Visions of Change | call for artwork submissions for UN publications

The United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) is seeking submissions of artwork on the theme "Visions of Change" to illustrate new editions of UNRISD publications.

“Visions of Change” encourages creative thinkers from all over the world to submit artwork that illustrates key social development values, themes and issues. A selection of UNRISD’s most forward-looking and influential publications from the last 50 years—UNRISD Classics—will be re-released in 2013, with covers featuring artwork selected from submissions to Visions of Change. Selected artwork will also be exhibited at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2013.

Sarah Cook, UNRISD’s Director, said: “the Institute has been doing policy-relevant research for social change since 1963, with some studies being considered quite groundbreaking. It is not with nostalgia that we celebrate our 50th anniversary, but with the conviction that sometimes it is worth looking back in order to move forward, as one would do with a rear-view mirror”. She added: “Since some ‘UNRISD Classics’ have never been released digitally, making them available online is a way to make them more accessible”.

Jenifer Freedman, Head of Communications and Outreach at UNRISD, said: “by inviting the submission of original artwork to illustrate the covers, we hope not just to reframe the publications themselves, but also to reflect their global significance and influence. By reaching out to a wide audience and welcoming many forms of visual art, we aim for inclusion and diversity, which are among the core values of UNRISD”.

Themes and submissions

Submitted artwork must represent at least one of the following key topics or values that guide UNRISD in its past and present work.

· Key topics: Sustainable Development, Social Policy, Poverty Reduction, Migration, Governance, Gender, Corporate Social Responsibility, Civil Society and Social Movements
· Values: Progressive Social Change, Collaboration, Diversity of Ideas and Open Debate

UNRISD welcomes artwork from any discipline—from painting to collage to photography. We are accepting submissions to “Visions of Change” UNTIL 17 March 2013.

To apply, simply download and complete the Submission Form. Please take care to read the Guidelines and the Terms and Conditions before submitting. The United National Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) is seeking submissions of artwork on the theme "Visions of Change" to illustrate new editions of UNRISD publications.