Art course finds guest studio

More and more, guest studios and art courses know how to find each other. Students can work in a guest studio in a different environment, they can work there in a concentrated manner on a project, make use of specific facilities, and build up experience. Also, the guest studios can broaden their function through collaboration with academies and high schools.

It works. In several ways. But how, exactly?

Lokaal 01

Collaborations with art courses is a permanent component of the programme of Lokaal 01. This programme is compiled on the basis of creation of space for experiment and research where it is possible, in particular for young artists, to build up experience in the development and presentation of their work within a professional organization. Programme co-ordinator Frederik Vergaert tells how every year nine work periods find place within the project space in Antwerp of which two to three periods are reserved for collaborations with academies. Arrangements are then made with the St. Lucas college and the HISK-Antwerp, St. Joost and the Avans Hogeschool-Breda and Den Bosch. Lokaal also receives an artist from the Royal College in London every year. Artists, national and international, and final year art students can submit a project proposal throughout the year based on the space of Lokaal 01, Antwerp.

Lokaal has built up good contacts with the academies over the years. They are regularly asked to give workshops and lectures for students and Lokaal 01 organises the Centrale Academie Ontmoeting (Central Academy Meeting) every year. The CAO is intended for final year students from academies in the Netherlands and Flanders. During this meeting, the work of the students is discussed, along with the career as an artist which awaits them after the academy. Students engage in discussion with other participants, among whom are experienced artists, publicists, curators, and conservationists. The fifth CAO will take place on 22th March at Lokaal 01 in Breda.

As a project space on the border between the Netherlands and Flanders, is there a distinction to be made between Dutch and Flemish art students? You wouldn't expect it due to the short distance, but the differences in mentality between young Dutch and Flemish artists are remarkable. At the same time, there is a lot of interest in the 'other'. They can learn something from each other. Lokaal 01

Kunsthuis SYB

Kunsthuis Syb is a guest studio in the little Frisian village of Beetsterzwaag. The guest studio profiles itself as a podium for the development of young, contemporary art and wishes to offer means and space to talented artists beginning their careers. Maartje Peters, co-ordinator for Kunsthuis Syb: "Therefore the programming commission maintains good contacts with art academies and masters programmes. Kunsthuis Syb strives towards having at least one project in collaboration with an art course in the programme. Furthermore, students and artists can always submit project proposals. The projects with art courses come into being on their initiative, in dialogue with Syb's programming commission. There is no fixed framework for this. Syb feels that it is important for something to develop within the five weeks of the guest studio period within the context of the location. Within these boundaries, much is possible. Sometimes this can be large projects, such as those that often happen in collaboration with art courses, or actually very timid work periods."

In recent years, an unusual project has taken place: Dogtime, the evening course of the Gerrit Rietveld Academie temporarily moved their activities for one month (6th Oct-5th Nov 2006) to Beetsterzwaag in order to develop new work there. Students, artists, and teachers moved too, with public lectures, workshops, and performances. Beetsterzwaag was invited to take part in the creative programme with, amongst others, lectures in modern sculpture (Merijn Bolink), drawing (Jonas Ohlsson), music and movement (Rombout Willems), the making of a kijkradio (looking-radio) broadcast (Marjolein Ruyg), cooking performances (Manel Esparbé Gasca). A closing exhibition was given in collaboration with the designer Maarten Theuwkens.

Kunsthuis SYB