Exhibition Proposals 2016/ FOCUS: Collective Making – Africa and Middle East

Kunsthal Aarhus invites curatorial proposals for exhibitions that respond to the theme of its artistic programme 2015-2016: COLLECTIVE MAKING. The Call is developed as a partnership with the Centre for Culture and Development’s Images program focusing on East and West Africa and Middle East. Applicants from Ghana, Mali, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Palestine and Egypt, are particularly encouraged to send proposals. Application Deadline: 1 November 2015 Notification of selected proposal(s): 1 November 2015 Exhibition Period: June – September 2016 About the Programme In January 2015 Kunsthal Aarhus launched two-year artistic programme exploring the idea of COLLECTIVE MAKING. With this, we propose to examine collective processes of production, in recognition that creativity need not be bound to individualism and conventional ideas of authorship. Although there is a long history of artist collectives, and artist associations linked to Kunsthals (like Kunsthal Aarhus), contemporary art has remained dominated by individualised practices for the most part. We ask what are the challenges for artworks produced through collaborative, distributed and socialised forms now it has become more fashionable? While large part of Kunsthal Aarhus programme brings attention to artistic and curatorial practice in Denmark and in particular explores artists associations and artists/curatorial collectives located in Denmark, this Call is a partnership with the Centre for Culture and Development’s Images program, and expands our interest to explore collective practices in East and West Africa and Middle East in particular. Conditions: •Proposals for exhibitions and associated public programme should address the overall theme of COLLECTIVE MAKING and we particularly encourage proposals that bring focus and explore collaborative artistic and curatorial practice within the region of Africa and Middle East. •Proposals should be designed to fill approx. 800 square metres of exhibitions space arranged across 3 gallery rooms and be accompanied by a linked public programme. The selected proposal will be developed and produced in collaboration with Kunsthal Aarhus and its curatorial team. •Kunsthal Aarhus provides a budget of up to a maximum of 400 000 DKK towards full exhibition costs and public programme (including in-house costs such as curatorial support, project management, technical support, installation, technical assistance, publicity and marketing, artist and curatorial fees, travel, transport, insurance, communication and interpretation, public programme, etc.). Jury: Exhibition to be realised at Kunsthal Aarhus in the summer 2016 will be selected from submitted proposals by an international jury composed of: Sarah Rifky, Curator and Co-director of Beirut art space in Cairo, Egypt Bisi Silva, Artistic Director, Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos Alia Rayyan, Curator and Artistic Director of Al Hoash Gallery – the Palestinian Art Court, Jerusalem, Palestine Joasia Krysa, Artistic Director, Kunsthal Aarhus, Denmark Submission: The proposal must include the following: 1) Completed application form 2) Project description (max. 2 pages), including proposed exhibition installation plan at Kunsthal Aarhus 3) CV for all participants 4) Documentation of work 5) Estimated budget, and a fundraising plan for costs exceeding available budget. How to submit: Please send complete applications electronically with a subject line ‘Open Call 2016 Focus Collective Making Africa and Middle East’, by no later than midnight 1 November 2015, to: exhibitions@kunsthal.dk. All documents must be enclosed in one PDF document (max 8 MB). Download application form here. For further inquiries, please contact: Jeanett Stampe, Head of Exhibitions, Kunsthal Aarhus, exhibitions@kunsthal.dk. Please find all information in French here. Established in 1917, Kunsthal Aarhus is contemporary art institution located in the city of Aarhus, Denmark. It presents a programme of changing exhibitions as well as a public programme including talks, seminars, writings, performances, concerts and screenings. Kunsthal Aarhus provides a dynamic platform for collaborative and transdisciplinary research, artistic experimentation and critical engagement. It operates as an incubator for ideas through initiating, commissioning, producing and presenting new work for a local and international public. http://kunsthalaarhus.dkwww.cku.dk