Carnation: Vol. 3 (Fire) Call for Submissions

Molotov cocktails. Altars. Vigils. Fire incites action and passion in the face of destruction and injustice. Fire as in anger; fire as in taking refuge; fire as in escaping war. Fire as in encampment. Fire as in too hot to touch and too thick to see through the smoke—a smoke that once cleared, reveals burnt flags, burnt bridges, and the skeletal remains of colonial institutions.

Fire is the beginning and the end, and can blur the distinction between these stages. When the earth expels lava and forms new land, does this cycle have an ending? Can we mark its beginning? Fire can mark finality with perceived definitiveness: a wildfire may wipe a land barren, yet be found to continue months later as a winter burn. Even in its finality, fire can prompt regeneration as the land responds to its dangerous qualities in brilliant ways.

We are accepting submissions related but not limited to the following topics on fire: memory, ritual, ceremony, communication, cleansing, transformation, hope, loss, colonization, war, climate disaster, protests, gatherings, warmth, cooking, smoking, smudging, nature, astrology, romance, lust, candles, burning letters, burning out, accidents, pain, rage, revenge, resistance, impulsiveness, anxiety, catharsis.

Vol. 3 will be guest co-edited with Whess Harman.

• We publish works by artists and writers who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour based anywhere in the world
• We only accept previously unpublished work (works that have been self-published, posted on social media, exhibited in visual art contexts, or printed in exhibition catalogues are accepted)
• Maximum word count for each text work: 1,000
• Maximum works per submission (only visual, only text, or a combination): 5
• If you are submitting multiple works, please indicate indicate if they can be considered as individual pieces or if they are specifically a part of a grouping (eg. diptychs)
• Note: Vol. 3 (Fire) will be printed as a risograph zine with a limited colour palette of 2 to 3 colours, featuring the colour red. Please expect your image(s) to look different upon reproduction. Eg: https://www.aileenbassis.com/images/InMyCountry.jpg

Email [email protected] with:

1. Your art/writing submission

• Text attached as a pdf
• Images should be minimum 300 dpi and attached in the email or sent as a Google Drive or Dropbox link
• Please provide translations for works that are not in English. Translations will be for the selection committee’s consideration only, unless they are indicated to be part of the work. Translations should be attached as a pdf.

2. The following information in one pdf

• Your name and contact info
• Bio (max 50 words)
• Instagram handle (optional)
• Title(s) of works and any necessary credits
• For each artwork submission: include a brief artist statement or description about how the work is relevant to the theme for the selection committee’s consideration (max 100 words each)

Deadline

Friday, June 30, 2023, 11:59pm CDT

Selected contributors will be paid a flat fee of $300CAD and will get a free copy of the publication. We thank our funders Canada Council for the Arts, Manitoba Arts Council, and Winnipeg Arts Council for making this possible.