Open Call Residency Abroad – 7 projects selected

19 september 2024

background and general impression

The selected projects show how designers use international residencies to deepen their work and explore new ideas concerning important societal and ecological themes. Many projects focus on the local context and conduct research into local practices and techniques, highlighting their cultural sensitivity to the environment of the residency.

The selected projects reflect a variety of themes, ranging from redefining the role of the designer to exploring environmental issues and inclusivity. Interestingly, many applications are not limited to a single discipline. For example, Giulia Pompilj’s research into the High Jungle of Peru combines historical research with ecology and audiovisual art. Francesco Pace (Tellurico) also works from a multidisciplinary approach by linking economic strategies to the design profession.

selection

Redesigning the designer – Studio Cecilia Casabona
Cecilia Casabona will participate in a three-month curatorial residency in Oaxaca, Mexico, where she will conduct research and collaborate with exhibition space La Clinica. This residency will result in an exhibition at La Clinica, presenting work by six Mexican designers selected through an open call. The exhibited designs stem from a collaborative approach that revolves around redefining the role of the designer (Redesigning the designer). The works challenge traditional notions of what a design object is, and its relationship to history and heritage, especially when shown outside a Western context.

A residency in Halle and the Mansfeld mining district: an inquiry on slag, soil and mine waste ownership and potential uses – Lara Almarcegui
During her six-month residency in the Mansfeld district in Germany, Lara Almarcegui will focus on investigating the current state of the slag heaps in this former mining area. The project takes an interdisciplinary approach, collaborating with local companies, geologists and geographers conducting research into the slag heaps. The objective is to explore new possibilities for waste management and land use through a combination of scientific and artistic research. Almarcegui aims to develop an experimental project that both explores new uses for these waste materials and proposes innovative forms of ownership. This residency provides an opportunity to deepen knowledge of waste materials and collaborate with scientists to better understand the relationship between mining waste, land and the environment.

Embodied resonances – Silvana Hurtado Dianderas
Embodied resonances explores the relationship between art and self-regulation in neurodiverse individuals, with a specific focus on autism. During a two-month residency in Mexico, Silvana Hurtado Dianderas aims to create ceramic objects that help users listen to their bodily signals, and in so doing encourage emotional regulation. Inspired by her personal experiences with ADHD and PTSD, Hurtado Dianderas is working on weekly workshops, feedback sessions, prototype development and a publication. Halfway through the residency, the designs will be further refined, eventually leading to an exhibition.

all selected projects

Studio Cecilia Casabona – Redesigning the designer (residency in Mexico)
Lara Almarcegui – A residency in Halle and the Mansfeld mining district: an inquiry on slag, soil and mine waste ownership and potential uses (residency in Duitsland)
Silvana Hurtado Dianderas – Embodied resonances (residency in Mexico)
Tellurico – Contemporary Design Factory (residency in Italië)
Studio G. – What Does Colour Mean: High Jungle (residency in Peru)
Yin Aiwen – Alchemy of Commons at ICA Shanghai (residency in China)
Jules Davis-Dufayard – Echoes of the Earth: Integrating Art Healing and Plant Medicine at Myzelium Projekt (residency in Duitsland)

numbers

From the 18 applications assessed, 7 were selected, bringing the percentage of applications being awarded grants to 39%. A total of € 100,804 was awarded. The available budget this round was € 150,000, which means that there was an underspend of € 49,196. The remaining funds will be reallocated within the programme.

follow-up

This was the Fund’s second open call for residencies abroad as part of a wider residency programme within the Internationalization Grant Scheme. Several residencies abroad will again be offered in 2025.

Banner picture: Tellurico – Contemporary Design Factory