Call for applications 2019/20

A 16-month program hosted by the Bern University of the Arts HKB

Eight residents are invited to join the upcoming Sommerakademie program under artistic director Tirdad Zolghadr, beginning 3 August 2019. Over the summers of 2019 & 2020, the Sommerakademie Paul Klee features two series of public lectures and closed-door seminars, of 16 days each. Over an additional five days, residents are also granted access to the university’s state-of-the-art infrastructure and technical support. Thirdly, over the months of December 2019 and 2020, residents are offered teaching opportunities with students of the Bern University of the Arts HKB. Additional meetings and workshops may materialize as the program evolves.

Both in terms of curatorial theme and working premise, the Sommerakademie Paul Klee accounts for the really-existing consequences of Contemporary Art. It traces the impact artists have on the world around them, and hopes to reclaim and steer that leverage. Although the academy tradition remains important here, the aim is to transcend brief bursts of topical intensity, to the benefit of longstanding intellectual commitments. By way of example, in response to REALTY, the curatorial premise 2017–19, Sommerakademie residents forged BLOCC, a “system of learning” with long-term objectives.

Travel, accommodation, visa expenses and a per diem of 50 CHF are covered. Residents using production facilities are entitled to a modest production stipend of 500 CHF. All teaching is remunerated at standard local rates.

The Sommerakademie Paul Klee caters to practitioners working at a postgraduate level, whether or not they have an official certificate saying so. Professional experience and intellectual appetite are the necessary requirements here. Though artists will be prioritized, curators and art writers are encouraged to apply. Application deadline is 25 January 2019.

The Sommerakademie Paul Klee is generously supported by Swiss Mobiliar and other sponsors and donors.

Curatorial framework 2019/20: STATECRAFT
Given the enduring rise of neofascism, it’s no longer quite enough to be traumatized, critical, or cheeky. Speaking Truth to Power remains important. But proactively reclaiming the tools of governance has become a pressing imperative. To this day, art enjoys the freedoms of a court jester, as it has for millennia. But history does feature artists actually taking responsibility, every now and then. Arguably, even our own generation can grow up and learn from those examples, sometime soon. STATECRAFT will discuss art practices that have successfully resorted to strategies of governance, whether for progressive or reactionary ends. Be it in the name of decolonization, socialism, the Right to the City or otherwise.

For more details about the curatorial framework please click here.

University infrastructure at the residents’ disposal:
–print workshops
–wood, plastics, metal & textile facilities
–high-tech sound studio
–audiovisual media lab for film, video & photography
–conservation & restoration facilities
–specialized libraries

Timeline
–initial summer program: August 3–18, 2019
–optional extra time on-site (production): August 19–23, 2019
–teaching sessions at Bern University of the Arts HKB: December 2019, December 2020
–second summer program: July/August 2020

Requirements
–application file to be submitted digitally by 7am Central European Time, January 25, 2019, via our website
–application needs to include:
1) brief statement explaining reasons for applying and/or a proposal as to how you intend to engage with the program and facilities (800 words max)
2) documentation of recent work and/or general practice
3) CV & brief bio
4) phone number and Skype ID
–availability for a short Skype interview February 13 or 14, 2019
–second round candidates will be contacted on the evening of 12 February to schedule the interviews (jury decisions will be finalized by February 16)
–a firm commitment over the entire span of the program—the minimal on-site presence amounts to a total of 5 weeks, over two separate sessions (summer 2019, summer 2020), not counting optional time windows for production and teaching