
Cairo Residency Symposium
How to develop honest reciprocity? That was the implicit main question during the Cairo Residency Symposium in March 2009. Three days 86 representatives of the artist-in-residence sector from the Middle East, Africa and Europe gathered in the Townhouse Gallery in Downtown Cairo.
The symposium was organized by Townhouse Gallery and the Netherlands Foundation for Visual Art, Design & Architecture (ex. Fonds BKVB).
TransArtists was happy to participate. Erik Hagoort reports his impressions of the main topics and highlights. Photos of the symposium are by Kaldasian Arts Photography.
Pursuit of Reciprocity
Reciprocity can easily turn into a slogan, covering up differences and limiting its meaning to an exchange of the same. During the symposium however there was a genuine pursuit of reciprocity, trying to acknowledge differences in relations.
No obligations: no commitment?
'Residencies tied to exhibitions and production' raise questions about the reasons for demanding tangible results: commitment, money, networking?
No obligations: no commitment?
Pressure Cooker versus Roaming About
Short-term Residencies: Cultural tourist or resident artist? About that question a lively debate took place. A clear distinction appeared between those in favor of the pressure cooker intensity of short-term residencies and those who praised the possibility of long-term residencies to dwell and roam about, to let experiences sink in.
Pressure Cooker versus Roaming About
Download the TransArtists report by Erik Hagoort here: