THIS CALL IS NOW CLOSED.
Skaftfell is inviting applications to participate in the thematic residency „Wanderlust“, which will be taking place June 8-30, 2020.
Application deadline: October 31, 2019
Referring to Rebecca Solnit’s book Wanderlust, this thematic residency will bring together seven 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 Seydisfjördur 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 foreign and 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 Wanderlust residency focuses on process and research, rather than on finished production. It will conclude with an informal presentation of work-in-progress.
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 the Wanderlust residency.
The residency will be guided for the second time by Jessica Auer, visual artist and photography professor from Montreal, Canada. Following two residency stays with Skaftfell Center for Visual Art, she relocated to Seydisfjördur 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.
Dates of the residency: June 8–30, 2020.
Accommodation and working spaces: Artists participating in the Wanderlust residency stay in three historical houses throughout the town, all within short walking distance to Skaftfell and to each other. The houses are set up as shared self-catering accommodation, each including private bedrooms, a combined living and working space, shared bathroom and kitchen, working tables, washing machine, and WiFi. Shared working spaces with individual working desks for all participants will be set up at Ströndin Studio, which is located at the edge of town and can be reached in a 15-20 min walk.
Costs for the artist: Residency fee, travel costs, and meals will be paid by the artist. The residency fee is 160,000 ISK. It includes the Wanderlust program, shared self-catering accommodation, access to shared working spaces and basic equipment, and general and PR support from Skaftfell’s staff.
Travel: Residency artists are responsible for making their own travel arrangements to Seyðisfjörður. Travel information can be found here.
Application: Please submit your application with the required attachments using our online application form (click on the application form link below). The deadline is October 31, 2019.
Required attachments:
- Research proposal for the thematic residency (max. 750 words);
- Portfolio of 10-15 images, showing previous projects/works that are especially relevant to your proposal and aims for the residency;
- CV/resume.
Evaluation: The applications will be reviewed by an external panel of art professionals, appointed by Skaftfell. Only complete applications will be reviewed. Results will be announced by November 25, 2019. The main evaluation criteria are:
- the originality and artistic quality of the applicant’s practice and the research proposal;
- the practical feasibility of the applicant’s research proposal within Skaftfell’s local context and within the residency’s framework;
- the applicant’s ability to participate in the full program of the residency;
- evidence of the applicant’s ability to work independently and in a group context on a professional level.
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 paying the total residency fee. It is however not refundable in case of cancellation.
For further information please contact residency@old.skaftfell.is
Photo: Ströndin Studio