Skaftfell is inviting applications from Iceland-based artists to join its „Wanderlust“ thematic residency from 6th to 26th August 2020 in Seyðisfjörður, East Iceland.
This program is being held for the second time, following a very successful pilot program in June 2019. Reacting to worldwide travel restrictions in the wake of COVID-19, Skaftfell has postponed its already scheduled Wanderlust residency with international artists until 2021, and is instead inviting a new group of Iceland-based artists to join us for Wanderlust in August this year.
Application deadline is May 31, 2020
About the program:
Referring to Rebecca Solnit’s book Wanderlust, this thematic residency will bring together five artists who wish to consider the notion of wandering as an aesthetic practice. Linking the activities of walking, thinking and art-making, the aim of the residency will be to explore how art can convey one’s experience of place. The roads, paths, and valleys of Seyðisfjörður will provide participants with the arena to move and think about notions of space, time, memory and the subjectivity of human perception. With each passing day, the artists will reflect upon their own engagement with this remote environment as it becomes more familiar, and consider the nature of their interactions as artists-in-residence within the Icelandic landscape. Through a number of group walks and hikes around the mountains and valleys of Seyðisfjörður, conversations, workshops, and fieldwork, the participants will develop their sensitivities to place, and share their responses through artistic expression. The program focuses on process and research, rather than on finished production. Working languages will be English and Icelandic.
Skaftfell’s thematic residencies aim to create platforms for exchange, discussion, and collaboration amongst fellow artists from various disciplines, who share a professional interest in the residency’s topic, both on a practical and a conceptual level, and who wish to deepen their knowledge and expertise. They are developed and led by experienced professional artists invited by Skaftfell.
The Wanderlust program is guided by Jessica Auer, visual artist and photography professor from Montreal, Canada. Following two residency stays with Skaftfell Center for Visual Art, she relocated to Seyðisfjörður to co-direct Ströndin Studio, an educational and experimental center for photography. Her work is broadly concerned with the study of landscapes as cultural sites, focusing on themes that connect history, place, journey and cultural experience.
The residency fee to be paid by the artist is 150,000 ISK, which includes the 3-week Wanderlust program, shared self-catering accommodation (with private rooms), shared work space, WiFi, access to tools and basic art materials, and project related and general support from Skaftfell’s staff.
Artists will need to bring a good pair of hiking boots, waterproof clothing, a backpack for day hikes, and basic art materials and equipment relevant to their own practices. Please note that a good level of physical fitness, and a certain resilience to wind and rain are essential for participating in this residency.
How to apply:
Please send your application to residency@old.skaftfell.is, including:
- your full name, address, and phone number
- a short artist CV
- a link to your website and/or a pdf of your portfolio
- a short artist statement regarding your work in general
- a short statement of why you would like to join Wanderlust, and what your expectations of the program are
We will notify applicants about the outcome by June 15. Successful applicants will be offered a place on the program. Upon acceptance of the place, a reservation fee is required in advance to reserve the residency slot. The reservation fee counts towards the total residency fee. It is not refundable in case of cancelation, unless Skaftfell itself has to cancel the program.
For further information please contact us at residency@old.skaftfell.is.