Open call FILustra 2026

Open Call for Two Balearic Illustrators to Participate in FILustra at the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL), Mexico

Activity Description

The Balearic Institute of Studies (IEB) has a collaboration agreement with the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL) in Mexico to enable two illustrators from the Balearic Islands to participate in FILustra, the illustration section of the FIL, from November 28 to December 6, 2026. FILustra activities will take place from November 28 to December 2.

The participation of both artists is part of FILustra's professional program, which includes leading a workshop and participating in a panel discussion. FILustra is being held under the theme "Visual Narratives in Resistance: Images of Territory and Memory," exploring the capacity of illustration to preserve memories, make experiences visible, and construct new ways of understanding the present. Through panel discussions and a closing conference, the program brings together voices from diverse practices and contexts to reflect on the power of images to accompany memory processes, strengthen the sense of community, and expand forms of representation. The conversations will explore themes related to collective memory, territorial transformations, the diversity of identities, feminist and social struggles, as well as the ethical challenges involved in creating images in a constantly changing world. From picture books to other visual languages, FILustra offers a space to consider illustration as a practice committed to culture, imagination, and dialogue between communities.

The FIL (Guadalajara International Book Fair) covers four nights' accommodation, meals, and airport transfers to and from Guadalajara. The IEB directly covers the cost of round-trip flights to Guadalajara.

Requirements

To apply to this open call, applicants must be illustrators residing in or born in the Balearic Islands and have published at least one picture book.

Selection Process

The selection of the two illustrators will be made by a selection committee composed of Armando Montes de Santiago, coordinator of FILustra; Jazmín Orozco, head of special projects; and Karen Andrea Müller, technician at the IEB.

The committee will evaluate the authors' experience and their potential for promotion within the context of an international fair in Latin America.

The committee's decision will be final.

Registration

To register for the preliminary selection process, please send a brief introductory email to opencall@iebalearics.org and attach the author's resume and a portfolio representing their projects (in a single PDF file). A brief statement must also be attached in which the author relates his work to the themes of "Bodies in Resistance: Feminist and Dissident Illustration" and "Ethics of the Image: the Power and Responsibility of Illustration".

The email subject line should read "Open call FILustra 2026". The portfolio file should be named with the applicant's name.

The IEB will confirm receipt of the application to participate in the selection process.

Application Deadline

The deadline for submitting applications is Thursday, September 3, 2026, at 11:00 p.m. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered.

Selection Process

Selected authors will receive an email confirming their selection, to which they must reply confirming their participation in the fair. Once this process is complete, all participants will be notified of the final selection results via email.

The results will also be available on the IEB website.

For any questions, please contact Karen Müller at kamueller@ieb.caib.es.