The Theme for Unsound Kraków 2022 - the 20th Edition - is Bubbles. Open Call Announced

The theme for Unsound Kraków 2022 is BUBBLES. On the one hand, the word evokes the idea of celebration – as this year the festival is celebrating its 20th edition, between 9th-16th October. BUBBLES might evoke a glass of champagne, a cluster of colourful balloons floating up into the sky. BUBBLES also refers to the way that different communities are isolated from one another and connected, whether through social media, geography or politics. 

But the theme also has roots in the theories of economist Hyman P. Minsky, who developed five stages in the concept of a speculative bubble: Displacement, Boom, Euphoria, Profit Taking and Panic. Although the world is rife with financial speculation – from property to stock markets to crypto – we intend to largely riff on these words as sub-themes, tapping into broader ideas they might evoke in relation to music, culture and society, in ways both light and dark. 

The first phase in the Unsound 2022 design is a series of cryptic charts posted on social media, created by Warsaw designer Ernest Borowski. In time, a second, very different phase of the design will be revealed. The first artist announcement and passes will go on sale on June 27th.

The Unsound Open Call this year focuses largely on the daytime discourse program, encouraging a response to the word BUBBLES – or any of the subthemes. Refer to the Unsound 2022 BUBBLES charts for further inspiration. Please write a proposal no longer than one page, with links, to [email protected]. Between two to five entries will be included in the 2022 programme and will receive a fee of 2000 PLN (approx 450 EUR) each. Unsound will cover the costs of travel and accommodation. Deadline: June 15.