OPEN
CALL
2025

The first edition of Kruisstraat Design District (KDD) takes place in October on Kruisstraat in Eindhoven as part of Dutch Design Week 2025.

This year, KDD presents a temporary design exhibition created by and for people who have experience of the visa application process as non-EU residents in the Netherlands. Taking place during Dutch Design Week 2025, KDD explores the phrase “essential interest to Dutch culture” — a requirement that many non-EU creatives must meet to remain in the country.

This exhibition and public programme aim to show the breadth of contributions and reclaim that phrase as a sequence of questions: What makes an individual’s work essential, and can culture be measured through individual contributions?

KDD invites designers to co-create an open exhibition featuring contributions from creatives with lived experience of the visa process. The result will be a public presentation of design, memory, and identity rooted in Kruisstraat — a vibrant, multicultural street shaped by the very communities that this exhibition seeks to center.

WE NEED YOU

The exhibition is searching for individuals and collectives who have experience of visa applications processes in the Netherlands and those who are preparing for a Dutch visa application in the near future. The exhibition is open to all nationalities and professional backgrounds.

Projects should be completed already and works from participants in other exhibitions at DDW is encouraged.

While there is no strict structure imposed, proposals for exhibition can include:

name and contact details
the name of the work
an image of the work
dimension of the piece
a short description of the work

Proposals for performative or interactive interventions are also welcome and should include an extended description of the work including duration and an outline how the intervention will function at DDW. Please details the frequency of activities and support needed.

CURATION

The curatorial approach will follow an open exhibition format where all applicant-authored works will be included*.

Diversity in the range of styles and media is encouraged including furniture, sculpture, painiting, writings, instruction-based work, props, doodles and more.

In line with the ethos of the exhibition, works will inevitably share space and be in close proximity with one another.

Please note that unfortunately no insurance or transportation costs can be covered however in the case of trouble transporting your work please reach out to see what collective opportunities might exist.

It is asked that participants or a representative be present for the installation of works. Installation will take place between the 14th and 16th of October with more information to follow soon. Please note, space will be made for all works and placement will be negotiated within the group. A credit for everyone involved in this process will be published online during the event.

Central to this approach is the belief that it is together that (essential) culture is created and that collective activities give space for situating critical design and culture.

All participants will receive:

space to exhibit their work
credit on the KDD website
HD images to use for promotions
a signed letter of participation by e-mail from the organisers of KDD by the 30th of November 2025.

PARTICIPATION

Participation is free and all works will be displayed - within reason*. If you are concerned that there may be issues displaying your work please let this be known in advance.

*A core team of participants will be responsible for final decision making in all exhibition matters.

To confirm your participation, please send an image and basic information about your work to +31638158356 or send them by e-mail to kruisstraat.design@proton.me.

For questions and queries send a message to Ned at +31638158356.

This open call will be removed on the 17th of October.

PRESS AND OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS

Want to contribute some other way or get involved? Please reach out - we are a small organisation running off the love of design and discourse. We’ll be happy to fold you in over a coffee and can provide all the information you need.

ABOUT

Kruisstraat Design District aims to reimagine the relationship between design and the communities it inhabits. Situated in the multicultural and vibrant Kruisstraat area invites emerging critical designers to collaborate directly with the local businesses and communities.

This project seeks to address the disconnect between critical design practices and the commercial realities of urban spaces by creating site-specific, community-driven installations that resonate with the diverse cultural fabric of Kruisstraat. By placing the needs and stories of local residents and businesses at the heart of its processes, KDD aims to foster sustainable collaborations, celebrate cultural diversity, and inspire alternative, more inclusive approaches to design fairs.

This initiative offers a unique opportunity to co-create a design experience that connects creativity, commerce, and community.

SUPPORT

This project is kindly supported by Stimuleringsfonds Creative Industries, Kragt Groep, Gemeente Eindhoven, and the Kruisstraat BIZ.

CONTACT
For more information contact Ned at kruisstraat.design@proton.me.

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OPEN CALL 2025

OPEN
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2025

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