Open Call Finalists: 10 Artist you have to watch
đ Open Call Finalists Are Here! đ Meet 10 must-watch contemporary artists for March 2025, selected by David Rosado and Pikazer0, Art Agency Portugal. Discover them now!
David Rosado & Pikazer0 Art Agency have selected 10 finalistsâcoming March 2025!
We extend a big thank you to David Rosado and Pikazer0, Art Agency Portugal for selecting the final 10 contemporary artists weâre featuring in Marchâaccompanied by DiFranco. đ¨â¨
Dominique Catherina Foertig
Jury was David Rosado (Artist) and Pikazer0 Art Agency Portugal ( behalf of DiFranco) with a Text for each artist of Di Franco.
10 Artist to watch: Our Open Call Finalists February 2025
Runa Rosgaard is a contemporary Danish artist known for her installations, objects, and sculptures that explore the relationship between light, space, and perception.
Her work often combines translucent materials, mirrors, and natural elements to create immersive experiences that challenge the viewerâs perception.
Inspired by the interaction between nature and architecture, Rosgaard develops minimalist and sensory compositions that evoke reflections on ephemerality, memory, and the way we inhabit space.
Her innovative approach distinguishes her in contemporary art, with exhibitions in galleries and public spaces internationally.
Lou Savoir's work is characterized by gestural and dense brushstrokes applied to translucent supports, exploring the interplay between light, transparency, and the materiality of paint.
The technique creates overlapping layers that allow forms to emerge and dissolve, generating a fluid and mutable visual dynamic.
The pasty texture and the contrast between opacity and translucency evoke an expressionist approach, with influences from Rothko's sensory abstraction and Fontana's spatial investigation.
Dominique Catherina Foertig
New open Call out now: Jury -> Erik Sommer + Mott Projects
The result is a body of work that transcends figurative representation, focusing on the pictorial experience and the relationship between gesture, material, and perception.
Paula Wellmann is a German artist who moves between scenography, costume design, and painting, creating a unique pictorial universe that unfolds both in the theatrical space and beyond.
Her work combines a visually expressive approach, where shapes, colors, and textures intertwine to construct immersive atmospheres and powerful visual narratives.
In addition to her work as a scenographer and costume designer in collaborations with renowned directors, Wellmann incorporates strong influences from painting into her creations, exploring compositions that evoke emotional and symbolic depth.
Her aesthetic, often characterized by a play between reality and the dreamlike, transforms stages into living canvases, where each element contributes to a unique sensory and dramatic experience.
Dominique Catherina Foertig
Currently based in Berlin, Paula Wellmann continues to expand her artistic universe, pushing the boundaries between visual and performative arts, establishing herself as one of the most innovative voices in contemporary theater.
Sabina Speich creates oversized crocheted food sculptures that blend humor with social critique, addressing food waste, consumerism, and personal struggles with health.
Originally learned in therapy, crochet becomes a tool for artistic activism, challenging gender roles and engaging with âCrip Theory.â
The monumental scale of the works makes everyday objects striking and thought-provoking.
Some pieces include QR codes, linking to digital content that expands their message. Using mostly second-hand materials, Sabina promotes âsharing instead of discarding,â merging traditional craft with modern technology to redefine textile art.
Marieke Bolhuis is an artist and sculptor from the Netherlands whose work explores themes of identity, sexuality, gender roles, and the human relationship with nature.
Her sculptures and installations often focus on vulnerability, the female gaze, and empowerment, inviting viewers to reflect on their role in the world.
Notable installations like âCommon Groundsâ and her intervention at Oud-Amelisweerd address environmental and social issues, such as deforestation.
Bolhuisâ recent works, like the âStarting point, YOU ARE HEREâ installation, delve into emotions, states of mind, and consciousness, encouraging a deeper understanding of existence and connection to the world around us.
Jhee Yoo is a Seoul-based artist who explores natural elements like waves, wind, and plants to symbolize the passage of time in her abstract paintings and installations.
Her work reflects memories of nature and personal experiences, often using installations to create immersive environments that deepen the viewerâs engagement with her themes.
Yoo holds a BFA in Korean Painting and History of Art and is currently pursuing an MFA at the Maryland Institute College of Art.
She has showcased her art in solo and group exhibitions, including in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Her pieces are available on platforms like Saatchi Art.
Adam Niklewicz is a Polish-American artist known for his conceptual illustrations, sculptures, and installations.
His work decontextualizes everyday objects, transforming them into thought-provoking pieces that challenge perceptions and highlight hidden meanings.
His illustrations, featured in major publications like The New York Times and Time, distill complex ideas into clear visuals.
His sculptures manipulate household items in absurd and poetic ways, often reflecting themes of immigration, identity, and cultural fusion.
Blending Polish heritage with American pop culture, Niklewiczâs work invites viewers to reconsider the familiar through humor, symbolism, and surreal reinterpretations.
Ryan Oswald, also known as Ozmodern_Ryan, is a Dallas-based artist who works across mediums such as oil on canvas, digital art, and graphic design.
His artwork often blends traditional and digital techniques to explore themes of information processing and visual communication.
One of his notable pieces, âInformation Landscape,â combines oil, limestone, and gypsum on canvas, inspired by his background in designing information systems.
Oswald also works in graphic design, contributing logos like the one for Marsig Music, showcasing his versatility in both art and design.
NasePop, born Daniel Stroomer in Amsterdam in 1982, is a Dutch artist renowned for his dynamic murals, paintings, and sculptures.
Emerging from a graffiti background in the 1990s, he has evolved his style to incorporate vibrant colors, geometric shapes, and digital aesthetics.
Daniel Stroomer | Permission and courtesy of the artist
His work often explores the interaction between urban landscapes and visual art, creating pieces that disrupt and engage their surroundings.
Notably, he has contributed murals to various international locations, including Breda and Tampa, Florida.
Roger Betka is a Los Angeles-based painter whose work explores themes of surrealism, pulp art, psychological and spiritual conflicts, and the struggles of modern life.
His paintings often reflect personal experiences, offering a deep and intense perspective on the human condition.
Some of his notable works include âIQ Test,â âOrder-PickUp,â and âScam Likely,â which are available for purchase on his official website.
His art has also been exhibited at La Luz de Jesus Gallery, featuring pieces like âGhouls,â âDark Web of Lies,â and âForever Tacos.âVisually, his paintings incorporate a vintage aesthetic, vibrant colors, and a dreamlike atmosphere.
He often blends scenes from everyday life with elements of mystery and absurdity. His expressive figures and symbolic settings explore themes such as paranoia, alienation, and identity in the digital age.
Katharina Hoffmann
For more insight into his creative process, Betka shares his work and thoughts on Instagram, where he describes himself as a âtragic painter personâ in Los Angeles.
A huge thank you to our jury! đ DiFranco (@pikazer0) and David Rosado âweâre incredibly grateful for your time, expertise, and collaboration.
Your insights make this Open Call truly special! đ¨â¨
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Apply now for a chance to be featuredâour latest jury includes Erik Sommer of Mott Projects, New York!
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