13 Jun 2019

OpenCall for emerging curators - Art Space Pythagorion, Samos, Greece

Apply now for this year's curatorial residency, supported by the Schwarz Foundation at the Art Space Pythagorion on Samos, Greece.
An opportunity for emerging curators to gain experience in the day-to-day running of the upcoming exhibition.

Residents are offered full accommodation in the Art Space, where the Foundation's exhibitions take place, creating a vibrant living and working community. Residents will actively interact with the curatorial team and the artists during the installation of the exhibition. They will be provided an extensive briefing on the exhibition concept, curatorial practices adopted and the artists' intentions. At the start of the program, residents assist with the organisation of the opening and public program activities. Responsibilities include: distributing promotional materials, approaching local community members to publicize the show, assisting artists as they prepare for installing or realising their works, giving guided tours of the exhibition to visitors and aiding with mediation. Once the exhibition is running, residents are in charge of the mediation of the exhibition, taking care of the operation of the space and being the public face of the exhibition.

This year's exhibition '13,700,000 km3' takes as its cue the symbolic location of the Art Space Pythagorion and particularly the view from the main window of the exhibition space onto the Mediterranean Sea. This sea, like all others, is not neutral though its calm waters – as seen from this 'room with a view' seems to suggest otherwise. Just 1.2 km away lies Turkey. In 2015 Samos was one of the islands that bore the brunt of the refugee crisis. These are the edges of Europe and the crossroads between three continents, which makes them highly contested in terms of geopolitics. This life-sustaining liquid expanse, and others beyond its basin, is at the cornerstone of environmental, social, economic and geo-political shifts and key questions of today, which transcend its geographic limitations. From borders, national sovereignty, competing economic interests and extractionism, to migration, tourism and environmentalism, the exhibition will look into the politics of the sea and some of the major challenges affecting it. The depths of the sea are the last frontier within human reach, and as such are increasingly vulnerable to human exploitation. Starting by focusing on the local and the regional maritime politics, and expanding to the national and international, it will consider how human activity and human interests impact upon the delicate balance of our planet's ecosystem, and their repercussions, with the island of Samos and the Mediterranean at the epicenter, but also beyond.

*The title refers to the volume of the Mediterranean Sea in cubic kilometers

The curatorial residency is open to curators who have up to 3 years of professional experience in the field.

Time Period: July 31 – October 20
OPTION 1 - Full time: July 31 – September 30
OPTION 2 - Full time + Educational Program: July 30 – October 20

To apply, please send a motivation letter and a biography to Adelheid von Soden: info@schwarzfoundation.com

Application Deadline: 20th June 2019