Call Description
The MexiCali Biennial is now accepting submissions for PARA/normal Borders, a nomadic series of exhibitions and programs which aim to identify the combined regions of California and Mexico as a thin place where spirits, ancestors, and displaced identities move freely. In this conceptualization, it functions as a multi-dimensional space: physically, it is a landscape of migration and surveillance; metaphysically, it operates as a membrane between realities; and psychologically, it serves as a collective unconscious of trauma and transformation. In this exhibition, the paranormal emerges as a critical mode of storytelling, tracing the presence of invisibility, historical erasure, and embodied memory.
CALL TOOLKIT:
Explore the Open Call Prospectus and Research Overview to gain a deeper understanding of previously accepted works, project scope, and the research framework of PARA/normal Borders. Convocatoria Abierta: Prospecto y Panorama de Investigación
Comprehensive list of FAQ's (Spanish/English)
Visual Research Map of PARA/normal Borders themes (English)
Submit proposal at Call for Entry before April 26, 2026 (Spanish/English)
IMPORTANT DATES & LOCATIONS
Open Call Submission Period: February 13 – April 26, 2026
October – December 2026 | PARA/normal Borders in the borderlands
- Steppling Art Gallery at San Diego State University, Imperial Valley Campus (Calexico)
- Arista 1701 (Mexicali). Other venues are likely to be added.
- Opportunities to activate the border fence available on the Mexico side only.
February – August, 2027 | PARA/normal Borders at the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture of the Riverside Art Museum
Curators:
PARA/normal Borders is curated by Ed Gómez, María Esther Fernández, and Luis G. Hernandez.
Click below to submit through CaFÉ
PARA/normal Borders is possible through generous support from the Mellon Foundation, Teiger Foundation, the California Arts Council, and California Humanities.