued, although the organization, depending on the content and format of the chosen proposal, may offer the possibility of using one of the available Mugak/ Biennial spaces in the three capitals:

Donostia-San Sebastián:
• IAE_Institute of Basque Architecture
• Installation ‘Lightness and Protest: Embroidery as Feminine Utopia’ at Alderdi Eder

Bilbao:
• “Etxenoi” Pavilion in Bilbao’s Women’s Square

Vitoria-Gasteiz:
• Installation ‘Utopia: No Trespassing’ at Virgen Blanca Square

The organization of the biennial may agree to change the venue of an activity with the approval of the team or individual presenting the proposal.

The activities will be scheduled in coordination with the Mugak/ Biennial during October and November 2025, between the following dates depending on the chosen city:
• Donostia-San Sebastián: October 9 to October 31, 2025
• Bilbao: October 16 to November 7, 2025
• Vitoria-Gasteiz: October 23 to November 13, 2025
If the proposed date is previously reserved for other programs, the Mugak/ Biennial will seek alternative dates to reschedule the activity.

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

1. Quality of the proposal
The clarity, coherence, and conceptual solidity of the project, as well as its ability to capture interest and generate impact within the event's context, will be assessed.

2. Relevance to the theme
The proposal must clearly justify its connection to the central themes and reflections of this edition, demonstrating its relevance and conceptual alignment.

3. Development level and descriptive detail
The level of specificity and thoroughness in the project description will be evaluated, including aspects like objectives, action plans, implementation phases, and expected outcomes, reflecting a structured and well-founded planning process.

4. Argumentation, deliberation, and references
The quality of the reasoning presented, the ability to justify creative decisions, and the use of relevant references to support the proposal will be taken into account.

5. Theoretical quality
The proposal’s conceptual rigor and intellectual solidity will be valued, ensuring it is grounded in relevant and well-articulated theoretical frameworks.

6. Originality
Projects presenting innovative ideas or unique approaches, avoiding repetition of proposals supported in previous editions, will be prioritized.

7. Innovation
New, unpublished projects that have not been supported in previous editions will be positively evaluated.

8. Target audience and engagement capacity
The clear definition of the project's target audience, as well as its potential to involve and mediate with various audiences, will be valued. The existence of a method to attract the target audience will also be assessed.

9. Interdisciplinary approaches
Proposals integrating elements from other cultural disciplines, promoting interdisciplinarity and conceptual richness, will be positively evaluated.

10. Outreach and communication strategies
The project’s communication plan, including the breadth of its reach and the effectiveness of the proposed dissemination methods, will be analyzed.

11. Feasibility
The feasibility of implementing the project within the available timeframes and resources will be considered, evaluating its scope and planning.

12. Detailed and viable budgeting
The precision and clarity of the budget will be valued, ensuring it is realistic and appropriate to the project's needs.

13. External funding
The project’s ability to attract complementary funding to reinforce its economic sustainability will be positively considered.

14. Team profile
The experience, capacity, and diversity of the team responsible for developing the project will be evaluated, ensuring its suitability for the task.

15. Collaborating entities
The involvement of institutions or collaborators enriching the project and providing greater solidity and projection will be valued.

16. Experience with similar events
Relevant background demonstrating the team’s ability to successfully manage similar projects will be considered. Proposals occurring in Vitoria-Gasteiz will be positively valued to balance programming and budgets among the three capitals.

A maximum of 15,000 euros per project will be financed (VAT not included).

The total budget available for this call for proposals amounts to 150,000 euros, of which 50,000 euros will be distributed equally to finance projects in each of the three capitals of the BAC.

A distinction must be made between fees and management costs, as detailed in the budget template that can be downloaded from the biennial's website. The budget will be exempt from VAT (taxes not included).

The entities and persons selected in this call undertake not to divulge the chosen proposal or their participation in the biennial, by themselves or through any of the members of the team, before it is officially published in the official media of the Mugak/ Biennial. For future publications, the teams must coordinate with the Mugak/ Biennial communication team to disseminate the results based on a calendar and graphic criteria determined by the organisation. The biennial may ask the authors to write an article describing the nature and development of the activity for the documentary archive of the Mugak/ Biennial. The authors of the selected proposals temporarily cede the reproduction and exhibition rights to the Mugak/ Biennial organisation for use in the media, exhibitions, publications and other promotional activities, always mentioning the authorship. The intellectual property of the projects presented will correspond to their authors. The Department of Housing and the Urban Agenda, as well as the Habic Cluster and the collaborating companies, may disseminate the projects they consider appropriate through exhibitions and publications, citing their origin and authorship.

Proposals must be submitted through the open channel on the Mugak Biennial website until 23:59 on 15 February 2025.
The documentation required to be submitted via the web form is as follows:

● A detailed report of the proposal following the provided template (including the budget). The report must also include information regarding sponsorships or entities supporting the proposal.
● Contact information.
● A representative image of the proposal.

The terms and conditions will be available on the Mugak/ Biennial website. Any doubts or queries that may arise during the call for proposals should be sent to the following email address: info@bienalmugak.eus Both the questions raised and the answers to them will be published on the website of the call.