We Are the Flood – Masterclass #5: Sedimenti
OPEN CALL
for artists, critics, and curators under 35
deadline: August 10, 2026
The fifth WE ARE THE FLOOD Masterclass, organized by MUSE and Castel Belasi, is titled “Sedimenti” and is part of the “Ronald Ventura: Luna” project, which the two institutions are presenting as a collateral event of the 61st International Art Exhibition—La Biennale di Venezia.
Layers of sedimentation tell a human story of waste and consumption. The reflections put forward by the two institutions mark a shift from the theme of water to that of soil. “Ronald Ventura: Luna,” a collateral event of the 61st Venice International Art Exhibition, explores the relationship between humans, water, and the climate crisis. Through the metaphor of the moon, which governs the tides, the exhibition draws a connection between Venice and Malabon, in the Philippines—two places united by the vulnerability of their aquatic ecosystems and the central role played by that liminal territory between water and land. On the other hand, the exhibition “Signal from the Ground”, currently on view at Castel Belasi, invites visitors to interpret the soil as a place where resources and traces of human activity reveal the Earth’s deep history and the voracity of contemporary society.
The Masterclass aims to focus on these areas of research, inviting participants to develop new perspectives on the relationship between contemporary art, scientific research, and ecological thought. Through direct dialogue with Ronald Ventura, joined by curator Ruel Caasi, and through the program developed by MUSE and Castel Belasi, participants will be encouraged to explore how art can interpret and bring to light the environmental transformations that define our era.
The Masterclass will be held in English from September 3 to 4, 2026, at MUSE and Castel Belasi.
About us
Ronald Ventura is one of Southeast Asia’s most intriguing contemporary artists. His practice encompasses painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, and new media, weaving together popular iconography, colonial history, contemporary imagery, and ecological issues. His works are on view in museums and international collections.
Ruel Caasi is an independent curator and cultural manager based in the Philippines. For years, he has been working on the planning of exhibitions and international collaborations, developing projects that foster dialogue between contemporary artistic practices and intercultural contexts.
Who is eligible to apply
Artists, critics, and curators under the age of 35 of any nationality. Maximum of 15 participants. Selected participants will receive an expense reimbursement of up to €300.
The masterclass will be held in English.
How to Apply
To apply, please submit the following:
- Resume
- Portfolio (max 10 pages) or a sample of a critical essay, article, or curatorial project. The samples may be completed works or projects yet to be realized
- Cover letter
The material must be submitted by midnight on August 10, 2026, via email to the following address: opencall@wearetheflood.eu
Info
info@castelbelasi.it | +39.348.7081417
Institutions Involved
MUSE, one of Italy’s most visited museums, plays a prominent role in communicating and promoting environmental as well as scientific culture; in recent years, it has developed an Anthropocene think tank and has frequently engaged with the languages of contemporary art. This role as a pioneer is now further solidified by WE ARE THE FLOOD, an initiative born out of current urgencies and the indispensable need to explore and decode increasingly complex environmental, viral, and climate-related issues through contemporary art. It aims to foster a shared sense of “us” in order to create a new awareness of the present and imagine different ways of living.
CASTEL BELASI – Center for Contemporary Art and Ecological Thought, located in a medieval castle in the Alps at the foot of the Brenta Dolomites in Val di Non, Trentino – is a municipal institution of the City of Campodenno that opened to the public in 2021 and has been under the artistic direction of Stefano Cagol since 2023. In its first five years, Castel Belasi has presented 15 exhibitions and featured over 100 artists, including Richard Long, Amish Fulton, Tiago Rocha Pitta, Gianni Motti, Wim Delvoye, Eugenio Ampudia, Gregor Hildebrandt, Ai Weiwei, Erwin Wurm, Mimmo Paladino, Cornelia Parker, Laure Prouvost, and Thomas Schütte.
WE ARE THE FLOOD is a project by MUSE documented in the book “We Are the Flood: A Science Museum Project to Address the Environmental Crisis Through Contemporary Art” (Postmedia, 2023). It was conceived and curated by Stefano Cagol, artistic director of Castel Belasi—a contemporary art center for ecological thought—and a two-time winner of the Italian Council award (2023, 2019), who has been addressing environmental issues for years through exhibitions at biennials such as the Venice Biennale (2022, 2013, 2011), OFF Cairo (2023, 2018), Curitiba (2019), and Xinjiang (2014).