Call to Artists: Politics in Collage Residency

A four-week, virtual/online residency with Kolaj Institute in September/October 2021

Deadline to apply: September 11, 2021

Collage as a political art form has not only a particular relevance to today but a strong historical context. From its roots in the European anti-facism and Russian pro-communism movements during WWII to its expressions during the U.S. Civil Rights era to its current manifestations in the fight for social justice in South America, collage has been used by artists globally as an impetus for social and political change.

In four virtual meetings on Sundays from 2-5PM EDT over four weeks and through ongoing, online discussion, artists will examine contemporary social and political issues as shown through collage. Artists will hear from a variety of guest speakers about the historical context of this genre, how to articulate complex political subjects both in their work itself and promotions of their work, and explore how we can continue to inspire meaningful engagement with difficult topics through collage.

Artists in the residency will conceptualize and begin work on a piece exploring a political or social subject of their choosing. Although the works may not be completed by the end of the residency, they will be regularly critiqued and discussed by the group throughout. Artists will write an artist statement that documents and provides critical context for their work. The completed work and texts from the residency will result in a book published by Kolaj Institute and an exhibition, whether in-person or online, to be determined at a later date.

The goal of this residency is to help collage artists who are creating social/political work, or interested in doing so, to grow and expand their practice. By the end of the residency, the participants will be able to practically apply to their own work what they have learned from lectures and discussions with historians, curators, and working artists.

WHO IS THIS FOR?

Collage Artist Residencies are intended for self-motivated artists, at any stage in their career, who want to develop their practice by exploring a topic or working method and collaborating with others to produce a final product. This particular residency will be of interest to those artists working in social and political collage, or those who are interested in doing so. Residencies are open to any artist over the age of 21 from anywhere in the world. 

COST

The cost of the residency is $500 per artist; however, no artist will be turned away for lack of funds and the organizers will work with artists to build a financial aid package.