Call to Artists: Virtual Collage Artist Residency: Castles as Buildings, Metaphors, & Systems of Power

CALL TO ARTISTS

Castles as Buildings, Metaphors and Systems of Power Virtual Artist Residency

A month-long, virtual/online collage artist residency in November and December 2024

Early Deadline to Apply: Monday, 21 October 2024
Final Deadline to Apply: Monday, 4 November 2024
Submit your application HERE

As part of a year-long investigation of castles as buildings, metaphors, and systems of power, Kolaj Institute will host a month-long virtual artist residency focused on castles and the space they occupy in our contemporary imagination. The residency will build on the work done by artists in Collage Artist Residency: Scotland and New Orleans where artists explored feudal castle systems, manor houses, and plantations as buildings, metaphors, and systems of power. 

The idea of castles dates back to the medieval period. Conventionally defined as fortified homes for seats of power, over time the idea of castles has evolved dramatically. Rich in mythology and folklore, castles appear in the 20th and 21st century as palatial estates renowned for their aristocracy and romance, centers of theme parks of the imagination.  The idea that a “man’s house is his castle” is one of the oldest principles in Anglo-American jurisprudence. The reality of castles is much more complex: Not homes, but villages where complex systems of power dictated rules and etiquette. As models of human organization, castle-like systems can be found in early colonial Americas and plantation culture where the romance of Lord of the Manor and Master of the House falls quickly against the realities of slavery, patriarchy, and class division. In 21st century late-stage capitalism, we see the castle system reproduced in the C-Suites of the corporate class. 

In this virtual residency, we will examine 20th century romantic notions of castles in popular media and theme parks. Artists will make artwork that expresses ideas that connect history and folklore to contemporary manifestations of power. 

Artists will learn how to develop contemporary art projects and adapt their artist practice to pick up the unfinished work of history and make art that contributes to the civic discourse. Through interactive sessions, artists will explore their process and practice; present a slideshow of their work; receive supportive, critical, curatorial feedback about their ideas; and discuss contemporary issues. The residency will speak to issues of appropriation, copyright, and fair use and explore how the artist’s choice and understanding of material shapes the narrative of the artwork. Additional topics will include understanding one’s own artist practice and using history in one’s work; collage in theory; what contemporary means and how contemporary art projects operate in the ecosystem of art; how to build context for one’s artwork; and making exhibition proposals. Artists will complete the residency with a new perspective on their art practice. 

After the Residency, artists will be invited to propose artwork for inclusion in Kolaj Institute’s Castle Project, an exhibition, book, and related programs in 2025-2026 that invite viewers to consider how the history of castles, colonies, plantations, and corporations relate to one another and shape the world we live in today. 

WHO IS THIS FOR?

The Castles as Buildings, Metaphors, and Systems of Power Virtual Artist Residency is centered on collage artists who want to develop their artist practice to include using history and cultural imagery to speak to contemporary issues. Residencies are professional development programs, intended for self-motivated artists, regardless of the stage in their career, who want to explore a topic or working method and collaborate with others. The focused goal of the residency is a proposal for artwork that may be included in a book and exhibition.

COST

The cost of the residency is $500 USD per artist. A limited number of grants is available to reduce barriers to participation in the program, particularly for those artists coming from places in the world that face historic economic disadvantages. Financial Assistance is limited and possible through the support of donors to Kolaj Institute.

HOW TO APPLY

Submit your application HERE.

RESIDENCY LOGISTICS

Dates: 24 November-16 December 2024

SESSION DATES
Sunday, 24 November 2024, 2-4PM EST
Sunday, 1 December 2024, 2-4PM EST
Sunday, 8 December 2024, 2-4PM EST
Sunday, 15 December 2024, 2-4PM EST

The workshop will begin with an invitation to join the Slack workspace on Saturday, 23 November 2024. Introductions and Orientation will take place during our first meeting on Sunday, 24 November 2024, 2-4PM EST. 

Artists are expected to attend all scheduled sessions and complete assignments.

APPLICATION PROCESS

The submission process asks applicants for:
• Contact information
• Artist Bio (50-250 words)
• Statement of Artist Practice (50-300 words)
• 5-7 images of artwork
• Statement of expectations
• Asks questions about your work and needs

QUESTIONS

If you have questions, send an email.


ABOUT THE FACULTY

Top of the Cultural Midden Heap by Ric Kasini Kadour
15″x11″; collage of book image and materials left behind by artists in residence on cardstock; 2024. Courtesy of the artist.

Ric Kasini Kadour, a 2021 Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Curatorial Fellow, is a writer, artist, publisher, and cultural worker. Working with the Vermont Arts Council, Kadour curated four exhibits: “Connection: The Art of Coming Together” (2017) and Vermont Artists to Watch 2018, 2019 and 2020. In 2017, he curated “The Art of Winter” at S.P.A.C.E. Gallery in Burlington, Vermont. In 2018, Kadour curated “Revolutionary Paths: Critical Issues in Collage” at Antenna Gallery in New Orleans, which bought together collage artists whose work represents the potential for deeper inquiry and further curatorial exploration of the medium; followed in 2019 by “Cultural Deconstructions: Critical Issues in Collage” at LeMieux Galleries in New Orleans, which furthered the conversation; and “Amuse Bouche”, also at LeMieux Galleries in 2023. Since 2018, he has produced Kolaj Fest New Orleans, a multi-day festival & symposium about contemporary collage and its role in art, culture, and society. As Curator of Contemporary Art at Rokeby Museum in Ferrisburgh, Vermont in 2019 and 2020, he curated three exhibitions, “Rokeby Through the Lens” (May 19-June 16, 2019), “Structures” (August 24-October 27, 2019), and “Mending Fences: New Works by Carol MacDonald” (July 12-October 25, 2020). He also curated “Contemporary American Regionalism: Vermont Perspectives” (August 17-October 20, 2019); “Where the Sun Casts No Shadow: Postcards from the Creative Crossroads of Quito, Ecuador” (November 1-30, 2019); and “Many Americas” (August 20-November 27, 2022) in the Wilson Museum & Galleries at the Southern Vermont Arts Center. “The Money $how”, co-curated with Frank Juarez, was presented at the AIR Space Gallery at Saint Kate-The Arts Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (April 10-September 12, 2021). For Birr Vintage Week & Arts Festival in Birr, County Offaly, Ireland (August 13-20, 2021), he curated “Empty Columns Are a Place to Dream”, which traveled to the Knoxville Museum of Art in January-February 2022. At 516 ARTS in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Kadour co-curated with Alicia Inez Guzmàn two exhibitions: “Many Worlds Are Born” (February 19-May 14, 2022) and “Technologies of the Spirit” (June 11-September 3, 2022). In 2023 at the Knoxville Museum of Art, Kadour curated “Where the Sun Casts No Shadow: Postcards from the Creative Crossroads of Quito, Ecuador” (January 9-February 16, 2023) and “Mythical Landscape: Secrets of the Vale” (March 17-May 28, 2023). In September 2023, he curated “Word of Mouth: Folklore, Community and Collage” at A’ the Airts in Sanquhar, Scotland. At Kolaj Institute Gallery, he curated “Grand Opening Exhibition” (March 9-April 14, 2024), “Collage the Planet: Environmentalism in Art” (April 19-May 26, 2024), “Magic in the Modern World” (June 1-August 11, 2024), “Advanced Wound Healing Techniques: Collage by Robbie Morgan” (August 16-October 6, 2024), and “Temporal Geolocation: How Place & History Inform Identity in Collage” (October 11-November 24, 2024).

His first short film, The Covenant of Schwitters’ Army, debuted at Collage on Screen during Kolaj Fest New Orleans 2023. His second, Joy Is Paper, debuted at Collage on Screen during Kolaj Fest New Orleans 2024. Kadour is the editor and publisher of Kolaj Magazine. He has written for a number of galleries and his writing has appeared in Hyperallergic, OEI, Vermont Magazine, Seven Days, Seattle Weekly, Art New England (where he was the former Vermont editor) and many others. Kadour maintains an active art practice and his photography, collage, and sculpture have been exhibited in and are part of private collections in Australia, Europe and North America. In January-February 2020, he was artist-in-residence at MERZ Gallery in Sanquhar, Scotland. He holds a BA in Comparative Religion from the University of Vermont. Kadour splits his time between Montreal and New Orleans. www.rickasinikadour.com