FORGE Video Mapping
FORGE Video Mapping Festival
The Völklinger Hütte is inviting artists from Germany, France, Belgium and Luxembourg to bring the iconic industrial facilities of this UNESCO World Heritage Site to life through video art.
We are looking for exceptional video and sound works that transform the monumental architecture of the sintering plant, blast furnace 1, and the ore shed into new, unexpected worlds. The works should be site-specific and go in-depth: look behind the surface, make structures legible, and open up new perspectives.
The selected works will be presented from 29 to 31 May 2026 at the FORGE Video Mapping Festival on the ore yard in a spectacular open-air setting.
One work will be selected by the jury, and additionally the audience will choose its favorite during the festival.
The FORGE project contributes to the objectives of the Interreg project GRACE, which aims to make arts education accessible to all residents of the Greater Region, with a particular focus on culturally disadvantaged groups. Therefore, the following workshop formats are offered:
Creative collaboration workshops in which young people and seniors, acting as experts, work together with the artists to develop artworks.
Inclusive workshop formats in which, for example, analogue collages are created and then digitized; recording sound or voice samples from the Völklinger Hütte and from the participants.
Artist talks in which the participating artists explain their artistic concept, the development process, the software used, and the decisions made regarding the interaction between image, architecture, and sound—ideally before or during the projection.
The application deadline is 18 January 2026, 11:59 p.m.
All information and application documents at
https://voelklinger-huette.org/en/home
The FORGE Video Mapping Festival is part of the Interreg programme GRACE and sees itself as a platform for artistic experimentation, technical innovation and cross-border exchange.
Project partners are the City of Metz and its international festival Constellations de Metz, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2026, Bliida (Metz), Rotondes (Luxembourg) and the Théâtre de Liège (Belgium). In addition, the Apollon Festival (Saarbrücken) is involved as a cooperation partner.
https://www.constellations-metz.fr/en/homepage/
https://www.bliiida.fr/
https://www.rotondes.lu/en/
https://theatredeliege.be/en/
https://www.apollon-festival.de/
APPLICATION
Basic information for concept development at:
https://voelklinger-huette.org/en/home
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcMh92Yxx67uFGcRmyve30t24fAEZ7CRu
Type of submission:
For the application, it is not necessary to submit fully produced works. Project drafts – consisting of a concept, visualisations and test sequences – are sufficient and expressly desired. The final works will be completed during the production period from 3 February to 4 May 2026 after selection.
- Length & content of the works:
The final works may not exceed a duration of 5 minutes. They must include sound and be visually based on the architecture of the respective façades. In terms of content, they should ideally reference the Völklinger Hütte. - Technical basis:
A background plan as a working matrix will be made available for download and must be observed. - Exclusion criteria:
All works or drafts containing discriminatory, violent or pornographic content, as well as those that in any way infringe the rights of third parties – in particular personal rights, copyrights or trademark rights – will be excluded.
Application documents for download
CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION
Participation in the competition is free of charge and is aimed at professional artists, collectives or cultural actors from Germany, France, Belgium and Luxembourg.
The application documents must be submitted by Sunday, 18 January 2026 at 11:59 p.m. by e-mail.
The following documents must be submitted:
- Completed application form [see document 2]
- Project draft consisting of a concept (max. 1,500 characters), visualisations and test sequences (resolution 300 DPI), matching the data material provided, excerpt lasting a maximum of 60 seconds
- 3 photos of the draft for communication purposes
- A workshop proposal
- Portfolio including CV, artist statement, summary of past exhibitions and performances as well as previously conducted workshops (as a single PDF file)
- Copy of valid insurance certificate for artists from France and Luxembourg
- Completed and signed declaration of authorship [see Document 2]
The address for submitting applications and for enquiries is:
forge.videomapping@voelklinger-huette.org
Each file name must begin with the name of the applicant (example for Miller: “miller-cv.pdf”, etc.). Video files can be submitted via WeTransfer, Dropbox, etc.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Maximum length of 60 seconds, to be submitted by 18 January: Video H264, 150 MB/s, embedded audio
Resolution: 7200 px x 4500 PX
Projection
The windows will not be darkened.
Matrix definition
7200 px x 4500 PX
Video – approved codecs
Container: QuickTime [.mov]
Codec: Apple ProRes 422 – 8 bit
and/or
Container: QuickTime [.mov]
Codec: HAP – 8 bits
Square, progressive, non-interlaced pixels.
Audio – approved codecs
Container: WavPack [.wav]
Codec: PCM uncompressed, 48 kHz – 24 bits
Audio level between –10 and –12 LUFS
SELECTION CRITERIA
In addition to fulfilling the brief,
- the submitted proposal must be capable of appealing to a broad public;
- it must stand out for its originality and the quality of its artistic approach;
- there must be a willingness to conduct a workshop (with a compensation of 90 EUR per hour, excl. VAT);
- it should be accessible and understandable to as many people as possible.
All eligible applications will be reviewed by a selection committee. The selection committee reserves the right to make a preliminary selection of up to 10 submissions for participation in the festival, depending on the number of works submitted. Subsequently, all applicants will be informed whether they have been selected for presentation at the festival.
The selection is made by the committee at its own discretion and is final.
We ask for your understanding that objections cannot be considered.
For the selected film production (including sound), the artist or collective will receive a compensation of 2,000 EUR excl. VAT for the production or completion of the final festival contribution.
FRAMEWORK CONDITIONS IN THE EVENT OF FESTIVAL PARTICIPATION
The selected works will be presented at the festival from 29 to 31 May 2026 on the ore yard of the World Heritage Site Völklinger Hütte and nominated for the competition for the best contribution. The workshop are planned between 23 and 27 February 2026, as well as between 28 and 30 May 2026 (the duration will be determined with each artist according to their project) . As part of the competition, a contract will be concluded between the Völklinger Hütte World Heritage Site and the applicants. The festival covers the travel, accommodation, and meal costs of the attending artists for the setup and testing of the contributions.
The final project files must be submitted by Monday, 4 May 2026. Here, too, the background plan provided must be used. The integrated and separate soundtrack in .wav format must also be included.
Among the selected applications, the jury will award the best contribution.
The attending audience will choose its favorite during the festival.
TIMELINE
Friday, 5 December 2025
Start of the open call
Sunday, 18 January 2026, 11:59 p.m.
Application deadline
Tuesday, 10 February 2026
Participant Announcement
Monday, 23 to Friday, 27 February 2026
Workshops
Monday, 4 May 2026
Deadline for final project files
Tuesday, 26 to Thursday, 28 May 2026
Tests, final adjustments on site
Thursday, 28 to Saturday, 30 May 2026
Artist Talks
Friday, 29 to Sunday, 31 May 2026
Festival
On Sunday, 31 May 2026, the awards ceremony with the prizewinners will take place.
TRANSFER OF RIGHTS OF USE AND COMMUNICATION
By participating in the competition, the selected artists grant the Völklinger Hütte World Heritage Site (WVH) the right to use their works for non-commercial advertising and communication purposes.
The artists undertake to mention the FORGE Video Mapping Festival at the Völklinger Hütte World Heritage Site within the Interreg project GRACE when communicating about their work. In return, the WVH will mention the names of the artists or award-winning collectives on all communication channels.
The integrity of the works will be preserved; however, the WVH accepts no liability if third parties distribute the films without permission. The selected projects will be included in the festival programme and will benefit from high visibility across all media of the event.
The credits will be compiled by the FORGE Video Mapping Festival team based on the information in the application form. We kindly ask that you do not insert credits into the production.
The Völklinger Hütte is the first monument from the heyday of industrialisation to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Today, the World Heritage Site Völklinger Hütte is not only the world’s only ironworks of this era to be fully preserved – it is also a unique venue for international exhibitions, festivals and concerts.
The Völklinger Hütte reflects the age of high industrialisation. Its history is exemplary of the history of Germany and the world in the 19th and 20th centuries. At the same time, the World Heritage Site Völklinger Hütte is also a place of the 21st century. As a central site of the Anthropocene – the era in which humans have massively altered their environment through technology – the Völklinger Hütte is ideally suited to discussing the positive and negative effects of this society-shaping development in cultural and artistic terms and to reflecting on our present and future.
Contacts
Frank Krämer und Jeanette Dittmar
e-mail: forge.videomapping@voelklinger-huette.org