Symbiotic Future explores symbiosis as a living relationship between people, culture, technology and the environment, approaching design at the scale of the human body as a critical site of interaction. The exhibition examines how creative practice mediates between tradition and the contemporary world, between inherited knowledge and emerging technologies, and between local cultural identities and global realities.

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Bringing together works from diverse cultural contexts, the exhibition highlights the dialogue between intangible cultural heritage and contemporary technological innovation, and between artistic expression and design practice. Through reinterpreted craft traditions, digitally enabled processes and material experimentation, the selected projects reveal how cultural memory, everyday experience and environmental responsibility can coexist and evolve within shared creative systems.

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Symbiotic Future proposes a human-centred yet more-than-human perspective, positioning design as a connective medium that enables cross-cultural exchange, social empathy and ecological awareness. It presents a future shaped through coexistence—where tradition and modernity, art and design, and humans and their environments continuously co-create a more inclusive and responsible world.

| Organiser |

SUSFUTURE

University of Novi Sad​​ 

World Textile University Alliance (WTUA)

Global Sustainable Fashion Week (GSFW)

 

| Co-organiser |

Belt and Road Institute (BRI)​

Hubei Provincial Key Research Institute of Fashion ＆ Art

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| Executive Organiser |

Technical Faculty "Mihajlo Pupin", University of Novi Sad​​

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| Special Partners |​​​​​

​Textile Science & Economy XIV

National Fashion League Hungary Association​

BODY

Futian District Fashion, Culture and Art Development Promotion Association

France–China Fashion Industry Exchange and Cooperation Association

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| Academic Partner |

International Education Center, Donghua University

Shanghai International College of Fashion and Innovation, Donghua University

School of Design, University of Leeds

Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University

University of Donja Gorica (UDG)

Fashion Management of Business Administration Department, Takming University of Science and Technology

Department of Fashion Industry Management, Hsing Wu University

College of Textile Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology​​

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| Academic Supporters |

Aalto University, Amirkabir University of Technology, Bahir Dar University, Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, BGMEA University of Fashion & Technology, Cambodian Garment Training Institute, Dalian Polytechnic University, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Industries Textiles ENSAIT, FIJI National University, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Kulob Institute of Technology and Innovation Management, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, Moi University, National Textile University, Quanzhou Normal University, Qingdao University, Reutlingen University of Applied Sciences, Soochow University, Sudan University of Science and Technology, Suez Canal University, Tashkent Institute of Textile and Light Industry, The Royal University of Fine Arts, Tibet University, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, University of Edinburgh, University of Gezira, University of Westminster, Uzbek Research Institute of Natural Fibers, Wuhan Textile University, Xi'an Polytechnic University, Xinjiang University, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Zhongyuan University of Technology.​​

| Date |

• Application deadline: 1 April 2026

• Notification of acceptance: 7 April 2026​ (Only successful applicants will be notified via email.)

• Exhibition period 1: 21 April - 20 May 2026

• Exhibition period 2: Autumn 2026, to be announced

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| Location |

• Onsite 1: Central Gallery, Rectorate Building, The University of Novi Sad, Serbia

• Onsite 2: To be announced

• Online: SUSFUTURE & SUSFUTUREWEAVE & BODYNEWS

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Note: This artworks displayed according to the specific conditions of each location and the characteristics of the works.

Open to individuals and teams worldwide, including both professional and student categories.

| Professional category |

Artists, designers, practitioners, educators, and other professionals in the field with experience and expertise.

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| Student category | 

Students currently enrolled in an associate degree program or higher ( (valid proof of enrolment required).

| Themes |

Inclusive & Adaptive Design

Cultural Identity & Heritage Care

Materials of Care

Community & Fair Work

Digital Inclusion

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| Categories |
Fashion Art / Apparel / Textiles & Materials / Footwear / Accessories / Beauty & Makeup / Mixed Media / Digitally Generated Artworks / etc.

• ONE artwork per applicant (a representative look if part of a series).

• Images: 3 JPGs per artwork (1 overall + 2 details).

• Registration Form [Click here to download]

• Profile Picture of designer: high-resolution portrait of the applicant.

• A Photo of Student ID (for student category).

Note. The exhibition is presented via images; no physical objects will be collected.

| Format & Size |

JPG, 300 dpi (300 ppi for print); 

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| Quality |

Even lighting, no collage/watermark/border/text overlay.

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| File Naming |

• Artwork images: Surname_WorkTitle_01.jpg（followed by _02, _03）
  Example: Lee_OceanWeave_01.jpg

• Portrait: Surname_Profile.jpg

• Student ID (if applicable): Surname_ID.jpg

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| Copyright & Usage |
The creator/designer must hold the copyright for the images and authorise the organiser to use these images for the exhibition and publicity, with credit given and without additional payment. By applying for participation, applicants confirm they hold the copyright of their submitted images and agree to grant the organisers permission to use them free of charge for exhibition and any subsequent promotional and publicity purposes. Applicants must ensure they have all necessary rights and permissions for the submitted artwork, including any third-party content, and that the use of the images complies with relevant legal standards.

| Prepare Files |
Registration Form / Artwork Images / Profile / Student ID (if any)

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| Email |
Send all the files to exhibition@susfuture.org.
Subject: ISD_Surname_WorkTitle

e.g. ISD_Davide_Sunflower

| Fee |

After your work has been selected through the review process, you will be notified and need to pay the registration fee to confirm your participation.

The fee structure is as follows:

• Professional category: EUR 20

• Student category: EUR 15

 

​​| Remittance Information |
After your work is selected, we will notify you of the payment method for the exhibition participation fee.

All selected participants will receive an exhibition certificate. In addition, both Professional and Student categories will have 10 awards each, with electronic certificates for the winners.

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| Awards include |

• Professional Category:

  • Best Sustainable Design

  • Innovative Material Sustainability

  • Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability

  • Future Trends in Sustainable Design

  • Creative Design Excellence

  • Artistic Style Achievement

  • Ethical Innovation

  • Design Technology Advancement

  • Cultural Heritage Integration

  • Community Impact through Design

• Student Category:

  • Emerging Talent in Sustainable Design

  • Next Generation Design Innovator

  • Rising Star in Sustainable Design

  • Junior Sustainable Design Excellence

  • Youthful Visionary in Design

  • Newcomer Sustainable Design Pioneer

  • Junior Eco-Fashion Trailblazer

  • Up-and-Coming Sustainable Design Luminary

  • Youthful Sustainable Design Maverick

  • Junior Sustainability Design Champion

 

| Additional Benefits |

• Media Coverage and Exposure:
  All selected participants will be featured on BODY (https://bodynews.com.tw/) and related media outlets, with interviews and detailed coverage in both Chinese and international media. Additionally, SUSFUTURE's website and SUSFUTURE.WEAVES's Instagram will also showcase the exhibition and its participants.
   

• Other Exhibition Opportunities:
  All applicants will be recommended for other fashion illustration or related exhibitions held or co-organised in Taipei and Shenzhen throughout 2026. These opportunities will offer waived participation fees, allowing selected illustrators to showcase their works in additional prominent events. Further details on these exhibitions will be shared with the selected participants.

| Submission Guidelines |

1. Submission is open to individuals of all nationalities, ages, genders, ethnicities, and religions.

2. The applicant(s) must confirm that they hold all intellectual property rights (including moral rights) to their submitted works and have the full legal right to submit the work for exhibition purposes.

3. All artworks must be submitted digitally in compliance with the submission requirements.

4. Application for artwork submission in the exhibition requires payment of an application fee.

5. No refunds will be issued after payment of the application fee.

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| Content Guidelines |

1. Submissions that violate applicable laws, regulations, or infringe upon third-party rights (including but not limited to copyrights, trademarks, and privacy rights) will not be accepted.

2. The selection of artworks will be based on the evaluation criteria set by the organizers and the jury, including size, theme, and technical specifications. All decisions made by the organizers and jury regarding placement and exhibition are final and not subject to appeal.

3. The organizers will not provide feedback or critique on the evaluation results of any artworks.

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| Copyright and Usage |

1. Applicants grant the organizers the right to use submitted images, videos, and textual information in promotional materials, publications, websites, and media outlets related to the exhibition, both during and after the event.

2. Applicants must certify that they hold the copyright for all submitted works and any related materials (including images, text, etc.) and that they have the legal right to grant these usage rights.

3. Applicants certify that all submitted works are original, do not infringe upon any existing copyrights, and that they have obtained all necessary rights, including model releases for any images featuring individuals.

4. The exhibition organizers and management shall not be held liable for any legal disputes related to copyright, intellectual property, or any other legal matters concerning the exhibited works. Applicants agree to indemnify and hold harmless the organizers against any legal claims.

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The event organizers and curatorial team hold the final interpretation of these terms and conditions. In case of any discrepancies between versions, the English version shall prevail. Participants are strongly advised to review the English version for accuracy and completeness.