UNIDEE Module IV: Neither on Land nor at Sea

UNIDEE Residency Programs and Cittadellarte-Fondazione Pistoletto are pleased to announce an open call for participation in the fourth module of the residency programme Neither on Land nor at Sea. Meeting by the Mediterranean Im/Possible, curated by UNIDEE Visiting Curator Chiara Cartuccia.

Module IV, autumn 2023 is co-curated by UNIDEE Visiting Curator with invited mentors Francesca Masoero & Shayma Nader (QANAT) and Nouha Ben Yebdri (MAHAL).

Overview
Neither on Land nor at Sea invites to meander around unreducible complications and on shifting grounds, to explore together ways in which geography is historically, socially, and politically produced. The project pluralises Mediterranean concepts/spaces as sites of worldmaking and experimentation in communal living. To do so, it adopts un-grounded geographies and colliding historicities as meeting places, in which to congregate to elaborate on the role played by situated practices and shared processes in the promotion of social transformations, towards epistemic justice.

The UNIDEE modules are programme-based, short-residency formats. Participating residents will be offered the opportunity to expand on their ongoing research and practice exploring Mediterranean complexities and geographical thinking in the arts and beyond, within a group of peers and invited guests. The modules are interlinked, and each contributes to shaping the discourse developed by the project as a whole.

For more information about the curatorial framework, context and scopes of the project, please visit Neither on Land nor at Sea website here.

Programme
Taking place from October 10–19 2023, module IV is conceived as a double module, jointly co-curated by invited mentors Francesca Masoero & Shayma Nader (QANAT) and Nouha Ben Yebdri (MAHAL).

Module IV, “E da quel giorno, l’uomo selvatico abbandonò la valle” / “And since that day, the wild creature disappeared from the valley” (provisional title), builds up on an exploration of the uncanny, the magical, the political, and the ways we can engage with them through collective and vernacular pedagogical processes.

This double module is an experiment in collaboration, bringing together the research, practice and methodologies of QANAT and Silent Pedagogies. Led by Francesca Masoero & Shayma Nader, QANAT is a collective platform exploring the politics and poetics of water and the ways in which manifestations of commoning come to form in Morocco, Palestine and beyond. Initiated by Nouha Ben Yebdri at MAHAL, “Silent Pedagogies” evolves and revolves around modes of transmission in the field of contemporary art drawing from contextual and non-institutionalized cultural manifestations and learning institutes.

The programme employs different strategies and methodologies of collaboration and exchange, like walking, journaling, storytelling on pluriversality, collective reading, constructing structures/houses, re-enchantment & hospitality to the invisible, cooking, playing.

The residency programme’s working language is English.

Participants
We aim to invite a group of up to ten residents to take part in the module. The programme is open to international participants of all backgrounds, whose practice sits anywhere across the broad spectrum of visual practice and research, with no restriction regarding disciplines, media or methodologies of work. Applications from artists, curators, writers, theorists, activists, all are welcome and encouraged.

The selection of participants will be based on the affinity of the subject matters, concerns and questions participating in the applicant’s work with those expressed by the general curatorial framework of the project and by the conceptual positioning of the residency module, as well as on the applicant interest and ability to contribute to a programme-based residency whose working is grounded in processes of active exchange and participation. 

Practicalities
The residency module will take place at Cittadellarte—Fondazione Pistoletto, in Biella, Italy. The UNIDEE and Cittadellarte spaces will host a large part of the programme, while further opportunities for exploring the urban and rural landscape of Biella and its immediate surroundings will be offered.

Participants will be accommodated within the premises of Cittadellarte, in single rooms with the use of shared bathrooms. The residential spaces offer basic cooking facilities and communal resting areas.

Participants arrival is expected by the afternoon of the day prior to the beginning of the module, departure is expected by the afternoon of the day following the end of the module.

We are committed to meeting to the best of our ability any accessibility requirements an attendee may have; this will be discussed individually with prospective residents. Further information regarding practicalities and FAQ available here.

Expenses & bursaries
Participation in the Autumn module is offered free of charge, and the residents will be provided with free accommodation at Cittadellarte. However, residents will be required to arrange and cover expenses for their travel to/from Biella and for the food/living costs whilst in Cittadellarte. A limited number of partial and full travel bursaries are made available to those who would not otherwise be able to participate; please remember to state in your application whether you would like to be considered for this opportunity. 

The team at UNIDEE remains at your disposal to support you in the travel arrangements and in the visa application process. Additionally, the team will provide you with any documents you may need should you decide to pursue other funding opportunities through your local art councils or via international platforms / funding bodies.

How to apply
To apply please fill in the form at this link. Deadline for submissions is July 9, 2023, 11:59pm (CEST).

Partners
UNIDEE patrons are Regione Piemonte, Compagnia di San Paolo, CRT Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Torino, illycaffè S.p.A., Fondazione Zegna, Creative Europe. UNIDEE AIR partner are A.M. Qattan, Institut Français Italy, Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation.