PARA/normal Borders

The MexiCali Biennial presents PARA/normal Borders, a nomadic series of exhibitions and programs which aim to identify the combined regions of California and Mexico as a thin place where spirits, ancestors, and displaced identities move freely. In this conceptualization, it functions as a multi-dimensional space: physically, it is a landscape of migration and surveillance; metaphysically, it operates as a membrane between realities; and psychologically, it serves as a collective unconscious of trauma and transformation. In this exhibition, the paranormal emerges as a critical mode of storytelling, tracing the presence of invisibility, historical erasure, and embodied memory.

Applicants may propose up to three works and submit up to nine images total. Each application must include a project proposal or artist statement, short artist bio, CV reflecting an active studio or creative practice, visual documentation (completed works or proposed sketches), and a link to a website and/or social media accounts if available. Completed works will have a higher chance of acceptance, though proposals for unfinished works will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Production funds for new works are not provided; proposals should include renderings and narrative on the proposed work, clearly addressing feasibility, scale, and technical needs.

Proposals will be reviewed by the curatorial team based on artistic and conceptual strength, relevance to PARA/normal Borders and its expanded understanding of borders, engagement with paranormal, speculative, ancestral, or unseen narratives, and feasibility within the exhibition timeline and sites. The exhibition runs October-December 2026 at venues including Steppling Art Gallery at San Diego State University, Imperial Valley Campus (Calexico) and Arista 1701 (Mexicali), with additional venues likely to be added. A second venue location is scheduled for February-August 2027 at the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture of the Riverside Art Museum. Artists may be selected for one or multiple venues depending on curatorial fit, feasibility, and site conditions. Notification of acceptance will occur in Summer 2026.