Applications are now open for KICK, an upcoming exhibition taking place at the SET Vauxhall project space in October 2026.
Presented as part of the SET Associate Members Programme, the exhibition is curated by Sarah Davis and Alex Stone. The project currently features a group of 15 invited artists, and the curators are now looking to complete the cohort by selecting work from within the SET studio community.
Curatorial framework
KICK is an exhibition centered entirely on the form, function, and symbolism of the bucket. Taking the common idiom to “kick the bucket” as a conceptual framing point, the exhibition weaves together a group of artists who have expanded the utility, context, and meaning of this humble domestic object.
Historically, buckets are deeply functional vessels meant to be filled and emptied. They carry life-giving resources or hold vile bodily fluids; they help us clean, contain, hide, and expose. As a metaphor, the bucket can signify both life and death, serve as a portal to other worlds, or represent a pilgrimage through the idea of a “bucket list.” Whether used as an object of the erotic, a stage, a costume, or a musical instrument, this exhibition explores the sheer multitude of things we can fit inside.
Thematic areas of focus
Current SET Studio members are encouraged to submit existing artwork in any medium that fits the theme of the exhibition. The curators are particularly interested in works that explore:
- The bucket list as a site of pilgrimage or mortality
- The bucket as a site of performance, costume, or instrument
- Concepts of digital containment, data buckets, and virtual space
- Bodily fluids, containment, and corporal themes
- Consumption, feeding, and food/drink-related vessels
- Anything that has ‘bucket energy’
Submission guidelines and eligibility
This opportunity is open exclusively to current holders of a SET Studio.
To apply, please submit your application via email to kickopencall@proton.me with the subject line ‘KICK Open Call Submission.’
Please include the following information within your email and attached materials:
- Your current SET studio site and studio number.
- A single, compiled PDF containing up to 6 high-quality images of your work.
- A brief description contextualising the work (maximum 250 words).
- Artist statement (maximum 150 words).
- Relevant website and social media links, where applicable.
Deadline: Friday 3 July, 23:59pm
Selected applicants will be notified mid-July.
About SET’s Associate Members Programme
This open call is presented as part of SET’s Associate Members Programme, which offers artists studio space, alongside access to project spaces and opportunities to independently curate or participate in exhibitions, workshops, and events.
The programme supports a wide range of practices, from performance and installation to music, sound, print, and textiles, and is designed to provide space, visibility, and development opportunities for early-career and underrepresented artists working in London.