Craft practices are inextricably linked to the natural world and rely on the cultivation of natural resources such as sand, stone, clay, woods, metals, fibres and leathers. The access to these materials rely on our access to outdoor spaces, and on our ability to localise, extract, grow or transform a base material into something which can be used in a craft practice. Whether it is foraging or mining, cultivating, growing, digging, shearing or harvesting – human and nature must find a way to collaborate.

Human interaction with nature invariably shapes and alters it, making the concept of a garden a rich site of inquiry. It is neither entirely wild nor fully under human control. A garden can be a space for leisure, relaxation and inspiration, and a space to grow and store materials – a warehouse and a workshop.

Historically, the garden has been a favoured motif for artists, but also a place to work and exhibit. The Arts and Crafts Movement solidified the idea of the garden as a continuation of the home: a series of unique areas or rooms for different activities and moods. It can be argued that the ability to create and maintain a garden is a craft in itself.

The Vessel welcomes editorial proposals that offer up a new way of looking at contemporary craft practices, in relation with the concept of a garden.

Application Guidelines
Your application is due by 20 October 2025 and should include:

Personal information:

• Name, profession, and a short bio/CV (max 1 page).

Letter of motivation:

• Tell us why you are applying for the role of guest editor, highlighting your interest in the theme of Garden.

Proposal:

• Thematic Framework: Outline your vision for the issue and how you will explore the theme of ‘Garden’.
• Potential Contributors: List artists, writers, or other contributors you are thinking of involving.
• Content Types: Specify the types of content you would like to include in the issue (e.g., interviews, essays, articles, short films, sound pieces, visual essays/photo series).
• Focus on Norwegian crafts: Describe how you will highlight the Norwegian or Norway-based contemporary crafts field.

All applications should be in English and delivered as one PDF file (max. 6 pages) to post@norwegiancrafts.no , with the subject field “Open call Garden + Your name”.

The Vessel is an English-language publication, and candidates must be comfortable writing and editing in English. Candidates of any nationality are welcome, and no specific educational or professional qualifications are required although potential candidates should have an interest in contemporary crafts and material culture.

The selected candidate will work alongside the Norwegian Crafts team and The Vessel’s project manager, Tonje Kjellevold. Guest editors will receive an honorarium, and all contributing writers/photographers will receive honorariums for their work in accordance with Kritikerlagets’ satser for kritikk.

Questions? Please contact project manager Tonje Kjellevold at: tk@norwegiancrafts.no

All applications are handled in accordance with Norwegian Crafts' Privacy Policy.

About The Vessel
The Vessel is an online magazine about crafts and material culture established in 2021. The Vessel explores the world through a craft lens, showcasing making practices, visual expressions, and material knowledges from a multitude of perspectives. Collaborating with external editors, artists, and writers, The Vessel is published by Norwegian Crafts, a non-profit organisation founded by the Norwegian Association for Craft Artists (Norske Kunsthåndverkere) in 2012. Norwegian Crafts' principal aim is to strengthen the position of contemporary crafts from Norway internationally.