25 May 2015

Open Call: artist residency in Bucharest, Romania for artists from Nordic and Baltic region

The Romanian Association of Contemporary Art (ARAC) in Bucharest, RO is offering a residency opportunity for two selected artists from the Nordic countries - Denmark, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the Baltic countries - Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
'Plantelor 58 Artist Residency' aims to introduce two artists from the donor countries to the Romanian cultural environment. The selected artists will be encouraged to take as much inspiration as possible from the local context.
The residency is an initiative of gallerist Anca Poterasu – president of ARAC, the artists will be working closely with curator Anca Verona Mihuleţ (RO) and ARAC's team, in order to meet local artists and curators.
The two successful candidates will reside and exhibit in Bucharest within two time-frames: August-September, 2015, and October-November, 2015.
The two selected artists are encouraged to experiment and produce new works based on the concepts and directions discussed with the curator. At the end of the residency period, each of the two selected artists will be displaying her/ his works in an exhibition. The material and financial support for artistic production is limited, but available.
The 'Plantelor 58 Artist Residency' benefits from a €14000 grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants. The aim of the project is to offer the possibility for the artists to engage in an active dialogue and to understand the strengths and vulnerabilities of the European cultural system, as well as to establish long-term collaborations with cultural agents.
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TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Eligibility:
The residency is opened to artists of all ages, working in all mediums of expression, residing in the Nordic countries - Denmark, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the Baltic countries - Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The selection committee – a panel of contemporary art specialists - will review the applications and select the two artists in one session.
The two successful candidates are supposed to reside and work in Bucharest for four weeks each, in two separate periods. At the end of each residency period, each artist is expected to organize an exhibition at the venue, with the newly produced works.
The first residency will take place between August – September, 2015.
The resulting exhibition will take place from the end of September through October, 2015.
The second residency will take place between October – November, 2015.
The second resulting exhibition will take place in from the end of November 2015 through December, 2015.
The applicants should be able to speak English fluently and should be flexible in interacting and engaging in an honest communication with the local community.

Form of support:
The residency will take place in Bucharest, at the newly renovated spaces of ARAC, situated on 58, Plantelor Street. The residency spaces are located in the premises of a 19th century inn, in an Oriental area of Romania's capital-city. The local spirit has been kept alive in this vibrant neighborhood, where one can experience the many layers and parallel histories of Bucharest.
The two selected artists are encouraged to take as much inspiration as possible from the local context.
The team members and staff of ARAC will closely assist and work together with the selected artists all throughout the residency period.
For each of the successful candidates, based on a contract, the organizer will cover:
- travel fees (meaning return airfare from the country of origin to Romania);
- private accommodation;
- a studio with internet connection;
- the artist will receive 27 EUR per day, during the whole residency period that should cover living costs;
- 300 euro budget for work of art production is available for each residency period.
The travel insurance and medical insurance are part of the responsibility of the selected artists.

How to apply:
In order to successfully apply for the Plantelor58 Artist Residency in Bucharest, the applicants should provide the following documents in English:
- updated resume/ CV
- comprehensive portfolio (A4, PDF format, not more than 10 Mb; video works or documentation in AVI, WMV or QuickTime format should be up to 500mb in total). For a more fluent sending procedure, we recommend that you use free transfer services like Dropbox or we.transfer.
- project-proposal containing your directions of work during the residency period in Romania.
All materials should be sent to: office@arac.ro
The deadline for the application is: June, 20th 2015, hours 24.00. No entry submitted after this date will be considered.
The successful applicants will be announced the latest by July, 6th 2015.
For inquiries regarding the program, please contact us at the e-mail address: office@arac.ro
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About Romanian Association of Contemporary Art – ARAC:
ARAC is a noprofit organization founded in June 2012, in order to produce and promote Romanian contemporary art in Romania and abroad.
The initiative of PLANTELOR 58 Artistic Residency as a meaning for cultural exchange between various European regions belongs to Anca Poterasu, gallerist and ARAC President.
The team of ARAC engages in stimulating and supporting contemporary artists by attracting funds in order to ensure financial resources – as part of ARAC's mission statement.
An important objective of ARAC is to facilitate cultural exchanges with artistic environments from other countries participating in festivals, fairs or any event that relates to contemporary art.
www.arac.ro

EEA GRANTS
Through the EEA Grants, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway contribute to reducing social and economic disparities and to strengthening bilateral relations with the beneficiary countries in Europe. The three countries cooperate closely with the EU through the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA).
For the period 2009-14, the EEA Grants and Norway Grants amount to €1.79 billion. Norway contributes around 97% of the total funding. Grants are available for NGOs, research and academic institutions, and the public and private sectors in the 12 newest EU member states, Greece, Portugal and Spain. There is broad cooperation with donor state entities, and activities may be implemented until 2016.
Key areas of support are environmental protection and climate change, research and scholarships, civil society, health and children, gender equality, justice and cultural heritage.
Website: www.eeagrants.ro