THE ARTISTS

The selection method:

“Arts & Nature” Horizons in Sancy is open to any person proposing an artistic project and approach meeting the criteria and objectives of the event.
The event is also open to young talents. A specific place may be made for young talents in view of the quality of the projects. “Young talents” include students, alone or associated, of Art, Architecture and Landscaping schools in the penultimate or last year of their studies and having obtained their diploma less than two years previously. Thus for the latter, on the occasion of Horizons 2026, students having obtained their end-of-studies diploma in 2024 and 2025 are considered young talents. Special cases also exist such as return to studying. Where applicable, the organisers shall be free to judge the eligibility of the applicant in this specific category or in the classic category.
The artists shall be selected by a selection committee composed of artistic specialists (art centres, DRACs, artists), members of civil society and elected representatives.
The selection committee will select 10 artists (subject to the quality and feasibility of the projects proposed).
The selection of the artists is deliberately national and international.
The decisions of the selection committee may not be appealed against and will be communicated in March 2026, without the jury having to justify its decisions. To facilitate the selection, the jury has the right to request complementary information from the applicant artists.
the non-eligibility of the artists selected for two years: artists already selected at an edition of “Arts & Nature” Horizons in Sancy will be subject to a period of non-eligibility of two years starting from the year of selection. As an example, this means that an artist selected at Horizons 2025 may not apply before the 2028 edition. This rule is founded on the organisers’ desire to open the selection up more to new applicants.

Invitation of an artist:

The organisation reserves the right to invite an artist who will choose their site from the sites proposed. This site will, then, no longer be available.

REMUNERATION

An artistic remuneration in an amount of €8,000 incl. all taxes will be attributed to each artist or group of artists selected including: €6,500 in artistic costs and €1,500 in royalties (recommended proportion).

This budget will be fully managed by the artist and validated by the organiser who benefits from a right of inspection. The budget must cover all the expenses incurred to produce the work and shall be the artist’s responsibility alone. The artist manages the project from A to Z, i.e. all the tasks relating to the organisation, sourcing of suppliers, requests for cost estimates and logistics for the delivery and transportation of the materials (see list below). Thus the amount of €8,000 must cover the following expenses and comply with the following conditions:

The production of the work: the creation, purchase and working of the materials, the logistics, any transport of items from the workshop to the site and the installation of the work (the artists must supply the tools and materials required to produce and assemble the work):

The artist’s travel, eating and accommodation expenses on the territory during site visits, the production of the work, the inauguration, any maintenance or repair visits relating to the work during the exhibiting and dismantling of the work (a list of accommodation can be consulted on the website www.sancy.com);

The mandatory presence of the artist at the prior site visit scheduled for the end of March (waiver in the event of significant remoteness) and during the assembly of their work;

The mandatory participation of the artist in a filmed interview during the assembly of their work;

The mandatory presence of the artist at the inauguration of the event scheduled for Thursday 18 June 2026 (date to be confirmed at a later date); which includes a morning of cultural mediation between the artists and local players and an inaugural evening.

The production by the artist or a contemporary art specialist of a text presenting the artist’s work and their artistic approach;
The putting into place by the artist of resources to ensure the maintenance of the work throughout the event in the event of natural or human damage to the work;
The dismantling of the work;
The use of a few images in compliance with moral rights. The applicant selected agrees to be photographed along with their working and their work during the event in order to appear in the media relating to the “Arts & Nature” Horizons event in Sancy event (promotion, communication, derivative products (publications, etc.), website, etc.).
The transfer of usage rights to the work for a period determined by the organiser. The conditions of this transfer of rights shall be laid down in a contract between the artist and the organiser. The works naturally remain the artists’ intellectual property. The rights are transferred temporarily.
B license and vehicule required

After selecting the artists, the 10 applicants selected will receive the artistic remuneration according to a precise payment method. The payment of the bursary will be made in three stages:

The first payment: €4,000 incl. all taxes paid after the contract is received signed accordingly by both parties.
The 2nd instalment: €2,000 (incl. VAT) paid from 13 June 2026, once the work has been received and found to be in perfect conformity with the project description (document signed and appended to the contract) and the artist has taken part in the interview filmed during the editing process.
The 3rd instalment: €2,000 (incl. VAT) paid after dismantling from 28 September 2026 until 18 October 2026 at the latest.
If the artist withdraws, the sum paid will be reimbursed in full.

NEW: ADDITIONAL GRANTS

- Additional artistic bonus for artists domiciled more than 1,500 km from Le Mont-Dore: €500 with proof of expenses incurred (transport of people and/or equipment).

- Additional artistic bonus for artists based abroad and outside the European continent: €1,000 with proof of expenses incurred (transport of people and/or equipment).

The two additional bonuses are not cumulative.

THE WORKS

Type of works: The works are in situ installations. Created outside in a chosen natural site, they convey a close link between art and nature.
Originals: these are artistic creations specially thought up and produced for the Horizons event. The works are created specifically for the territory, its landscapes or the natural site, in opposition to works transposable to a context other than Horizons.

NB : the organiser shall cancel the selection of a work considered to be duplicated for the purpose of being exhibited at the same time as Horizons at another event or which has already been exhibited.

Ephemeral: The works are ephemeral. Their lifetime is at least 3.5 months.
New: in view of works already presented at previous editions of Horizons, the jury will favour new projects providing a different viewpoint and a new approach. The event favours modernity and works embodying this dimension.
Visual: the works must be visual, in other words visibly mark the territory. This excludes solely audible works or paintings or frescos.
Created at the scale of the landscape: “Monumental” creations will be privileged, always in compliance with the scale of the territory. A balance between the reciprocal promotion of the work and of the natural site must be achieved, without either being ignored or overpowered visually by the other.
Respectful of the environment: whether it be in the very conception of the work (materials, foothold, etc.), its installation on the site, its functioning and its dismantling, it shall be respectful of the environment and not produce any harmful impact on the natural site. The choice of materials: the artist is free to choose any type of materials in compliance with the site’s environment. The use of materials originating from nature and/or the territory, recyclable materials or materials using renewable energy such as wind or solar power will be favoured, as will the recycling of these materials once the work is dismantled.
Resistant: Since the weather conditions may be extreme (very strong winds, heavy rain, hail possible in summer, late snow sometimes until May), the artists must take account of these conditions and undertake to do their utmost to ensure that the works resist harsh weather.
Safety of the works: the works must not present a danger for the visitors (risk of falling, of cutting, etc.).
The artists selected must specify the conditions (technical, logistic, planned stages) of the production of their work.

INSTALLATION AND RECEIPT OF THE WORKS

Production and installation times for the works: the works must be produced in situ or delivered partly assembled. The period of assembly of the works is scheduled between 26 May and 15 June 2026. During this period the presence on the territory of the artist for the production and/or the installation of their work shall be determined by a timetable proposed and validated by the organiser.
The conditions of receipt of the works: The period of receipt of the works is set between 26 May and 15 June 2026, in accordance with an appointment previously agreed with the organiser. The artists undertake to deliver the work during this period, in compliance with the undertakings.

The downtime period between the date of receipt of the work and the inauguration of the event is under the artist’s responsibility, who must make themselves available to carry out, if necessary, one or more interventions on the work.

THE SITES

Choice of natural site(s)

The organiser suggests that the artists choose 1 or more sites from the proposed list. Only one site per artist will be selected. However, the organiser reserves the right to choose another site, depending in particular on the technical constraints involved in producing the work or any other reason of its own.

Please note: the natural sites proposed to host a Horizons 2026 work are given for information only and as a source of inspiration for the candidate artists. If selected, they will be subject to the authorisation and conditions of the owner (public or private) and are therefore subject to change.

We wish to leave the artist complete freedom of creation and expression in his or her use of the site, while taking account of agricultural activity.

To consult the list of natural sites proposed for 2026 :
Intercative version : https://view.genially.com/68cd3d134e73b4c356661844/interactive-content-horizons-sites-2026-gb
Download version : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MibuZwSK0m8mhMDhjE_H9wdHFQpMeged/view?usp=sharing

To consult the collection of stories and legends from the Massif du Sancy : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eV-ke4i09FnxfxroM7712F4sFgkN5Hm6/view?usp=sharing

The artists may propose between one and three projects for one to three different sites.

Reconnaissance and discovery of the site prior to installation :
Between March 23 and April 3 the organiser and the artist will agree on a visit (not obligatory) of the selected site which will enable the artist selected to better envisage their work and the production thereof.

EVENTS AROUND THE WORKS:

In order to bring life to the Horizons 2026 festival throughout the exhibiting of the works, events such as concerts, sporting events or artistic performances may be organised in the immediate vicinity of the works. Artists may not object to the holding of these events.

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