OPEN CALL - Virtual Creation Residency 

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This virtual residency invites eight interdisciplinary artists to collaborate in artistic dialogue and practice with another artist. The program establishes four distinctive virtual residency incubators where two artists engage in a co-creative and collaborative process together. The residency is hosted and organized by the partners Work it Out (DE/CH), The Art Corner of Tehran (IRN/DE), arthereistanbul (TR), Associação Cultural Scala in Maputo / Inhambane (MOZ). We are eager to create conditions for co-creative ways of encountering each other and the building of intercontinental and intercultural bridges of artistic co-creation, networking, and promotion of artistic work. Based on the partner's location, the eight artists of this edition will be based in Mozambique, Iran, Turkey, Switzerland, and Germany. 

 

This open call is addressed to interdisciplinary artists based in Iran and Turkey.

 

A mutating virus keeps the global pandemic situation (still) alive. Whilst one hemisphere is facing harder restrictions due to winter times, the other one enjoys some summer lightness/freedom. Global and local concerns, raising inequalities and unpredictable numbers of virus waves are hitting the news. The present keeps on feeling dystopian. The future is unknown. To connect back to cycles of artistic creation, presentation and creatively being in touch with each other is a condition to hold together. This virtual creation residency provides a context and is at the same time the medium of creation, the channel of being in touch, and the place of overcoming one’s own isolated bubble. It is the place of experimentation, of engaging with someone far and yet unknown, and of letting one’s own artistic practice merge into a shared project proposal. 

The partners of this virtual creation residency are Work it Out (DE/CH), The Art Corner of Tehran (IRN/DE), arthereistanbul (TR), Associação Cultural Scala in Maputo / Inhambane (MOZ). Their curatorial practice is shaped by working in proximity over distance: fostering a sharing of resources as well as collectively devising intercultural and interdisciplinary methods for participatory artistic interventions and exchange. 

Each artist is applying with an individual proposal for the virtual residency (-> see information below). Based on this proposal, interviews will be held with the first round of pre-selected artists. The curatorial partners are selecting eight artists, three artists will be selected from this open call. Based on the artists' proposal, the field of practice, and artistic motivation the collaboration matches are decided/chosen by the partners. During the three months residency, each team will collaborate on a mutual project proposal. 

 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
 

● 1000 euros are given to each of the eight selected artists.
● The residencies take place between September 2021 – November/Beginning December 2021
● The coupled artists will be provided with adequate virtual resources to facilitate the exchange and mentoring by the partners during the process of the virtual residency.
● The coupled artists are expected to meet virtually on a regular basis.
● During the creation process, the partners will make the artists’ work available to the public in different
virtual formats (e.g. insights, interventions, interviews, and broadcasted studio visits).
● Each residency will lead to an outcome. The form of the outcome is generated by the individual discipline of the two artists, their common project, and the partners (e.g. online performance project, installation,
live lecture-performance, etc.).
● All three partners will strive to feature, promote, and distribute the artists’ projects at different possible levels (e.g. online festivals, extended residencies, and virtual/physical exhibitions).
● The outcome/final projects of the residency will be presented in different ways in Mozambique at Centro Cultural Scala, virtually on the platform Work it Out, and live in Istanbul. The four partners will together with the artists and their projects elaborate ways of hybrid presentations in the virtual and physical realm.
 

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
 

● Motivation Letter (1000 words)
● Short Bio (200 words)
● Artist Resume / CV
● Portfolio or links to relevant documentation of your work
 

TIME-FRAME
 

● Applications are due by 13.08.2021 (11:59 pm CET) via email to shirin.zeraaty@gmail.com
● Please send all material as one pdf.
● Pre-selected artists will be invited for an interview (Zoom) in August 2021.
● Announcement of selected artists by beginning September 2021.
 

GENERAL CONTACT TO THIS OPEN CALL:
shirin.zeraaty@gmail.com and hello@workitout-platform.com
 

 

PARTNERS
 

Work it Out (DE/CH) is a hybrid platform inhabiting the digital and analog space. Work it Out creates space for cooperation and exchange by means of encountering, (un-)learning, sharing, gathering, and listening. https://www.workitout-platform.com/en // https://www.instagram.com/work_it_out_platform/
 

Associação Cultural Scala (MOZ): The Scala Cultural Association is a non-profit association with the objective of cultural-historical rescue and management of cultural spaces. It has a management agreement for the Scala Cinema, one of the oldest cinemas in the capital and an ex-libris of the city of Maputo. Currently, the Scala Cinema, converted into the Scala Cultural Centre, annually hosts resident artists in the disciplines of music, contemporary dance, and theatre presents shows related to these disciplines, film sessions, and visual arts exhibitions in addition to conducting various training programs. https://www.facebook.com/cinemascala/ https://www.instagram.com/cineteatroscala/
 

The Art Corner of Tehran (IRN/DE) is an online platform dedicated to showcasing the work of Iranian artists. It aims to create a space to showcase artistic practices and enhance international collaborations for these artists. In the face of a biased cultural context in the contemporary art world that renders Iranian artists largely invisible, the ACT is committed to challenging these structures.
www.theartcorneroftehran.com // www.instagram.com/theartcorneroftehran/
 

Arthereistanbul (TR) is an independent, nonpartisan space for artistic creation, dialogue, and culture, far away from conflict and political rivalries. Arthereistanbul offers workshops, screenings, performances, grants, and international artist residencies.
www.arthereistanbul.com // www.instagram.com/arthereistanbul/