Open call for Mazg 5th annual comic exhibition

julio 28, 2026 Autor: Yasmin

In Mazg we believe in the power of visual storytelling as a shared language to express certain issues that can be understood anywhere in the world. To achieve that goal, in 2022 we decided to organize an annual comic exhibition for Arab artists that have a different theme every year.

In the last 4 years we organized 4 different exhibitions (My body , Turning point, Where do dreams go? Thorns and cactus) with more than 200 comic artists participating.

As part of our strategy, the themes are always relevant to the current moment, so that the artists can engage with the world around them through their artwork

This year in collaboration with Fundación Al Fanar from Spain we choose the theme to be ( Borders) and this call is for Spanish and Arab comic artists.

1. Theme 2026

Borders

Borders is a word that can make you stop in your tracks. It can hold you back, pinpoint your place, and separate you from where you hope to go next.

But what do borders really mean? Are they simply lines drawn on a map, or invisible walls we build around ourselves to protect our personal space? Are they the blurred threshold between reality and imagination?

Who creates these borders? Are they imposed by authority, or do we construct them ourselves? Do they exist to keep us safe, or do they push us further apart? Are they a source of security, or a tool of separation and exclusion?

2. The purpose of the call

In our upcoming exhibition, we invite you to draw, question, and transcend borders—geographical, temporal, social, and even the boundaries of reality itself. Through comics, tell the stories shaped by the many meanings of borders, and explore the lines that define us, divide us, or perhaps invite us to cross them.

3. Who can apply?

Spanish and Arab artists, regardless of their country of residence, may participate.

4. When and where will be the exhibition

The exhibition will be held from 16th of October till 1st of November 2026 and it will be part of DCAF which is one of the biggest contemporary art festivals in the Arab region. And it will be in Downtown Cairo

After the festival ends, we are going to move the exhibition to the Instituto Cervantes in Cairo in January 2027.

In 2027 some Arab artists’ artwork from the exhibition will be shown in the Salón del Cómic in Valencia (Spain) in the framework of their program of supporting Arab Comics.

5. Submission guidelines

• Comics must not exceed 6 pages.

• Artwork should be submitted in A3 or A4 format.

• Files must be at least 300 DPI and submitted in PDF, TIFF, or high-quality PNG format.

• Creative Artificial Intelligence is not encouraged at any stage of the creative process.

• Please number all pages in sequential order.

• Please leave a minimum 1 cm margin around all page edges.

• Artists are encouraged to submit the editable source files (PSD, AI, or equivalent) alongside the final artwork.

• Submitted works must be original. Artists retain full copyright and ownership of their work while granting the organizers permission to reproduce it in the exhibition catalogue and promotional materials.

• Both black-and-white and colour comics are accepted.

• Comics should be in Arabic, Spanish or English. If possible, please include a translation of the text to English.

• Please include a short artistic biography (maximum 100 words).

• Please provide a link or QR code to your artistic portfolio, website, or social media page.

• Submitted works must not contain content that demeans, discriminates against, or incites hatred toward any individual or group.

• Submissions that do not comply with these guidelines will not be considered.

• The selected artists will be contacted.

6. The submission and deadline

To participate in this exhibition please send your stories to info@mazg.org, and title the email with (Borders).

The submission deadline for the artwork will be on 20th of September 2026. No submissions will be accepted after this date.

7. Jury

The jury will be composed of specialists in comics and artists, both illustrators and writers. Their decisions will be final.

The following will be assessed:

• Originality and artistic quality.

• Relevance and creativity in the interpretation of the theme.

• Clarity of the graphic narrative.

• Cultural or reflective contribution.

About Mazg

Mazg for Culture and Arts is an independent cultural organization founded in Egypt in 2013 to support the comic industry. Our work focuses on four main areas: education, publishing, public engagement, and exhibitions. Mazg has organized dozens of comics workshops, established the first Arabic digital school for comics in 2021, and published a range of individual and collective comics, graphic novels, magazines, and zines. It also organizes public events that foster dialogue around comics and visual storytelling. Since 2022, Mazg has curated four annual comic exhibitions featuring more than 200 comic artists from across the Arab world, creating opportunities for artistic exchange and regional collaboration.

Fundación Al Fanar is a Spanish not-for-profit organisation dedicated to bringing the political, social and cultural realities of the Arab world to a Spanish-speaking audience. Comics are one of the tools most frequently used by Al Fanar to break down stereotypes and bring communities together. It has organised exhibitions of Arab comics such as ‘Cálamos y Viñetas. Cómic árabe en movimiento’, ‘Siria a través del cómic’ y ‘Comic palestino: voces propias, grito-colectivo’, “La Palestina de Sabaaneh: cómic, compromiso y generosidad”. Al Fanar has also curated Spanish comics for the Arab world in ‘Sendas del Cómic español’. Also has coordinated various projects in which comics play a central role, such as como “Babili’s Home, trilingual comic and App for Iraq” (2012-2014), “Kif-kif, cómics por la inclusión” (2016-2022) orAl Ándalus en viñetas (2024-).