CALL FOR PROJECTS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SIXTH MUGAK/ INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURE BIENNIAL OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY

Mugak/, the Basque Country International Architecture Biennial is approaching its sixth edition, consolidating its position as one of the leading architecture events on the Atlantic Arc.

Organised by the Basque Government’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda, the Biennial seeks to further its ambition to be an open platform shaped by collaboration among a wide range of stakeholders: a meeting point with the public that highlights the importance of architecture in shaping the quality of our built environment.

The Open Mugak/ call aims to provide financial support to cultural projects and programmes that will form part of the sixth edition, taking place in the Basque Country between October 2027 and February 2028.

For 2027, Mugak/ proposes a debate on ethics, aesthetics and economics under the motto “Appropiate, Aesthetic, Affordable”.

“Appropiate, Aesthetic and Affordable” is one of those expressions everyone understands and almost nobody quite believes. A sales pitch, a promise of a bargain, a piece of folk wisdom turned into a slogan. Something suspicious that makes us think one of the three qualities is bound to fall short. This familiar expression helps explain the relationship between beauty, good practice and economic accessibility in architecture.

Precisely because of this, such an ordinary, seemingly modest expression opens up a way of thinking about the present: it gives a name to the tension between ethics, aesthetics and economics, and invites us to ask to what extent something can be fair, beautiful and affordable at the same time.

Projects submitted to this call must be directly related to the theoretical framework proposed by the Biennial: https://www.bienalmugak.eus/en/topic/

This call is open to any organisation or individual from all over the world with the legal capacity to enter into contracts.
Each applicant may submit only one project.

Proposals may include thematic programmes and cultural activities that are open to the public and free of charge.
Priority will be given to proposals with an international dimension that foster knowledge exchange and/or the active participation of professionals, organisations and other stakeholders from outside the Basque Country.
Proposals must be original and explain their connection to the theme of the sixth edition of Mugak/, “Appropiate, Aesthetic, Affordable”.

There are two categories:

Programmes
Cultural programming proposals that may be submitted exclusively by associations, companies operating in the field of architecture and cultural organisations, with a maximum budget of €30,000 (excluding taxes).

Actions
Activities, series of events, exhibitions and other one-off or smaller-scale cultural initiatives, which may be submitted by either individuals or legal entities, with a maximum budget of €10,000 (excluding taxes).

Proposals and activities must take place within the Basque Country.

Proposals with a confirmed venue will be viewed favourably. However, depending on the content and format of the selected projects, the Mugak/ Biennial organisers may provide access to their own venues or those of partner organisations, subject to availability and express confirmation by Mugak/ organisers.

In all cases, project budgets must include all costs necessary for implementation, including, where applicable, venue hire, installations, technical equipment, visitor services, security, maintenance and other related expenses. Where the organisers provide a venue, the terms of use and services included will be specified, and the applicant must cover the corresponding costs within the project budget. For activities proposed in public spaces, priority will be given to those taking place at the Onsite pavilion locations.

Projects requesting a venue provided by the Biennial must expressly state this in their project description.

The project team is responsible for obtaining the permits, authorisations and insurance required to hold the activities, unless expressly agreed otherwise with the organisers.

For projects without a previously defined location, the final venues will subsequently be agreed with the Biennial organisers, taking into account availability, the programme schedule and territorial balance.

The final dates of activities will be scheduled in coordination with the Mugak/ Biennial organisers, mainly during October and November 2027. Activities may also be scheduled to continue until the end of the Biennial, in February 2028.

• Donostia–San Sebastián: from 9 October 2027.
• Bilbao: from 16 October 2027.
• Vitoria-Gasteiz: from 23 October 2027.

Activities scheduled in the Onsite pavilions must take place before 12 November 2027.

Exhibitions, activities and other medium-term programmes may run until 28 February 2028 at the latest. In any case, the main part of the proposed activities must take place between the opening of the Biennial and 12 November 2027.

Final dates will subsequently be agreed with the Mugak/ Biennial organisers according to the schedule of events for the sixth edition.

Projects submitted to Open Mugak/ 2027 will be assessed on their quality, feasibility and contribution to the objectives of the sixth Mugak/ International Architecture Biennial of the Basque Country, with particular attention to their ability to stimulate contemporary debate about architecture, engage the public and generate international visibility.

The projects to be included in the sixth Mugak/ Biennial will be selected by curator María Arana, according to the following criteria:

5.1. Project quality

5.1.1. Conceptual quality and thematic relevance
The clarity, coherence and conceptual strength of the proposal will be evaluated, together with its connection to the theoretical framework of Mugak/ 2027, “Good, Beautiful, Affordable”. Consideration will be given to its ability to address contemporary issues of social, cultural, economic and environmental significance, encouraging reflection and debate about architecture and the built environment.

5.1.2. Artistic quality and originality
The artistic and formal quality, originality and innovative nature of the proposal will be evaluated, as well as the relevance of its creative approaches and cultural references. Priority will be given to projects introducing new perspectives, languages or formats and broadening the range of Biennial content, rather than repeating earlier proposals.

5.1.3. Interdisciplinarity
The integration of other artistic, cultural or research disciplines that enrich the proposal and open up new perspectives on architecture will be positively evaluated.

5.2. Level of development

5.2.1. Definition and technical feasibility
The level of development and detail of the project will be assessed, including its objectives, activities, implementation phases and expected outcomes, as well as the feasibility of carrying it out within the Biennial calendar.

5.2.2. Environmental sustainability
The inclusion of environmental sustainability considerations in the design, production and delivery of the proposed activities will be assessed.

5.3. Budget feasibility

5.3.1. Budget suitability and level of detail
The clarity, accuracy and coherence of the budget will be evaluated, including whether costs are appropriate to the proposed activities and the resources needed to implement them.

5.3.2. Additional funding
The ability to secure additional funding or resources from public, private or cultural organisations that strengthen the project’s financial viability will be viewed favourably.

5.4. Target audiences, reach and dissemination

5.4.1. Target audiences and engagement
The definition of the intended audience and the project’s ability to attract and engage different groups, particularly non-specialist audiences, will be evaluated, with the aim of bringing architecture closer to the public and fostering collective debate.

5.4.2. Communication and dissemination
The quality and reach of the communication plan, its consistency with the overall Mugak/ 2027 strategy and its potential to extend the dissemination of the Biennial’s content and activities will be assessed.

5.4.3. International reach and impact
The project’s ability to contribute to Mugak/’s international profile through active participation by international stakeholders, knowledge exchange and the creation of collaborative networks will be assessed. Particular attention will be paid to proposals that establish connections and generate impact beyond the individual activities.

5.5. Team quality

5.5.1. Team profile, experience and diversity
The project team’s experience and ability to deliver projects of a similar nature and complexity will be assessed, together with its multidisciplinary composition and diversity of professional, cultural, generational and gender perspectives.

5.5.2. Partnerships and collaborative networks
The active involvement of international partner organisations contributing knowledge, resources or dissemination capacity will be assessed, particularly those that support local connections and exchanges between local and international stakeholders during the design, development and dissemination of the project.

The total Open call budget is €150,000, of which approximately €90,000 will be allocated to Programmes and €60,000 to Actions.

The maximum amount of Open funding for each individual project will be €30,000 for “Programmes” and €10,000 for “Actions”, excluding taxes.

The organisers will apply territorial balance criteria when selecting projects, aiming for a similar number of activities in each capital city or province.

Selected teams will be notified before 15 December 2026.

Selected teams will be contracted on the basis of the submitted budget and will be responsible for the full implementation and production of their projects within the agreed amount. Contracts will be signed before 31 December 2026, with an initial payment of 50% of the contracted amount made during the 2026 financial year, upon receipt of the corresponding invoice.

The organisations and individuals selected under this call undertake not to disclose the selected proposal or their participation in the Biennial, either directly or through any member of their team, before the official announcement through the Mugak/ Biennial’s communication channels.

For subsequent publications, teams must coordinate with the Mugak/ Biennial communications team to disseminate the results in accordance with the schedule and graphic guidelines established by the organisers.

The Biennial may ask the authors to write an article describing the nature and development of the activity for the Mugak/ Biennial’s documentary archive.

The authors of selected proposals temporarily grant the Mugak/ Biennial organisers reproduction and exhibition rights for use in media, exhibitions, publications and other promotional activities, with due acknowledgement of authorship.

The intellectual property rights in submitted projects remain with their authors.

Any future communication about a selected project issued by a beneficiary organisation or individual must expressly mention the Mugak/ International Architecture Biennial of the Basque Country.

The Department of Housing and Urban Agenda, the Habic Cluster and partner companies may undertake any dissemination they deem appropriate through exhibitions and publications, acknowledging the source and authorship.

Proposals must be submitted through the Mugak/ Biennial website form by 23:59 on 25 November 2026.

The following documentation must be submitted:
• Descriptive project proposal including a budget, using the template.
• Contact details.
• One representative image of the proposal.

Proposals may be submitted in Basque, English or Spanish.

These guidelines will be available on the Mugak/ Biennial website.

Questions and enquiries during the call must be sent by email to: info@bienalmugak.eus

Both the questions received and their answers will be published on the call webpage.

Participation categories

Can an individual or self-employed professional submit a Programme?
No. The Programmes category is reserved for associations, companies in the field of architecture and cultural organisations. Individuals and self-employed professionals may apply under the Actions category. However, an individual or self-employed professional may participate in a Programme provided it is led by an association, company or cultural organisation.

International dimension

What is meant by an international dimension?
An international dimension means the active involvement of professionals, organisations or stakeholders from other countries in the project’s content and development.
It may take the form of talks, workshops, collaborations, knowledge exchanges, co-productions or other formats that bring a genuine international dimension to the project.
Simply planning to disseminate the project internationally, without actual participation or collaboration by international stakeholders, is not sufficient.

Venues and dates

Can the Mugak/ Biennial provide venues for activities?
Yes. Depending on the content and format of the selected proposals, the organisers may make their own venues or those of partner organisations available.
The availability of these venues is not guaranteed and must be expressly confirmed by the organisers once all proposals have been reviewed and the final selection has been made.
During the application period, individual requests to check availability or reserve venues will not be processed. Venue requirements must be specified in the project description and will be assessed after the selection process.
Projects requesting a venue must state this in their project description, specifying space and technical requirements and anticipated costs. Where the organisers provide a venue, the terms of use and included services will be specified.

Can activities be held outside Bilbao, Donostia–San Sebastián and Vitoria-Gasteiz?
Yes. Activities may be proposed outside the three capital cities.

Funding and submission

Can a proposal receive additional funding?
Yes. The ability to obtain additional funding or resources from the applicant’s own funds or from public, private or cultural organisations, strengthening the project’s financial viability or expanding its reach, will be viewed favourably. The proposal must include a clear budget consistent with the planned activities, using the template provided by the organisers.