Attention Artists: Project “Riverscapes IN FLUX”

Riverscapes in Ecological Change – An Art Project in Southeast Asia.
Deadline for submitting ideas: 04 Oct 2011

From Goethe Institut:
Artists from all Southeast Asian countries who believe the theme riverscapes in transition to be relevant are invited to join the project “Riverscapes IN FLUX”. The call for ideas is open until 04 October 2011 (see details below). A jury of art experts and curators from several Southeast Asian countries will chose the most interesting projects. The selected artists will receive a grant for their project that covers the costs for the production of the art work, for travel and accommodation during the residency as well as an honorarium. The duration of the project ranges over one year starting in October 2011 and ending presumably in October 2012 with the last station of the exhibition tour. The main production phase for the artists will be however in November and December 2011.

A team of curators accompanies the artists during the project, gives critical opinion and structures the results for the exhibition. The artists of one country can work individually or as a group. Within the theme of riverscapes in transition, every artist is free to choose his approach: ecological, social, political, cultural and other aspects of the transition process can be in the focus of the artistic reflection. Requirement for the participating artists is to get physical at, on or in the river during the working phase (short-term residency). The river that is the object of the art project does not need to be necessarily the largest river system but can also be another key river of the country.

The artists will work on three parallel tracks. At the end, the different art works will be grouped into one exhibition that tours around the participating countries.

Theme outline:
Southeast Asia is marked by big riverscapes like no other place in the world. These riverscapes resemble life lines and roads which have developed into economic zones and vital ecosystems. These waterways secure food production and energy supply for the local population.

The floods can be a blessing but at other times a curse. The extreme fluctuation between flooding and water scarcities are a result of climate change which destroys the habitat along riverscapes and thus, the existence of millions of people. Furthermore, climate change and the resulting disasters also ruin the social as well as political stability of the concerned countries.

The threat of the riverscapes has become an important issue for the development. National governments have initiated several programs to counter theses issues. However, ecological problems are still far from being a topic of public discussions. More than often environment problems are not exposed by media, except for issues already solved or nearly solved by the government.

The project “Riverscapes IN FLUX” seeks a discourse on this ecological key issue in a new context. It is also a call for a cultural debate. The aim of this project is to create an art form drawing further attention to the ecological, socio-political and cultural consequences resulting by climate change.
Three parallel tracks of the project:
Track 1: Photo Blog
Within the two month preparation phase in November/December the photographer deals on a visual basis with the theme riverscapes in transition. Ideally it should be a photographer who is well versed in this topic because of his home or workplace.

The blog opens: Over two months the artists show their photos on this blog, which sparks a discussion: One photo responds to another photo (in a dialogue manner). There is also a comment box for verbal questions and answers but its use is not obligatory. The photos should be self-explanatory and stimulate a dialogue. The curator can moderate and stimulate the blog for example by entering texts (headlines, facts…) or images from other sources.

After two months the blog closes. The images will be printed for an exhibition and presented together with the material from the curator. The website acts as a virtual photo gallery and it will be complemented by sound tracks (created in the second track).

Track 2: Soundtrack – Message in a bottle
During the two months November/December 2011 the sound artist works for a certain time – maybe in cooperation with the photographer- along the river. He records the sounds created along the river and by the stream itself. The sound artist edits the sound, abstracts and interweaves the sound of the river with electronic sounds. This project should result in an acoustic “message in a bottle”. The sounds will be part of the exhibition; some of them will be uploaded on the website together with the images.

Track 3: Installations and Video Art
On the third track, artists are reflecting the theme “Riverscapes IN FLUX” in the form of an installation or a video. The only practical condition for the installation is that it can be transported.

During the production phase, the curators stay in more or less intense exchange with the artists. There will be one or two curators per country. The team of curators is developing the concept of the exhibition on the basis of the artistic input. The exhibition consisting of photographs, sound compositions, installations and videos will be touring through the participating countries, where it can be an inspiration for further activities and events. The project will be documented through the website and a catalogue. The opening of the exhibition is scheduled for April 2012 in Hanoi Vietnam, afterwards it will be on tour until presumably October 2012.

Schedule:
04 October 2011: Deadline for submission of the project proposals.
15 October 2011: Announcement of the selected artists.
1 November – 31 December 2011: Main production phase, including a short-term residency by the river.
31 January 2012: Submission of the first working phase for the installations (outlines of the art work) to be finalized subsequently. Deadline for finalizing and submitting of the photographs and the sound works. Preparation of the presentation phase 1: Photo-Blog
1 February – 31 March 2012: approx. 2 month blogging phase: Photo-Blog (IN FLUX -Blog), facilitated by one curator.
Parallel: January until 31 March 2012: Preparation of presentation phase 2: conditioning of the artistic outcome, composition of the exhibition, composition of the catalogue.
April 2012: Opening of the exhibition Riverscapes IN FLUX“ in Hanoi, Vietnam.
May until October 2012: Afterwards the exhibition will be shown for 2 weeks at a time in Saigon, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Jakarta and Manila. In each of the participating countries a program of accompanying events like a film series concerning the climate change, concerts, lectures, performances or activities with teenagers will be organized.

Submission Guidelines:
1) Eligible applicants are artists who are based in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia or the Philippines.
2) The attached application form must be filled out and signed with acknowledgment that the submission guidelines have been read and understood.
3) Eligible entries must include the application form, a portfolio of past work  (pdf or URL to your website/s) as well as a detailed description of the intended art work and its production process for Riverscapes IN FLUX. The project description of approximately 500 words in English or in national language should include images (design drawings, photographs) if necessary to understand the character of the project. It has to be accompanied by a detailed and precise calculation of the production costs in USD including traveling and accommodation costs for the short-term residency.
4) Submission deadline for the entry materials is October 04, 2011.
5) Please send the entries as attached pdf by e-mail to the Goethe-Institut Hanoi: [email protected]
6) The artists are selected by an international judging panel of art professionals. All applicants will be informed on October 15, 2011 by e-mail.
7) The selected artists receive a grant for their project that covers the costs for the production of the art work, for travel and accommodation during the short-term residency as well as an honorarium of 1.000 USD.The grant is paid out 50% in advance and 50% on delivery of the art work.
8) Deadline for the finalizing and submitting of the photographs and of the sound works is 31 January 2012. For the installations individual arrangements with the artists will be made for February/March 2012.

Contacts:
Project coordinators:
Dr. Almuth Meyer-Zollitsch    (Mrs.)                          Huynh Thi Thu Huong  (Mrs.)
Director of Goethe-Institute Vietnam                        Cultural officer Goethe-Institute Vietnam
[email protected]  [email protected]
Tel.: +84 4 3734 2251                                               Tel.: +84 4 3734 2251                                                                                                          56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hanoi, Vietnam

• Vietnam:

Tran Luong (Mr.), Hanoi. Visual Artist, Curator.
[email protected]

• Cambodia:

Erin Gleeson (Ms.), Phnom Penh;
artist and curator, co-founder and director of the gallery Sa Sa Bassac www.sasabassac.com
[email protected]; [email protected]

• Indonesia

Ade Darmawan (Mr.), Jakarta
visual artist, curator, co-founder and  co-director of the  OK.Video Festival – Jakarta international video festival : http://okvideofestival.org/
co-founder and director of ruangrupa Jakarta: http://www.ruangrupa.org
email: [email protected]

• Philippines

Claro Ramirez (Mr.), Manila, artist and curator: http://www.transculturalexchange.org/tileproject/artistpages/ramirez/default.htm
[email protected]

• Thailand

Apisak Sonjod (Mr.), curator and Managing Director of TADU Contemporary Art Gallery, 2007 curator of the Thai Pavilion at the 52nd Venice Biennale
http://bk.asia-city.com/events/article/curator-apisak-sonjod
[email protected]

You can download the application form here: Riverscapes _Application_EN.doc