ArtsIceland Residency

ArtsIceland offers visual artists to participate in a group residency which is part of a bigger project called CARBON/KOLVETNI – the science of art / the art of science. The residency will take place in May 2024. ArtsIceland collaborates with Dr. Catherine Chambers, research manager at the University Center of the Westfjords and the community of scientists based in the Westfjord region of Iceland on this project.

Eligible to apply are artists from all European countries. 9 Outermost Regions: Azores (Portugal), Canary Islands (Spain), French Guiana (France), Guadeloupe (France), Madeira (Portugal), Martinique (France), Mayotte (France), Reunion Island (France), and Saint-Martin (France). And 13 Overseas Countries and Territories: Aruba (The Netherlands), Bonaire (The Netherlands), Curaçao (The Netherlands), French Polynesia (FR), French Southern and Antarctic Territories (France), Greenland (Denmark), New Caledonia (France), Saba (The Netherlands), Saint Barthelemy
(France), Sint Eustatius (The Netherlands), Sint Maarten (The Netherlands), St. Pierre and Miquelon (France), and Wallis and Futuna Islands (France).

ArtsIceland encourages and facilitates an open-ended approach to the artistic process by seeking opportunities to help artists create works that have significant cultural impact.

Duration of residency
The residency is for the full month of May 2024.

Application deadline
17th of March 2024.

Accommodation
We offer five residencies for visual artists with a private room and a shared studio space. Bathroom and kitchen facilities are shared. Two rooms are in the center of town and three rooms are in a separate building 20 min. walk away from the center. Bicycles are available. Disciplines, work equipment and assistance

The idea: Pair visiting artists with a local scientist. The scientist shares their latest report/manuscript. The artist creates a work („Carbon copy“, see philosophy below) in their chosen medium that reflects the themes and research of the scientist’s work. Results presented through social media, seminars, publications, pod-casts and an exhibition with artists and scientists celebrating science/art: copies, originals, and everything in between. Experimental phases of the
project took place during Covid lockdown in 2020 where local artists were paired with local scientists. Through this experience we proved that the idea works, and considerable interest from artists, scientists, and the general public. Ísafjörður has shown to be a good location for such activities, and as the next step we would like to bring visiting international artists to work with local scientists to enable more connections for learning and exploration.

The philosophy: Carbon is the basic element of life and comes in many forms: from hard diamonds to soft graphite. Forever and fleeting, abundant and rare – carbon encompasses a certain totality of life (and death). This common element forms the basis for comparison, conversation, creation. Carbon is both what we are made of and what we make. Carbon is the pencil scientists use to take field notes; carbon is the fibers artists weave together. Therefore, rather than a dichotomous duo, we view the science/art complex as complementary expressions of each other: objectivity, emotion, order, chaos, all in one. We provide visiting artists to be grounded in a place and within a project, but also for considerable explorative freedom to co-create with each other and with a local scientist, creating new connections. The transformative value of this experience rests in the idea of challenging the classic dichotomy of art /science – both for the artists and scientists - also for the public.

Fees and support
Generally artists pay a moderate fee for their stay at the residency. The residency fee covers your accommodation and studio space. All other costs are the responsibility of the artist. It is good to budget with a minimum of 80 – 95 euros per week for food. We gladly assist artists applying for funding by providing a letter of support.

For the CARBON/KOLVETNI group residency in May 2024 ArtsIceland has received some funding from CULTURE MOVES EUROPE (announced on March 5 2024). Artists selected to take part in the project will receive travel allowance of roughly 700€ (amount will be adapted according to distance travelled and means of transportation) and a lump-sum to cover accommodation, food and local transportation.

Expectations towards the artist
Artists will be paired with a local scientist to collaborate on a chosen subject within the scientist's research area. Four weeks prior to the residency artist will be given a list of 2-3 scientists to choose from. During the residency the two mentors of the project (Dr. Catherine Chambers of uw.is and Elísabet Gunnarsdóttir of ArtsIceland) will meet with the group and individuals on a regular basis and assist with the process.

When artists arrive in Ísafjörður the first general meeting will be held with all participants to give out some introductions and general orientation. Two meetings a week will be offered with the mentors during the residency period. The mentors assist the group (the pairs) and give regular feedback on the process. Presentations and an exhibition will be organised towards the end of the residency. The two mentors and the residency coordinator will gather photos, texts and links about the project and make it accessible to all participants.

Application information
In order to complete your application form, please send us the following in an additional email to [email protected]
A – Full name and profession
B – Motivation letter (max 300 words)
C – Your CV (pdf-format, max. two A4 pages)
D – 3-5 samples of work (texts, images, sound samples or videos), including a brief description of each work (max. 100 words each)
Please keep it in one PDF and mark it with your name (example: Carbon/kolvetni_lastname_application.pdf)