22 May 2015

Call for Applications: UNIDEE – University of Ideas at Cittadellarte – Fondazione Pistoletto

Residency timetable:
2 months preferably during Fall 2015, or during the year 2016


I. ABOUT UNIDEE - University of Ideas

UNIDEE - University of Ideas (www.cittadellarte.it/unidee) is a multifaceted educational platform founded in the nineties by Pistoletto, investigating the relationship between art and the social. After nearly two decades focussed on medium term educational residencies Unidee developes in 2015 a new programme of weekly residential modules based on interdisciplinary research, knowledge sharing and experience exchange, alongside a series of artists' residency projects.

This year's programme, developed by Cecilia Guida in collaboration with Juan Esteban Sandoval, within the general direction by Cittadellarte's director Paolo Naldini, kicked off on 04.05.2015, and focuses on three broad concepts: temporality, responsibility, participation, encompassing art history, activism, commons, politics, territorial transformation, museology, visual narratives, social imagery, relational systems, rituals, social cooking, urban space (etc.). The programme for 2016, to be announced in the Fall, will focus on three other themes.

The structure of UNIDEE - University of Ideas is articulated through four types of activities investigating the relationship between art and the social:

I. Weekly residential modules taking place at Cittadellarte, open to professionals as well as the general public, held by mentors,experts on the three broad thematic areas (temporality, responsibility, participation) chosen for 2015's programme and examined in depth from artistic, historical, geographical, philosophical, political, economic, anthropological, sociological, mediological, juridical, architectural points of view. Modules are intended as high intensity rapid retreats for localized practitioners who feel they might benefit from a few days step back form their practice in order to devote themselves to overall rethinking or to addressing specific issues in a stimulating environment, with other practitioners and professionals form various also unrelated contexts. Modules are coordinated each by a different expert in the frame of Cittadellarte's and specifically Unidee's research frame

II. Seminar modules taking place at Cittadellarte and/or at external partner centres

III. Residency programmes for international artists at Cittadellarte

IV. Connective Residency at Cittadellarte.


II. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

You are eligible to apply if (all conditions below must be met):
- you are a creative professional (visual artist, designer, architect, curator, writer, etc., ...) active in any field anywhere in the world, born after 1970;
- you have a fluent knowledge of the English language;
- you submit all the required documentation as part of your application in the correct format and by the given deadline.


III. ABOUT THE RESIDENCY

Fall 2015 is going to be a particularly stimulating season at Cittadellarte, with the seasonal international residents and the weekly residential modules participants and mentors. In the Fall, the art scene in the Piedmont region is particularly buzzing, with the art fair Artissima and its collateral events taking place in Turin.
If selected, you will be in residence together with other four international artists coming from India (thanks to a joint grant UNIDEE + Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation), Palestine (thanks to a joint grant UNIDEE + A. M. Qattan Foundation), Egypt (thanks to an exchange with Townhouse Gallery via the Resò network) and Colombia (thanks to an exchange with Lugar a dudas via the Resò network).

Also, every week a different group of practitioners from the world over will convene to Unidee's weekly modules.

Please note that this residency at Cittadellarte is unfunded. UNIDEE – University of Ideas will be at hand to assist you with your funding applications.

The programme fee for 2015 is set at € 6.000 for two months, and € 3.000 for any additional month. In addition, the applicant needs to account for living, travel and health insurance costs for the duration of his/ her stay in Biella.

The programme fee includes:

- Accommodation (single room in an apartment shared with other international residents)
- Use of a shared studio space
- Use of shared workshop facilities and AV equipment
- Medical Insurance (accidents only)
- Residency coordination
- Tailored national and international experts' visits, networking sessions, institutional visits and travel within Northern Italy (especially Turin, Milan and Venice)
- Small budget for project production & communication, translations
- Attendance to 2 weekly modules chosen by the selected applicant (see the full programme here www.cittadellarte.it/unidee/activities.html)


IV. TIMELINE

The application period for the general unfunded A.I.R. open call for 2015/16 starts on 18.05.2015. The deadline for submitting applications is 30.06.2015.

The UNIDEE – University of Ideas committee will operate the selection. The selection is based on artistic merit and the consistency of artistic practice with the aims of Unidee programme.

Final results will be published on the UNIDEE - University of Ideas' website, as well as on the partner organisations' social media pages by July 30th, 2015. Please note that only invited artists will be contacted in person when the selection process is over.


V. HOW TO APPLY

Digital applications only – please download the application form and full application guidelines here: www.cittadellarte.it/unidee/opencallpartners.html.



UNIDEE - University of Ideas
Cittadellarte - Fondazione Pistoletto Onlus
Via G. B. Serralunga 27
13900 Biella
ITALY

www.cittadellarte.it/unidee
(www.facebook.com/unideeuniversityofideas)
(twitter.com/Unidee2015)
contact: unidee@cittadellarte.it
Programme Director and Curator: Cecilia Guida
Programme Coordinator: Elisa Tosoni
Assistant to the Director: Giulia Crisci