Résidence STRATA x LES ARCHES CITOYENNES

Open Call: Spring Residency “Faire la ville” (Making a city)
4 March – 17 May, 2024 – applications close on February 5, 2024

In the face of the climate breakdown, this residency aims to promote collaboration between contemporary artists and non-artistic actors, by inviting artists investigating environmental issues at the heart of LES ARCHES CITOYENNES, a socially-responsible ecosystem in the centre of Paris.

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The transitional urban planning project LES ARCHES CITOYENNES provides work spaces for nearly 450 artists, artisans, NGOs and other socially-responsible organisations, as well as hosting a vast internal and external cultural programme that invites experimentation, reflection and exchanges on societal themes within its vibrant community.

This artist residency program, initiated by the artistic agency STRATA, in partnership with LES ARCHES CITOYENNES, invites contemporary artists focused on environmental research topics to immerse themselves in this ecosystem around four separate themes:

— Summer: genre, sexualité et identité / gender, sexuality and identity (26 June – 8 Sep 2023) ;
— Autumn: itinérance, transmission et oralité / movement, transmission and orality (18 Sep – 25 Nov 2023) ;
— Winter: habiter et cohabiter / living and co-living (4 Dec 2023 – 23 Feb 2024)
— Spring: faire la ville / making a city (4 March – 17 May 2024) – applications close on February 5th, 2024

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SPRING RESIDENCY: ”Faire la ville” (Making a city) Dates: 4 March – 17 May 2024

Each of the residency cycles invites an artist to deepen their research on art and ecology through the prism of the major social and societal themes addressed more generally by LES ARCHES CITOYENNES. Thus, each residency is also part of an ensemble of wider programming and diverse events linked to the artist’s research subjects, presenting further sources of inspiration and dialogue.

The city, a necessary reality for most, is a concentration of hopes, violence, opportunities, constraints, diversities, and inequalities. As a nexus of frequent encounters and frictions, it constantly interrogates the question of coexistence.

Often preordained, the arrangement of the spaces in which we move and their uses, nevertheless, greatly influence our journeys, our interactions, and our lifestyles.

In reality, urban space is neither fixed nor granted. This cycle reminds us that the city is in perpetual motion, constantly renewing itself, and that we too can affect it. It is an invitation to become aware of and take ownership of the public space in which we navigate, transforming ourselves from mere passers-by into active participants.

How can we reclaim our public space? How can we collectively work towards a more organic and pluralistic city, one that better reflects our diverse realities and individualities? How can we together build more inclusive, responsible, and playful spaces where everyone feels free to flourish?

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THE RESIDENCY

— 1 or 2 artists chosen per cycle (any artistic medium accepted);— 65m2 studio space for two and a half months in the heart of Paris, in front of Hotel de Ville (priority to candidates who do not currently have a studio in Paris);
— Access to the ARCHES CITOYENNES ecosystem (nearly 450 socially-responsible organisations, artists and artisans) and all its internal and external programming;
— Support in artistic professional development by the STRATA agency during the residency (priority to candidates without gallery representation in France);
— Communication dedicated to the subject of the artist and the residency by the organisers LES ARCHES CITOYENNES and STRATA;
— Opportunity to meet art professionals, patrons and collectors thanks to organised visits;
— The possibility to hold an exhibition and/or organise events in the numerous spaces available;
— At the beginning and end of their residency, each artist must present their practice, research, work or project to the ARCHES CITOYENNES ecosystem, in order to foster transdisciplinary interactions and connections. The form of presentation depends on the artist. It can be a studio visit to present a current project, a conference, a podcast, a text, a projection, a performance or any other form of sharing.
NB: There is no payment required for this residency, nor is any remuneration provided.

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APPLICATIONS, SELECTION AND CALENDAR

The selection of the resident will be made by an organising committee with experience in contemporary art, environment, and social projects.
Applications are assessed according to the following criteria:
— Artistic quality, including the integration of reflection on environmental issues at the heart of the practice and a collaborative approach;
— Motivation for the residency and desire to get involved in the collective life of LES ARCHES CITOYENNES;
— Need for a workshop in Paris, and commitment to a regular presence on site throughout the residency;
— (For foreign applicants) Ability to communicate in basic French.

Calendar
— Closing date for applications: Monday 5 February 2024, 11:59 CET
— Resident Announcement: Following week

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How to apply
Application Form

The following documents will be required:
— Cover letter (max. 1 page)
— Curriculum Vitae including full contact details
— Portfolio (max. 20 pages)

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ABOUT ORGANIZATION