East Call Curatorial Residency

The East Call Curatorial Residency offers a unique opportunity for emerging curators to gain a comprehensive insight into the Hungarian contemporary art scene by examining its characteristics and understanding them in a broader, regional context.

East Call is an intensive 2-week program that focuses on the status and practice of artists, contemporary curatorial conditions, institutional situations and the understanding of issues affecting contemporary art, with a focus on the roles and responsibilities of curators as mediators between audiences and artists, and researchers as theoretical transmitters of knowledge, interpretation and contextualization.

East Call aims to foster dialogue on curation issues and interrogate what constitutes “the curatorial” in the Central Eastern European region. The East Call program focuses on open, horizontal and conversation-based transfers of knowledge and experience.

The program is designed for emerging curators and curators to be still involved in their studies and expect to work in the field of contemporary art. It intends to introduce participants to current and relevant practices as well as to the mechanisms of curating in relation to exhibitions, institutions, audiences, aesthetics and cultural political discourse.

Throughout the two-week program, participants intensively expand their professional knowledge and practice by conducting in-depth investigations of contemporary exhibitions, getting introduced to case studies of leading curators and their engagements, taking part in curatorial workshops, visiting artist’s studios, and exchanging, discussing with each other during the meetings. By sharing the experiential and theoretical best practices of leading contemporary art museums, and galleries, the program offers a unique chance for the participants to develop project ideas, conduct research of their particular interests, enrich connections and networks internationally as well as elaborate discussions with contemporary art professionals active in Budapest and Veszprém.

Participation fee: 1200 EUROS

The fee includes using office facilities, participation in workshops, guest lectures, entry fees for museums and special events, public transport in Budapest, inland transport for provincial venues and transport to/from Veszprém.

​Please send a letter of intent and cv to: [email protected]

Application deadline: 16 April 2023.

Selection process: 17 April 2023.

For additional information, please contact them at: [email protected]

UNIQUE STRUCTURE AND STAKES

​Since 2019, Easttopics organizes curatorial residency programs that are among the first ones to focus on the contemporary art scene of the Central Eastern European region. Our curatorial residency programs offer a unique opportunity for emerging curators to gain a comprehensive insight in the CEE contemporary art scene by examining its characteristics and understanding them in a broader, regional context.

Program structure and values:

unfolding as a 2 week intensive program
providing access to a strong network of diverse, visionary and agile practitioners in the field of exhibition making and institution building, shaped by our alumni and advisors
offering the opportunity for highly-motivated individuals from distinct social and cultural contexts to come together, collaborate and find ways to learn from each other and from leaders in their chosen field
before, during and after the residency, we pay special attention to ensure that the selected residents would have an increased visibility on our social media platforms, become active participants in our future projects, and provide space to promote their individual activities
allowing participants to intensively expand their professional knowledge and practice by conducting in-depth investigations of contemporary exhibitions
comprising self-reflexive discussions and debates examining how the residencies can help young curators to develop in a professional way
getting introduced to case studies of leading curators and their engagements,
taking part in curatorial workshops
visiting artist’s studio, and exchanging, discussing with each other during their stay
sharing the experimental and theoretical best practices of leading contemporary art museums, galleries and research centres
offering to the participants a unique chance to develop project ideas, conduct research of their particular interests, enrich connections and networks internationally as well as elaborate discussions with contemporary art professionals active in CEE
Core topics:

Contemporary art scene and its player in Budapest and other CEE countries
Emerging and established contemporary curatorial practices and the issues, topics they address
Cultural, historical and political background allowing a better understanding of contemporary issues addressed by art
The region’s art market and collecting practices
Networking with artists, curators, art critics and directors
Whom is this program designed for?

Emerging curators who, engaging with art and contemporary culture, wish to take up the challenge of contemporary curating as an artistic, social and critical commitment
Applicants with a study background in any of the following areas of contemporary art: curatorial studies, theory and philosophy of art, art history, art management and art production, visual arts, fine arts, as well as university graduates in the cultural studies field
Candidates who have acquired curatorial skills through practical experience in a public institution, a commercial gallery or independently