Hello from Apana, Indonesia.
I just found the time to type my handwritten diary into the laptop:
29. 10. 2011, Berlin
I was asked to direct a workshop at a symposium by NGBK “Artists in Transit”.
Here is a collection of some ideas. First some questions.
Why apply for an artists recidency?
Why going aboad? What does it mean to work abroad, or how does the art production get influenced by working at home, how by working abroad? In the second case, does a shifting of interests, values and the production processes start?
The mobilty specialist
A new global job for artists apears. Big companies hire artists to direct intercultural creativity workshops for their managers. Artists become intercultural experts, also in politics. The mobile artists comes and goes, he is like a swizzel on the fence, at home in many worlds (and foreign gardens),but living on the fence. The mobile artists is a researcher, he / she works interdiciplinary and well connected with others in international research labs / think tanks worldwide.
Giving and taking
Special national and international programms support the international cultural exchange, the applying artist should be really interested in other cultures, in supporting the exchange, for example by also starting projects at home with artists from abroad.
Development of new forms of communication and organisation
Building up international networks of artists and other creatives. Become part of internet networks, Grassroots like slow growing structures of artists and creatives, builting up trust by having respect to each other. Beeing transparent, instead of building up only phantomes and hierarchies.
Networking
Become member of internet groups like Berlinerpool.de and similars, use Facebook etc. Take your time for personal contacts, even if you cannot meet them personaly, over email etc.
Find your perfect recidency
Check, if you fit to their profile, as you fit to theirs. Could your work be relevant for them, for the community there? May they are interesting with their projects to invite them to your home town? Get in contact with them, also to former artists in recidence. First built up personal contacts, then think about applying. And: digital does not replace physical, real personal contacts are allays Nr. 1. Visit them,meet them on conferences and festivals.
Collective or solo
For applying for sponsors, it is allways very helpful to be part of cultural networks and artists collectives. First apply for institutional suporters, than for privat sponsors.
Two worlds
Schloss Salitute, PS 1, or Villa Massimo, all of these are well payed elite locations for international allready well recocnized artists. These places are important for expand your network with important curators, gallerists etc. But i guess, they do not bring you into the lifely local “scene”. If you are looking for geeting deeper into the other every days culture, the Grassroot organisations like LijiangStudio in China or Künstlerhaus Dortmund in Germany are mutch better. But most likely you have to finance your stay yourself. They will help you with your application work at national intitutions like for example Institut for Auslandsbeziehungen in Germany.
Conclusion
While the symposium, i had to say it loud: I never got myself into one of these elite recidencies, and i I cannot help anybody to get into. But, beside of that, i got well around on a never ending research trip. The cloud of international artists recidencies created a wonderful new field of artistic production, process oriented and experimental in many ways and disciplines.
