Always and forever – Strategies and Perspectives on Care
Always and forever – Strategies and Perspectives on Care is a project by the artists’ association GEDOK FrankfurtRheinMain e.V. in cooperation with the Cornelia Goethe Center for Gender Studies at Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main and the Archive for Women and Music.
In addition to a thematic exhibition, a symposium and other events will take place under the title Images, Sounds, Words.
Always and forever is part of World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026 and also marks the 100th anniversary of GEDOK’s founding by Ida Dehmel in 1926.
Care is the societal challenge of the near future. Therefore, Always and forever interprets the concept of care beyond the themes of nurturing, motherhood, and the role of women.
The symposium Always and forever on June 18, 2026, and June 19, 2026, will focus on the following thematic areas, among others:
• Becoming Parents: Parenthood between Reality and Social Media
• Care and Democracy – Care in the Neoliberal-Capitalist System
• Interspecies Care – Non-Human Aesthetics
• Care in non-caring environments
In collaboration with the Archiv Frau and Musik, female composers who have been forgotten are reinterpreted and presented to the audience in a performance designed as an act of acoustic care.
For the exhibition, we are seeking artistic works, including paintings, sculptures, photographs, installations, performances, and other disciplines, that make a powerful contribution to this discourse. Submissions will be curated by a professional jury.
Exhibition: June 12–28, 2026
Opening: Thursday, June 11, 2026, 7:00 p.m.
Venue: Alte Schmelze, Gutleutstraße 294, Frankfurt am Main
Jury:
• Irina Denkmann, art historian and curator specializing in feminist art and contemporary art from Eastern Europe
• Jacqueline Jakobi Millán, art historian, Romanist, and independent curator, including for the Alte Schmelze
• Dr. Johanna Leinius, Scientific Manager of the Cornelia Goethe Center for Gender Studies at Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main
GEDOK FrankfurtRheinMain e.V.
GEDOK is the Association of Artists’ and Art Promotion Societies, the oldest and largest network in Europe for artists in the following fields: visual arts, applied arts/design, interdisciplinary arts/performing arts, literature, and music.
GEDOK was founded in 1926 in Hamburg as the “Association of German and Austrian Artists’ Associations of All Art Forms” by the patron Ida Dehmel (1870–1942). Her aim was to promote the artistic talents of women. Today, GEDOK has more than 2,750 members, organized into 27 groups in German cities and regions.
The independently operating regional group GEDOK FrankfurtRheinMain e.V. aims to promote the artistic work of women. Furthermore, the concept of networking is a central focus. The primary focus is on increasing exchange among artists. At the same time, collaborative projects with various cultural institutions are initiated, and the network between artists, cultural practitioners, art patrons, and cultural institutions is strengthened to enhance the professional standing of female artists, advance gender equality, and raise the visibility of these issues—which are important to GEDOK—within society.
Alte Schmelze
Since 2022, rotating exhibitions and cultural events have been regularly curated during the summer months in the former industrial hall, the Alte Schmelze, located on the grounds of the former Dr. Carl Milchsack printing ink factory in Frankfurt’s Gutleutviertel neighborhood. The entire Milchsack site is known in the region as an established cultural venue where artistic practices are showcased that reflect on and engage with the public spaces of everyday life in their work. The Alte Schmelze serves both as an exhibition space and a place for communal exchange, bearing visible traces of past decades and connecting them with the work of today.
Further information: www.milchsackfabrik.de and Instagram alte_schmelze
Application:
Artists (or artist groups) may submit up to 3 works for the open call. Each submitted work should explain its connection to Always and forever through a short text (max. half a page) and 2–3 photos.
The application, along with a CV and portfolio, should be sent as a single PDF file to info@gedokfrankfurtrheinmain.de.
Important Notes:
• The file should not exceed 10 MB.
• The PDF file must include the name of the applicant or group.
• The open call is open to professional artists (or groups of artists).
• There is no age restriction.
• Applications may be submitted in German or English.
• The application deadline is April 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. (CET).
• Send applications to this email address: info@gedokfrankfurtrheinmain.de
Contact persons for questions regarding the open call:
Ulrike Markus and Anja Hantelmann / info@gedokfrankfurtrheinmain.de
The jury’s decision will be announced to all applicants via email in early May.
Terms and conditions:
A small exhibition fee and a subsidy for transportation and production costs are provided, totaling 450 euros.
Please note:
Due to the conditions of the Alte Schmelze (a rustic, former industrial hall), insurance coverage is limited.
deadline: April 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. (CET).
more info: https://gedokfrankfurtrheinmain.de/open-call-ausstellung-always-and-forever
