COAL Prize 2026 (€12,000 grant)
International art competition supporting projects exploring the theme of night. €12,000 grant plus creative residency at Domaine de Belval.
The COAL Prize 2026 is an international call for artistic projects dedicated to the theme of night. This prestigious competition invites artists worldwide to explore and defend the night as a common good, addressing major ecological issues for life regeneration, refuge, linguistic diversity, and the right to rest and darkness. The prize encourages artists to create work that contributes to an ecology of rhythms and challenges anthropocentrism by restoring our relationship with the natural world.
The primary award includes a €12,000 grant and a creative residency at the Domaine de Belval, a property of the François Sommer Foundation. The estate serves as an observatory of rural life and wildlife, hosting selected artists annually who demonstrate relevance in renewing human relationships with the natural environment. Additional prizes include: Special Jury Prize (€3,000), Ateliers Médicis mention (residency in Clichy-sous-Bois/Montfermeil), and Centre Wallonie-Bruxelles/Paris mention (€2,000 grant plus exhibition opportunity at a Parisian institution).
Eligibility is open to artists globally. Selection criteria include artistic value, relevance to the theme, originality, pedagogical capacity, social and participatory approach, eco-design, project feasibility, and collaboration with nature conservation actors. The prize supports artistic projects in progress or forthcoming and is intended as development support rather than full production cost coverage.