Burrinja Climate Change Biennale #4

Art. Activism. Adaptation. Hope.

Since its inception in 2015, the Burrinja Climate Change Biennale has brought together artists, thinkers and communities to grapple with the defining and most urgent challenge of our time: the climate emergency.

Positioned at the intersection of art, activism and advocacy, this unique biennial event transforms the Dandenong Ranges into a site of creative resistance, inquiry and hope. BCCB is global in vision, national in reach, and deeply embedded in local action.

Burrinja Climate Change Biennale: Acquisitive Award Exhibition
22 Aug – 25 October 2026 (opening Sun 23 August)
At the heart of the Burrinja Climate Change Biennale is the Acquisitive Award Exhibition: a landmark national visual arts event that anchors the entire program.

Staged in Burrinja’s Main Gallery, the exhibition will present selected works across a wide range of mediums including painting, photography, sculpture, installation, digital and new media, and interdisciplinary practice.

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Artist Call-Out, get involved?

We invite artists whose work confronts, questions or reimagines our relationship with climate, land, species, systems and futures.

The fourth edition of Burrinja Climate Change Biennale takes place in 2026. We are now calling for submissions from practising visual artists across Australia to participate in this exciting national exhibition.

Finalists will be exhibited as part of a nationally profiled biennial event featuring exhibitions, public programs and cross-disciplinary dialogue across the Dandenong Ranges.

Submissions can be lodged online until 4pm (AEST) on Friday, 24 April 2026. A non-refundable submission fee applies to each submission:
Standard submission $55 inc. GST
Concession submission $44 inc. GST (holders of student card, healthcare card, etc)

All submissions will be considered by a Selection Panel. Artists will learn whether their work has been successful by Monday, 4 May.

The Selection Panel will be assessing applications based on:

• Engagement with Climate Change/Climate Justice
• Innovation in art form

The Prize Judging Panel, a panel of industry professionals, will decide the winners of three prizes:

• Acquisitive Award $3,000
• Young Artist Award $1,000 (< 26 years of age at the time of submission)
• People’s Choice Award $500

The winner of the Acquisitive Award will be acquired into Burrinja’s permanent collection, contributing to a growing body of contemporary Australian art responding to climate change.

Apply in 3 Simple Steps

1. Read the Terms and Conditions
2. Complete the Application Form
3. Submit your Application Fee

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