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MERZ artist residency, UK
MERZ artist residency
MERZ artist residency
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Description
MERZ was founded to extend the innovative legacies of Kurt Schwitters and Hannah Höch, to develop ideas of reconstruction and fabrication while addressing climate change and sustainability from within a post-industrial, rural setting.
The MERZ residency buildings are all self-contained with showers and kitchen facilities, converted for cultural purpose their a once commercial past. The Bothy building opened in October 2017 with Tadpole completed in July 2021. Both ideal for single occupancy. In addition, MERZ has a traditional cottage offering two bedrooms and a studio, ideal for a small working-group. Bothy benefits from solar panels and air source heating/cooling. Tadpole and no 5 are heated with wood-burning stoves.
Sanquhar is a small quiet Scottish town in the beautiful Nith valley, an area revered by Robert Burns and many contemporary Nith Poets. As well as becoming a cultural centre for international and contemporary art and story-telling, Sanquhar is a focus for walking - a mid point in the Southern Upland Way. MERZ has a railway station connecting to Glasgow in the north and Dumfries in the south. MERZ coordinates two Sanquhar Arts Festivals each year while in August the town hosts the traditional ten-day celebration on horse-back of the Riding of the Marches.
The MERZ residency program provides two gallery spaces and a variety of workshops/studios. Working alongside Summerhall TV, MERZ offers professional support to document residencies, with clips for circulation on social media or TV. These films feature on their well-established TV sites. The MERZ Museum of Model Art (MoMA) supports residencies as a workshop and with exhibitions by artists who make models, architects and those making puppet theatre. MoMA is the focus of the two annual month-long Stained Glass Courses.
Artists and writers stay at MERZ from two weeks to several months. Following Kurt Schwitters refugee and nomadic status MERZ is interested in work that has social and environmental purpose, in extending the motion of collage to recycle and reinvent.
Outcome
Exhibition and Film (if required). Opportunities to work with local children.
Accommodation Information
All the residency accommodation is self-contained, equipped with double beds, shower rooms and kitchen facilities. The Bothy residency building is a unique 1830s converted stone-built building adjacent to the workshop and gallery overlooking a small wood. The Tadpole residence is converted from a small brick-built industrial building from the 1890s adjacent to their Museum. No 5 is a cosy two-three bedroom house with kitchen and studio on ground floor, located opposite the Museum of Model Art. In addition, the Snug residency is a self-contained fully-equipped mini-flat reserved for teaching staff within the MERZ flat overlooking the Museum.
For further details and photographs go to their website.
The program focuses on art and writing acknowledging climate change and the repurposing of materials and buildings. They have an ongoing residency program with 'architects' in which artists contribute radical solutions to micro-housing and off-grid buildings,
Studio Information
When not in use as gallery and museum MERZ and MoMA provide additional studio/workshop space alongside the dedicated ZIP studio, wood workshop and 'messy' workshop.
Technical Information
WiFi and computers available on-site in both residency and workshop/studio accommodations.