The Festival des Architectures Vives has opened its 2027 call around Shared Happiness. Its 21st edition will bring temporary installations to Montpellier's historic courtyards from June 15 to 20. The brief asks emerging practices to create situations that encourage encounter and participation, rather than turn an abstract theme into an illustration.
A courtyard becomes a public setting
The festival opens normally private courtyards to visitors. That gives an installation two audiences: the place already has a history, while the event brings people into it temporarily. Site-specific thinking therefore needs to address an existing setting, not treat the courtyard as an empty exhibition space or a neutral background for a striking object.
The call welcomes gestures involving material, light, movement and interaction. An applicant might ask what visitors can do together, how they approach a work and what makes them linger. These are editorial design questions, rather than extra requirements imposed by the organiser. The official theme text remains the basis for developing a proposal.
Design before the courtyard is assigned
Selection happens independently of a particular courtyard. Teams must propose an installation that can adapt to different sites; plans, surveys and constraints follow once a selected team receives its location. Adaptability belongs in the concept from the start. A proposal dependent on one imagined doorway, dimension or fixing condition would need careful reconsideration.
The approach connects with temporary garden installations and material reuse, where a short-lived public work also needs a plan beyond its first appearance. For FAV, the relationship between assembly and removal is particularly practical: participating teams must carry out both installation and dismantling themselves.
Match the team and scope to the brief
Multidisciplinary teams are welcome, but at least one member must be a qualified architect. The release specifies a Master's-level degree or equivalent, and the organiser's FAQ excludes students. A selected team receives EUR 1,500 including VAT. The FAQ says this is the total allowance, covering costs such as transport and materials, rather than a separate construction-only fund.
That modest allowance makes scope discipline important. A manageable proposal should consider how its components arrive, who assembles them and what happens afterwards. External sponsors are allowed according to the FAQ. Their possibility does not establish that a team has secured extra funding, so the application should keep confirmed resources distinct from hoped-for support.
Build a clear application and timeline
The submission is one PDF, maximum 10 MB, containing the signed application form, team CVs, illustrated portfolio, statement of intent and a 3D visualisation. Clear communication matters here: the concept, team experience and intended public interaction need to fit together without claiming that unresolved site details have already been settled.
Applications to the Festival des Architectures Vives are free and close on December 7, 2026 at 23:59 French local time, according to the organiser. Selection is planned for early January, followed by a February site visit. Set-up runs June 9–14; dismantling is June 21. Those obligations belong in the team's planning as much as the exhibition itself.
| Milestone | Date / details |
|---|---|
| Applications | 7 December 2026, 23:59 French local time; free entry |
| Selection | Early January 2027 |
| Site visit | February 2027, Montpellier |
| Set-up | 9–14 June 2027 |
| Festival | 15–20 June 2027 |
| Dismantling | 21 June 2027 |
| Production grant | EUR 1,500 including VAT; total allowance |