Compact Contemporary is a pre-loved dolls' house, renovated and made into a petite gallery for contemporary visual art. The gallery provides a way to exhibit art during the Covid-19 pandemic, on a small scale, online from a domestic setting. The gallery has four 'white cube' rooms and LED lighting.

The gallery offers a programme of new contemporary visual art. Compact Contemporary exhibits new, small artworks by emerging artists.

Audiences can access the gallery via the Instagram account @compactcontemporary. The gallery is currently located in the curator's house in Leeds, West Yorkshire.

This is the first call out for artists who are interested in a solo exhibition of their work in 2021. The first exhibition will be from 2nd to 25th  March - with more to follow throughout the year. Compact Contemporary will schedule the exhibition timetable with the successful applicants.

Please download the Compact Contemporary Layout PDF to view the gallery and the measurements of the exhibition space - DOWNLOAD HERE

Practical notes for artists: 

As a guideline - Compact Contemporary is more interested in small original artworks (or miniature reproductions of an artist’s own existing works using the same materials as the original where possible) - rather than digital reproductions/prints of work - unless the original work is itself a digital print/photo. Please contact for clarification if needed.

All artwork is posted/couriered to and from the gallery. It is recommended that artists use a tracked and/or signed service. Artists may arrange their own insurance if they wish. The gallery will take reasonable, responsible care of the artwork while it is in its possession.

Due to the Covid situation there are currently no plans to hold opening events or in-person meetings between artists and the gallery and audiences may only view the work online. 

Exhibitions and artwork will be publicised on social media and online listings sites, and the artist is expected to also share this information with their own networks.

Work that is for sale is subject to a 20% commission charge, and buyers pay post and packaging on top of the sale price. This fee is paid to Compact Contemporary. The gallery will transfer the artist’s 80% of the sale price to the artist at the end of the exhibition, no later than 1 week after the exhibition ends.

Unsold work is returned to the artist after the exhibition.