Artistic residencies in Ramallah in 2018

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open call for artists

Mamarat (Paths) is the residency programme of Ramallah Municipality seeking to utilise its growing global networks in the field of culture for the purpose of the 2018 edition of Qalandia International, its theme being (Solidarity).

Selected artists will have the opportunity to meet local Palestinian artists, art professionals, and contribute to the final exhibition produced by the Municipality of Ramallah and curated by Reem Fadda, which will be part of this edition of Qalandyia International in October 2018.

Theme
The notion of 'solidarity’ has been synchronic with the history of the Palestinian struggle against successive colonial structures and regimes, although not always in perfect tandem with it. The ethos and practices of 'solidarity’ have been through a plethora of delineations, spanning local particularities and/or global networks and alliances. The spectrum of the contradictory practices of 'solidarity’ has ranged from being closely affiliated at certain times to extreme religious ideals and idioms, towards more global socialist manifestoes during specific epochs, while also being unremittingly hinged upon Pan-Arab idealism. These were not, however, the only practices of 'solidarity’ in Palestine. Historically, other forms have fluctuated and come and gone, based on either ideologies, cultural and humanitarian idioms, or social and tribal rapports, etc.
- In Palestine, the term 'solidarity’ has been, and still is, a buzzword in the struggle for liberation from consecutive colonial administrations. Its forms and ideological stances have morphed over time and geography, rising and sinking with the tides of change in the form of the struggle for freedom. Now, it is social issues that are coming to the fore in a moment of external and internal political and societal struggles. Forced deterioration has led us to a moment of ambiguity, where uncertainty becomes the standard, and where managing, and mismanaging, the decline of the State is a recognised lifestyle. Overlapping hegemonies of religion and neoliberal culture are redefining the collective social and political stance, and the transmutation of individual and societal ethics, whereby acceptance becomes one of the most dismaying political consequences of capitalism. 'The Social Question’ becomes a disputation of the term 'solidarity’, in order to contemplate possibilities of departure out of this stagnant state.
The notion of the shared thoughts, values and objectives that bind us is stirred to re-energise and re-investigate meanings of solidarity and collectivism – values that have allowed Palestinian society to resist and stay alive for decades. While keeping the 'Social Question’ as a beacon, solidarity can be considered and looked at through different lenses.
- Mamarat invites partners and collaborators to probe 'The Social Question’ by means of discursive engagement with the term 'Solidarity’ – pertaining to opening up for global experiences, yet forging local experimentations and contemporary definitions. Ideas of mutuality, the conventional things that connect us all, are questioned in order to reactivate this space of solidarity and the collective spirit that has, for decades, allowed the Palestinian community to resist and survive. Solidarity can be seen through a series of lenses that are all constructed initially with a common ground, The Social Question, which may help with some answers to the question: who do we want to be as a society?
For more information about the general theme of Qalandiya International (Qi) 2018, please visit the link below:
- http://qalandiyainternational.tumblr.com/post/165396076641/open-callparticipation-in-qalandiya
What is offered
Individual/collective living space
A working space
A grant of 500 USD
Project budget up to 2000 USD
Reimbursement of travel costs
Collaboration on the project development with a curator
Organising a customised programme of study visits in and outside Ramallah
Participation in the exhibition organized by Ramallah Municipality’s Mamarat (Paths) as part of Qalandyia International 2018
Please note that visa fees or insurance costs connected to visa applications are not covered.
Application
Interested artists should submit the following documents by the 1st of April 2018:
- A concept note [250 words max] that addresses the relevance of the art work, if the proposed work is an audio or video format, it is necessary to provide a download link. Please include all relevant technical details: materials, dimensions, and installation specifications
- Artists Profile, samples of previous work, a short bio and CV.
Requested material should be submitted by email to qalandiya@ramallh.ps by the 1st of April 2018. Selected artists will be announced by the 15th of April 2018. A selection committee including a curator and cultural practitioners in the field will review the submitted applications.

Selection Process
Selection will be based on the professional excellence of the applicant’s work and their plans for sharing the benefits of the exchange with artists and institutions in their home country /site of activity.
- Ramallah Municipality curator will get in touch with the selected artists for consultation and follow up. The first residency will start on May 2018 as an introductory phase for research for 2 weeks. The second residency will take place by mid-September 2018, where the selected artists will work directly on the ground with the curator’s direct cooperation.
Important dates
April 1st - submission deadline
April 15th - announcement of results
May 2018 - research visits for two weeks to Ramallah
September to mid-October 2018 - One-month residency & exhibition
Mamarat will also arrange a symposium during Qalandia International 2018 in collaboration with U-jazdowski – Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, AIR Antwerpen and HIAP - Helsinki International Artist Programme. The aim of the gathering is to instigate new ideas, approaches and collaborations for better supporting artists and strengthening the position of artist residencies as agents in civic societies. Furthermore, the partner residencies in partnership with Mamarat will arrange residencies for Palestinian artists in Belgium, Finland and Poland in year 2019.