Open Call: In the Steps of Kalo Dant
Artist in residence project open to 2 individual artists or artistic duos in Košice
Dates of the residency: August – September 2021
Deadline for applications: April 12th, 2021
The project, initiated by KAIR Košice Artist in Residence, tranzit.sk and Oto Hudec, and developed in collaboration with ETP Slovakia, connects artists with the local Roma communities with the aim of providing space for mutual inspiration, knowledge sharing, development of trust, creativity and imagination. It offers and puts to the test the empowering capacity of art, with its potential for strengthening the self-image of Roma and widening the horizons of non-Roma through debunking prejudices and stereotypes still present in the mentality of the majority population. The project is named after the main character of a Roma initiatory tale, Kalo Dant, a boy who, driven by the thirsts for knowledge, travels through several worlds.
The selected residency artists are expected to develop a project which involves members of the local Roma communities in a participatory way, the project’s outcome being the result of the creative, collective work of the artist and Roma community members. Košice has the biggest Roma community in Slovakia. Part of this community lives in Luník 9, the biggest Roma neighbourhood (in Central Europe), but other many of them are dispersed throughout the city and the surrounding neighbourhoods. Several community centres exist in the wider Košice area, and some (ETP, Saleziáni, Komunitné centrum MČ L9) are located in Luník 9. Roma from Košice and its surroundings are active in theatre, music, education, literature, politics and social issues. Košice also houses one of very few Roma theatres (considered to be at an international level) with a permanent stage and its own orchestra (Romathan). Close to Košice, in Prešov, is the Documentation and Information Centre of Roma Culture, whose function is to document and provide access to Roma cultural heritage in digital form. According to the concept and needs of the collaborative project, the organizers will facilitate the connection of the resident artist to the respective communities.
The collaboration process might consist of a conceptually defined workshop series, or the participants can vision/execute together an art piece or parts of an art piece, combine these possibilities, or come up with different ways to collaborate. According to the type of the project and possibilities, the organizers will work on distributing it through local and regional channels.
If the budget permits, the selected artist-in-residence will be invited to a short research trip before starting the residency.
The project is designed for two artists working on the site in the same residency period. Collaboration between the two artists is very much desired, at least at the level of communication and experience sharing. If they can jointly collaborate with the local Roma community, this would add value to the project.
The project is designed for artists working at the meeting point of visual arts, performance, theatre and music. Knowledge of the Slovak and/or Czech language is mandatory.
The participant in the open call is kindly requested to provide online:
– A text (max. 5000 characters) including motivation statement and a general description of the project to be realised during the residency period
– A portfolio and a cv or a website link
TO APPLY, PLEASE FILL IN THE ONLINE FORM HERE
What does the residency offer?
– 2 months residency during August – September 2021
– Accommodation: shared apartment with one more residency artist, separate bedrooms
– Working space in the city centre of Košice
– Working space in Lunik IX ensured in cooperation with ETP Slovensko
– Artistic fee for each artist: 700€ per month
– Travel costs for each artist up to 150€
– Production costs up to 700€ per artist
– Guidance: curator and production help
What we expect from the resident artist:
All residency artists should present themselves to the local public at least three times. The formats of the public events will be discussed during the residency with the host organization:
– Open Studios Night to introduce themselves to the local audience.
– One individual presentation or workshop during the residency.
– Final presentation/exhibition at the end of the residency.
Partners
K.A.I.R. Košice Artist in Residence
K.A.I.R. Košice Artist in Residence is an international Artist-in-Residence program for artists from all over the world and from all artistic disciplines and expressions. K.A.I.R. is strongly focused on the creation of international cooperations between Slovak and foreign artists and art organizations. Since 2011, artists have had the possibility to work in the inspiring environment of Košice’s singular cultural surroundings to realize art projects, collaborate with the agile local art scene, and present themselves to the local and national public. K.A.I.R. Košice Artist in Residence also provides opportunities to Slovak artists to travel for residencies within the cooperation with the project partners.
tranzit.sk
tranzit.sk is a contemporary art organisation that has been active in Bratislava since 2002. It is part of tranzit.org, a network of similar initiatives working independently in Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania. tranzit.sk focuses on the social function of art, and topics such as a representation of minorities, collective practices, urban ecologies, alternative education and the conditions of artistic production. Its interdisciplinary program includes exhibitions, lectures, discussions, reading groups, workshops and publications. In 2019 tranzit.sk published the Neviditelné museum / Invisible Museum / Nadikhuno muzeumos book which discusses the relevance of establishing a Museum of Romani Culture in Slovakia.
Oto Hudec
Oto Hudec (1981) is a Slovak multimedia artist. His participative, social and environmental works react to specific places in Portugal, Cape Verde, South Korea, Spain, the USA and Slovakia. Oto Hudec completed his doctoral studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava and teaches at the Faculty of Arts of the Technical University in Košice. He is represented by the Gandy gallery. He has exhibited at Kunsthalle Duesseldorf, Rotor gallery Graz, Vienna Contemporary (2019), tranzit.sk Bratislava (2018), Freiraum 21, Museums Quartier, Vienna (2017), Center Pompidou, Paris, De Appel, Amsterdam, Kunsthalle Bratislava (2016) and also at the Slovak National Gallery (2014). In cooperation with Daniela Krajčová, he founded the Karavan Project in 2013, a documentary and participative art project with Roma communities in Slovakia. In 2012, he was a finalist for the Oscar Čepan Award.
ETP Slovakia
– Centre for Sustainable Development
Its mission is to support regional development, to protect the environment and to help in developing the social, economic, educational and cultural potential of people, organizations and communities with an emphasis on disadvantaged regions, social groups and ethnic minorities. At present, the organization operates in three locations – in Stará Ľubovňa, in Veľká Ida and in Košice. In the community centre in the Luník IX housing estate in Košice, ETP Slovakia has been implementing activities aimed at educating and supporting residents of all ages since 2017. In cooperation with artists and organizations, several participative art projects have taken place – e.g. theatre workshops (DAT / NY 2018, 2020), Art therapy workshops (Karin Andrášiková, 2018), Sculptures of Heroes (Oto Hudec 2018), Logo L9 (Igor Kupec 2018), Workshop for the project Karavan – Wandering Gallery Nomad Space (Daniela Krajčová, Oto Hudec 2019), Puppet Theatre Workshop (Škart Prota 2019), Únik 9 – Escape Game (Igor Kupec, Samuel Velebný 2020). Currently, there is an online collaboration with fashion designer Zuzana Zmateková within the Amenge project.
Contact:
Zuzana Kotiková, KAIR project manager
email: zuzana.kotikova@kair.sk
phone nr.: +421 915 078 489
KAIR residency programme is supported using public funding by Slovak Arts Council. ERSTE Foundation is the main partner of tranzit.
