Call 2021 | Visual Arts Residency 2022 – L’Usine Utopik (FR)

This call for applications regards all artists with a successfully completed art degree and with a professional artistic practise in contemporary creation (painting, sculpture, installations, photo, drawing, ceramic, performance, etc…), regardless of age and nationality. Usine Utopik organises six residencies a year, from spring to fall, and welcomes three artists at the same time. This set-up demands collaboration between the artists for the final exhibition.

Context

The association ADN – Usine Utopik is a centre for contemporary artistic creation with a mission to support and promote visual arts and contemporary writing in a rural environment. Residencies take place at Usine Utopik, located in the old horticultural greenhouse of Tessy-sur-Vire, a village with about 1500 inhabitants.

Here artists can participate in live-in residencies where they realize specific projects, conduct research, or develop new directions in artistic practice, which will result in an exhibition. The centre offers help during all the different phases of the artist’s work, research and exhibition.

Usine Utopik also offers residencies for authors and presents a diverse cultural program (exhibitions, art library, public lectures, publications, etc.) that facilitates interactions between artists and the local art community.

The ‘Relais Culturels Régionaux’ was initiated by the Normandy region. The aim of the centres subscribed to this programme is to promote artistic expression and creation, art mediation and cultural collaboration in the region’s territory.

Residence periods

• 1st periode : 29.03 > 20.05.2022
• Second periode : 16.08 > 07.10.2022

Financial terms

The artist will benefit from a creation grant worth € 2,250 gross and financial assistance for production costs associated with the residence, up to a maximum of € 1,500 upon presentation of supporting documents.

The Residency

During the residency the artists are asked to question their work regarding the territory, its history and its geography.

The project needs to take the particularities of the building into account. The greenhouse of Usine Utopik offers a large space of 1500 m2; there are workshops as well as an exhibition space of 400 m2 (20 meters long and large, and 4 to 6 meters high). This space is very bright, which limits certain projects (images broadcasted by beamers or on television screens, etc.). Projects also need to be aware of the greenhouse effect of the building; projects that use fragile materials or photography may be difficult to realize.

All these limitations need to be studied for video projects, photography, drawing, fragile installations, etc. A visit of the place before the residency could be helpful to see if the project is achievable. Digital projects can be possible because of a high-definition camera. Innovative projects that use new technologies are encouraged.

The residency takes place for a period of 54 days. The artist needs to be present at least 45 days during this period. If the artist needs some time off for professional reasons, to participate in other exhibitions for example, he can take a maximum of three consecutive days off (with a total of 9 days) on the condition that this is compatible with the planning of the residency. If this agreement is not respected, the artist gets a penalty of €50 per day of absence.

Accomodation

• The housing is covered by Usine Utopik.
• Every artist gets a personal room in an apartment, shared with the other artists in residence. Next to three private bedrooms, the apartment consists of a shared living room, kitchen, bathroom and WC.
• The workspaces of 60 m2 can be found in the centre.
• Technical support is available within the limits of the centre.
• Usine Utopik provides the artists with tools.
• Water and electricity are covered by Usine Utopik. The workshops and the apartment are equipped with Wi-Fi.
• Usine Utopik takes care of all the costs for the opening of the exhibition (communication, vernissage, etc.).
• Telephone costs and travel expenses (to and from the centre) are not covered by the centre.
• The artist is highly recommended to have a car at his disposal, because Tessy-sur-Vire does not have any form of public transportation. The nearest city is Saint-Lô at a distance of 18 km.

Counterpart

• The artist needs to be present during the opening days of the centre.
• During the residency, he can be asked to present his work, to participate in meetings or workshops with visitors (schools, leisure centres, welfare centres, etc.) allowing an exchange with the public during the creative process.

Distribution et Mediation

• The works created during the residency are property of the artist.
• At the end of his residency, the artist presents his artistic project in the exhibition space. The art work is subject of public mediation. Usine Utopik publishes a booklet, sized A5, with information about the artist and the work made during the residency.