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The European Pepinieres of Creation support the ADN association – USINE UTOPIK open call for a 54 days artistic residency in visual arts  in Spring and Autumn 2022.

Grant

3750 euros maximum

Deadline : October 03th 2021

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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.
FURTHER INFORMATION

L’Usine Utopik

ADN association – USINE UTOPIK is a creation center of Contemporary Art, located on a rural territory in the small town of Tessy Bocage (Normandy region). The creation center is placed in an old horticultural greenhouse).

Located in a municipality of 1500 inhabitants, the residences at Usine Utopik can offers a privileged framework for artists who wants to create artistic projects and it also has a large space for an exhibition. The center contributes to support artists in all phases of the their work, from research to diffusion.

The Usine Utopik wants to be a space for experiments and research, in order to promote art projects, to encourage meetings with the public through times of exchange, discovery and practice. Usine Utopik also hosts writers in residence and presents a diversified cultural program (exhibitions, art library, public readings, editorial policy, etc.) dedicated to bring publics with different artistic expressions.

Read also (french) : 10 ans d’Utopie | L’Usine Utopik @ l’Abbaye-aux-Dames à Caen

 

SUBMISSION

Your files

  • Statement of intent, describing the project, the research that the artist would like to conduct, and the media that the artist would like to use. The project needs to be conceived for the specific space of Usine Utopik and needs to take the particularities of the building into account.
  • Portfolio, including images of the artist’s work and/or exhibitions and a text on the work. The works can be presented by images, on DVD or CD.
  • Up to date CV.
  • Copy of official document that certify you are professional artist.
  • Social security number.
  • SIRET number or other official document that demonstrates the ability to invoice. (A1 certificate)
  • Certificate of liability insurance
  • Every application needs to include a stamped and labelled envelope, sized A4, so that we can send back the applications that are not selected.
  • Applications can also be sent by e-mail. Only PDF format (not downloadable on a server) will be regarded. The subject of the mail must be: LASTNAME Firstname- Candidature arts-plastiques 2022
  • The applicants are informed about the results of the selection by e-mail. Because of the substantial number of applications we cannot give any specific precisions about the selection.
  • The selection committee will gather at the end of November 2021. The selected artists will be invited to participate in a telephone interview or Skype meeting after that date.

Submission

  • By email: usineutopik@gmail.com
    The subject of the mail must be: LASTNAME Firstname- Candidature arts-plastiques 2022
    Only PDF format (not downloadable on a server) will be regarded.
  • By post : Usine Utopik – Centre de Création Contemporaine Route de Pont Farcy – 50420 TESSY BOCAGE
    Every application needs to include a stamped and labelled envelope, sized A4, so that we can send back the applications that are not selected.

Further informations

  • Xavier Gonzalez, directeur / Gwendoline Hallouche, coordinatrice culturelle | 02 33 06 01 67 / usineutopik@gmail.com
  • The selection committee will gather at the end of November 2021. The selected artists will be invited to participate in a telephone interview or Skype meeting after that date.
  • Les candidats seront informés des résultats de la sélection par courrier électronique. The applicants are informed about the results of the selection by e-mail. Because of the substantial number of applications we cannot give any specific precisions about the selection.

Infos

Production

  • L’Usine Utopik est gérée par l’association ADN (Art et Design en Normandie).
  • L’Usine Utopik bénéficie du soutien de : l’Union Européenne – Programme Leader ; Conseil Régional de Normandie ; Conseil Général de la Manche ; Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication – DRAC Normandie ; Agglo Saint-Lô ; Commune de Tessy-sur-Vire. L’association est membre de la FRAAP (Fédération des réseaux et associations d’artistes plasticiens).
  • Les appels des résidences 2021-22 de l’Usine Utopik bénéficient du soutien du réseau des European Pepinieres of Creation
  • Crédits visuels (photo background de l’appel) : Usine Utopik