RISING PRINT Open Call


Open Call for Sculptural Prints for a 6-Month Exhibition at Haus des Papiers, Berlin

Sounds cool, what is this about?

We are the Open Press Project, creators of tiny printing presses and part of a thriving global printmaking community. Together with Haus des Papiers, the world's first museum dedicated to contemporary paper art, we are launching an open call for an exhibition focused on sculptural printmaking. Participating is free!

We are looking for small-format prints that explore paper as a material. This could mean sculpting, embossing, folding, collaging, layering, or any other way of transforming and celebrating paper through print. We welcome experimental and innovative approaches.

A jury of respected artists and professionals from the fields of printmaking and the art world will select the works. Selected works will be presented in a six-month exhibition at Haus des Papiers in central Berlin, starting in December 2025.

This open call is supported by

hausdespapiers_logo hahnemuehle_logo schmincke_logo pressingmatters_logo

 

There are rewards!

All selected works will be featured in a 6-month exhibition at Haus des Papiers in central Berlin, opening in December 2025.

In addition, three standout submissions will receive special prizes:

🏆 1st Place

🏆 2nd Place

🏆 3rd Place

✨ Bonus Giveaway ✨
The first 100 people to submit a reel of their print via Instagram will receive a free pack of Hahnemühle's high-quality printmaking sample papers, shipped worldwide. The sheets are meant for presenting the papers, but a small part of them can also be used to make a print.

 

The Process:

  1. Make a little print with a 3D printed press. See Print Guidelines below.
  2. Record and post a reel of it on Instagram. (more info below)
  3. Fill out the Submission Form.
  4. If you are selected for the show, you'll be notified by us via email.
  5. If you are, you'll need to send in your print to Germany for the show. (Info will be sent via email if you are selected)
  6. Then you'll have your print shown for at least 6-months in Berlin!
  7. You have a chance to be selected as one of the Top 3 entries and get prizes!
  8. After the show has ended, we'll send your entry back to you. Important: This will be shipped without tracking, please read through the Terms & Conditions PDF. 

 

Timetable & Deadlines

Last day to submit your entry: 28th of September 2025 at 23:59 CEST

Jury deliberates until 13th of October 2025

Informing all selected artists by 15th of October 2025

Mailing of prints selected for exhibition: until the end of November

Exhibition opens: 8th of December

Selection of 3 winners: December.



What we are looking for

We are looking for small-format prints that explore and celebrate paper as a material.
This could mean sculpting, embossing, folding, collaging, layering, or any other approach that transforms paper through printmaking. Works might include prints on handmade paper, chine-collé, or combinations of techniques that highlight the tactile and visual qualities of paper. We especially welcome experimental and innovative processes. All submissions must be original prints created using a 3D-printed press. Please also complete the accompanying Google Form.


Print Guidelines

  • Paper dimensions must be smaller than 105 mm x 210 mm x 10 mm. The print may be in portrait or landscape orientation and can have any format, as long as it is smaller than 105 x 210 x 10 mm.
  • Your submission has to be a work on paper.
  • It must have a sculptural element, something that makes it slightly 3D, like blind embossing, layering, etc. It should be more than just the standard embossing you get when printing an intaglio plate.
  • You can incorporate both relief and intaglio techniques, but focus should be on exploring paper as a material.
  • You can also add colour and even mixed media elements, but keep in mind that this is still about prints, so something should be made using printmaking techniques. 
  • All prints have to be created with a 3D printed press (see why in FAQ section below), this also includes our new Postcard Printing Press.
  • There is no specific topic or theme.
  • Please sign each print by hand.
  • Each submission should be one print only, not a series of works.
  • Please only use high quality paper, such as Hahnemühle, Awagami, Fabriano, Somerset, etc. You can also use hand-made paper.
  • To host this Open Call and exhibition, we need your permission to use your prints in the ways outlined in our Terms & Conditions PDF.
  • You can submit more than 1 print, but will only be eligible to receive 1 price.


How to submit

To submit your print for this open call please upload a reel of it on Instagram and make sure to mention "@openpressproject" and "@hausdespapiers" in your caption. Then, fill out this form to submit your entry: SUBMISSION FORM

In your reel, you may show either the finished print or your creative process. Please ensure your print is clearly visible and well lit, with particular attention to highlighting its sculptural qualities. The reel itself will not be judged; it is only used to help us understand your work. Make sure your reel is publicly accessible so that our jury can view it.

Feel free to invite both accounts as a collaborator as we are looking forward to showing some submissions to our community. However, this will not affect the judging of the submission.

 

Jury

Brigitte Bedei

BRIGITTE BEDEI

Brigitte Bedei is a long-standing staff member and board member of the Griffelkunst Association, where she oversees editions, exhibitions, and editorial work, and coordinates the nationwide selection of contemporary graphics and photography. She is a cultural scientist – her solid academic background shapes her curatorial work and supports the public communication of original art. In addition to her local involvement, she works on a national level to promote engagement with contemporary printmaking. Her personal motto is: “Art for everyone – experience it, understand it, take it with you” – a guiding principle that encapsulates her dedication to art education, outreach, and cultural participation. (photo credit: Volker Renner)

Jana Schumacher

JANA SCHUMACHER

Jana Schumacher is a visual artist from Hamburg, specialising in abstract drawing and site-specific installations in which themes such as order and chaos, as well as connections between art and science, play a central role. She studied design with a focus on drawing at the HAW Hamburg (BA 2013) and has been exhibiting internationally since 2011. Together with Drew Matott, she founded the St. Pauli Paperstudio in Hamburg in 2016, where she leads workshops in traditional papermaking and supports the international Peace Paper Project in an organisational capacity. Since 2021, she has served as a jury member for the Paper Art Award and for the artist grants of the Paper Residency. (photo credit: Jana Schumacher)

Ulrich Kühle

ULRICH KÜHLE

Ulrich Kühle (b. 1975 in Soest, Germany) is a master printer and co-founder of Keystone Editions in Berlin, an internationally renowned workshop for fine art printmaking techniques. He began his training with a lithography apprenticeship at the Druckgrafikwerkstatt Kätelhön, where he spent eight years working as a lithographer and etcher for international artists such as Falko Behrendt, Helmtrud Nyström, and Liz Ingram. After completing the Master Printer Training at the Tamarind Institute in 2002, he worked on projects worldwide until 2008 – including in the USA, Ireland, South Africa, Botswana, and Australia – before founding Keystone Editions as a dedicated hub for high-precision lithography and printmaking. Today, he collaborates with internationally acclaimed artists and is known for his craftsmanship in contemporary printmaking, from stone lithography and photolithography to etching, woodcut, and monotype. (photo credit: Adam Proctor)

Thomas Franke

THOMAS FRANKE

Thomas Franke, born in 1974 in Leipzig, is a master printer and founder of stein_werk – Workshop for Lithography & Letterpress in Leipzig, which he has been running since 2006. After completing his training as a stone printer, he studied painting and graphics at the Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig (diploma with Prof. Arno Rink, 2005) and gained international experience, including a tour of Great Britain’s print studios. He regularly teaches, is involved in cooperative projects such as the Let’s Print in Leipzig format at the Museum of Printing Arts, and is always seeking new technically demanding and artistically challenging print projects. His personal motto is: “Tradition with a contemporary perspective – passing on art through printing.” (photo credit: Katharina Wutzler)

Bettina Scheerbarth

BETTINA SCHEERBARTH

Bettina Scheerbarth has worked for the long-established paper manufacturer Hahnemühle for almost 20 years – combining her passion for fine papers with extensive experience in communications. A trained journalist with Berlin roots, she initially established the company’s PR and marketing communications and now heads corporate and sustainability communications. Since 2021, she has been a member of the jury for the Paper Art Award. Privately, she is passionate about photography and architecture. Her guiding principle: “Paper is emotion – it connects craft, art, and responsibility.” (photo credit: Hahnemühle)

Annette Berr

ANNETTE BERR

Annette Berr (b. 1962), together with Ul Vohrer, is the founder of several initiatives promoting the artistic and experimental use of paper – including the self-print workshop POYO – d’mage light, the residency programme Paper Residency! and the art prize Paper Art Award. As co-founder and director of the Museum Haus des Papiers, she plays a key role in shaping its curatorial vision. Alongside her curatorial work, she has published numerous books and CDs and toured Germany for decades with literary-musical programmes, earning nominations, awards, and grants. Since 2009, she has been a driving force in the cultural network surrounding the FineArt print manufacturer d’mage. Her motto: “Everything becomes real when you take the first step. The second step follows naturally.” (photo credit: Martin Becker)

 

 

*Each of the top three winners may choose one Hahnemühle paper from the selection listed on this page.

Papers are available in sizes up to 56 × 78 cm and weights between 100 gsm and 350 gsm. Larger sizes listed on the Hahnemühle website are not available as part of this prize. The number of sheets included in the prize depends on the selected paper type and weight, as specified by Hahnemühle (see product descriptions on their website). This can range from 25 to 100 sheets per package.


We can't wait to see what you'll submit. Happy printing!

 

FAQ

Is there a submission fee?

No. Submission is completely free. However, if your print gets chosen for the exhibition you will have to cover the cost of shipping it to Germany.

What presses do i need to use?

You can use any 3D printed Press. Either one you bought from us or one that you printed yourself.

When is the deadline to submit?

28th of September 2025 at 23:59 CEST

How do I submit?

You'll need to upload a reel of your print on Instagram and fill our the submission form. Please read this website for more information.

Will I be notified if I didn’t get selected?

No, we'll only notify people that have been selected to show their print in the exhibition.

How is this different to the Open Print Exchange? 

The Open Print Exchange is our yearly print swap, it's unrelated to this open call.

Will my print be sold during the exhibition?

Only if you want it to be. The earnings will be split between Haus des Papiers (HdP) and the artist. HdP will organise all sales. We'll inform people about this when the jury has selected all prints.

How many prints will be selected for the exhibition?

We are currently aiming to select between 30 and 50 works. The final number will depend on the total number of entries received and the overall quality of submissions.