The axis of The publication is determined by the polarized nature of the artist-host encounter. The space of a residency, which emerges between them, leads to the creation of a temporary com- munity whose “episodic” nature corresponds with that of the “post-modern” world. The lack of permanent continuity of this relationship, not deter- mined by chronology, allows the locations to exist independently, always leaving the ending open. From the host’s perspective, the presence of the artists resembles a plot divided into episodes, where each part – despite the uniqueness of the artistic interventions – is a form left open to such an extent that makes it possible to keep starting anew. Like film characters, the artists play their roles in their subsequent episodes, letting a new one follow unhindered. To produce such a space within a social structure requires trust, openness and a great deal of empathy, as well as the readiness to share one’s resources.
Artists’ residency programs are relational by nature. Relations between the artists in residence and other actors – the institution, the staff members, temporally present fellows, extended networks, local and inter- national partners – are constantly being cultivated in the living environment of artists residencies. These relationships are fragile constellations and require constant attention, time and care from the parties involved. Like any relationship, they run the risk of ending up in unfavorable constellations and conflictive situations if taking care of each other is neglected. As editors of this book, artists, curators, researchers and as long-time staff members of institutions such as the Residencies – Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art (Warsaw), the Dutch Art Institute (Amsterdam), Akademie Schloss Solitude (Stuttgart) and the Academy of Fine Art and Design in Katowice, we have therefore decided to open the book with an essay that addresses what we have found to be a significant strategy for ensuring successful residency programs: taking care of each other.
The book, however, gives a voice to those who have had the experience of working and living in our institutions and others like them. From the beginning, our aim was not to present an analysis of the work of artist residencies and their particular spheres of activity from the perspective of the institutions and academics, but rather, in keeping with the nature of residencies, to create a dialogical, polyphonic publication that hopefully succeeds in depicting the nuances of residency work and artists’ experiences, along with the unstable constellations of artists’ residencies with its open-ended structures. The authors of the first chapter – Care – comment on the often exhausting, invisible female care work that takes place within residency programs. In the tradition of feminist institutional critique, this chapter also looks at anti-care in a neo-liberal art system – precarious economic and spatial conditions, co-dependencies and hierarchies between artist and institution/artist and staff member/artist and director, as well as the lack of transparency, care and respect with which residents are confronted. In addition to actually focusing on their artistic practice and individual projects, artists often find them- selves facing institutional politics and struggles – this also happens because they gain deep insights due to the close spatial and personal proximity to their temporary work and living environment. Artist residencies offer the opportunity to experience and cope with ever-changing spaces, new constellations, spaces that have the potential to be reshaped continuously by the people and things that inhabit them, and their relations to one another. It is in this manner that artist residency programs can serve as a model for coping with the constantly changing present and its rapidly changing societies. All this makes it possible to achieve a dream about a world where there is a balance between acceptance and separateness. This world offers authenticity, permanent changeability and constant transformation. Despite its permanency, residencies undergo a constant process of self- -construction and transformation. Their very nature corresponds with the instability of artistic existence – after all, the constant feeling of change does not only determine the work of the artists.
Publishers
Academy of Fine Arts and Design Katowice
Raciborska Street no. 50, 40-074 Katowice, Poland
www.asp.katowice.pl
isbn 978-83-65825-78-0
Centrum Sztuki Współczesnej Zamek Ujazdowski [Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art]
Jazdów Street no. 2, 00–467 Warszawa, Poland
www.u-jazdowski.pl
isbn 978-83-67203-08-1
Akademie Schloss Solitude
Solitude 3, 70197 Stuttgart, Germany
www.akademie-solitude.de
isbn 978-3-946839-10-1
Distribution and Promotion
Vfmk Verlag fur moderne Kunst GmbH
Schwedenplatz 2/24, 1010 Vienna, Austria
www.vfmk.org
isbn 978-3-903439-62-7
europe: LKG www.lkg-va.de
uk: Cornerhouse Publications www.cornerhousepublications.org
usa: D.A.P www.artbook.com
Strategic Partners
DutchCulture | TransArtists
Herengracht 474, 1017 CA Amsterdam, Netherlands
www.dutchculture.nl
Instytut Adama Mickiewicza
Mokotowska Street no.25, 00-560 Warsaw, Poland
www.iam.pl
www.culture.pl
Edited by Pawel Mendrek, head of On Care. A Journey into the Relational Nature of Artists’ Residencies publication & Ewa Zasada for the Mobile Art Lab & Academy of Fine Artsand Design Katowice, Elke aus dem Moore & Denise Helene Sumi for Akademie Schloss Solitude, Ika Sienkiewicz-Nowacka for Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, Bojana Panevska for TransArtists | DutchCulture
Reviewer dr hab. Karolina Breguła; dr hab. Judyta Bernaś
Graphic design & typesetting: Katarzyna Wolny-Grządziel
Co-editors: Marianna Dobkowska & Julia Harasimowicz for Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, Agata Cukierska & Katarzyna Kalina for The Centre for Contemporary Art Kronika, Vytautas Michelkevičius for Nida Art Colony of Vilnius Academy of Arts and Design, Vilnius, Barbara Trojanowska & Ewa Chwilczyńska for Adam Mickiewicz Institute in cooperation with Mami Katsuya from Kyoto Art Centre
Editorial assistance: Aleksandra Biedka (Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art), Katarzyna Miśkowiec (Adam Mickiewicz Institute)
Developed as part of the Mobil Art Lab, supported by the statutory activity funds of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Katowice.
Contributors: Patrizia Bach, Shirin Barghnavard, Paulina Czapska, Leone Contini, Marianna Dobkowska, Regina Dürig, J. Christian Greer, Vinicius Jatobá, Simar Preet Kaur, Mami Katsuya, Guiliana Kiersz, Daniel Koniusz, Maddie Leach, Pawel Mendrek, Vytautas Michelkevičius, Martin Newth, Ika Sienkiewicz-Nowacka, Michelle K. Oing, Yasmine Ostendorf, Bojana Panevska, Alicja Rogalska, Alice Sarmiento, Anna Siekierska, Denise Helene Sumi, Małgorzata Szandała, Anna Szapert, Aisel Wicab, Ewa Zasada
Creative & visual director: Paweł Mendrek
Graphic design & typesetting: Katarzyna Wolny-Grządziel
Images by Paweł Mendrek and Ewa Zasada (if not marked otherwise)
Image editing Patrizia Bach, Regina Dürig, Paweł Mendrek, Katarzyna Wolny-Grządziel
Proofreading Kimberly Bradley, Nick Faulkner
Translations Nick Faulkner, Łukasz Kansy, Andy McBride
Print production & coordination Agata Cikała, Barbara Firla, Monika Wodniok copies 350
Paper Munken Lynx
copyrights
© All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy or any storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from all publishers.
Copyrights 2023 for the texts by the authors. Texts by Regina Dürig, Shirin Barghnavard, Vinicius Jatobá, Giuliana Kierz, Simar Preet Kaur, and Alice Sarmiento are published under the terms of the “Creative Commons Attribution” – License CC bY-nC-sa version 4.0: CreatiVeCoMMons.org/liCenses/bY-sa/4.0/
Copyrights 2023 Bildrecht GmbH Wien for images by: Paweł Mendrek and Ewa Zasada including archive materials from AFAD Katowice, Parallax Network, HAU Interior, Nida Art Colony of Vilnius Academy of Arts, Travel Agency Collective, Community.Care.Laboratory film project and objects from the artists’ collections.
Copyrights 2023 for depicted by: Patrizia Bach (pp. 102 105, 106, 109, 110, 113, 115), Maddie Leach (p. 125) are held exclusively by the artist. Courtesy of the artist.
Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data is available
© All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy or any storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from all publishers.
Copyrights 2023 for the texts by the authors. Texts by Regina Dürig, Shirin Barghnavard, Vinicius Jatobá, Giuliana Kierz, Simar Preet Kaur, and Alice Sarmiento are published under the terms of the “Creative Commons Attribution” – License CC bY-nC-sa version 4.0: CreatiVeCoMMons.org/liCenses/bY-sa/4.0/
Copyrights 2023 Bildrecht GmbH Wien for images by: Paweł Mendrek and Ewa Zasada including archive materials from AFAD Katowice, Parallax Network, HAU Interior, Nida Art Colony of Vilnius Academy of Arts, Travel Agency Collective, Community.Care.Laboratory film project and objects from the artists’ collections.
Copyrights 2023 for depicted by: Patrizia Bach (pp. 102 105, 106, 109, 110, 113, 115), Maddie Leach (p. 125) are held exclusively by the artist. Courtesy of the artist.
Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data is available.
The project was completed at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Katowice as part of subsidies from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage for maintenance and development didactic potential and research, in 2020–2021.
Book online:
ON-CARE