Call for applications: CLICK residency Sofia

International curatorial residency in Sofia, Bulgaria

Art Affairs and Documents Foundation, Goethe-Institut Bulgaria and Credo Bonum Gallery are pleased to announce the launch of CLICK – an international residency programme for curators. The programme provides 5-weeks-long residency in the city of Sofia to emerging curators. The residency covers accommodation, a fee and budget for the production of an exhibition or other curatorial project. Furthermore, the programme offers meetings with artists and curators in Sofia, studio visits, and assistance with research and production of final projects.

ABOUT THE PROGRAMME

Art Affairs and Documents Foundation is a professional organization of curators, operating in Bulgaria and internationally. It was founded by curators Vessela Nozharova, Vera Mlechevska, Dessislava Dimova and Svetlana Kuyumdzhieva. Individual and collective efforts of its members are to broaden the understanding of visual art and culture as part of historical, social and political dynamics. The organisation often steps in collaborating with many local institutions and entities and among other activities it mediates intercultural dialogue.

The CLICK residency is realized in partnership between Art Affairs and Documents Foundation, Goethe-Institut Bulgaria, and in cooperation with the Credo Bonum Gallery, Sofia. The platform CLICK residency is supported by the Sofia Culture Directorate.

The first edition of the programme takes place in the context of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU during the first half of 2018. The political event of the Presidency is also an important impulse for the art scene. It is an occasion for a diverse programme of cultural events in Sofia which aims to present and promote Bulgarian art, as well as to put it in dialogue with other cultures across Europe. Participants in the CLICK programme will not only have the opportunity to experience this extraordinary period for the Bulgarian art scene, but also to actively take part in it by curating an exhibition or another curatorial project which will be included in the official cultural collateral program of the Presidency.

Furthermore, the residency aims at creating a network and offering the possibility for new encounters and professional contacts which will eventually lead to future collaborations between international and Bulgarian curators and artists.

THE PROGRAMME PROVIDES

• accommodation for 5 weeks in a separate studio apartment in the very heart of the city of Sofia
• the schedule of the residency is flexible: selected curators can spend the 5 weeks in Sofia as a single uninterrupted stay, or travel twice: a research period followed by a separate trip for the realization of the final project.
• fee of 400 EUR
• production budget of 600 EUR for an exhibition or other curatorial final project
• exhibition/event space(s) – Credo Bonum Gallery and the gallery of Goethe-Institut Bulgaria (+ technical equipment)
• organised program of meetings with Bulgarian curators and artists, visits in galleries and institutions, studio visits
• assistance for research, production etc.
• travel costs are NOT covered, but the organisers can provide a recommendation letter in case the residents apply for external funding for covering their travel costs.
• Selected curators should take care of health and travel insurances by themselves.
• In 2018 the programme provides residencies to two curators selected after the open call.

EXPECTATIONS FROM THE RESIDENTS

Residents are expected to have interest in discovering and learning more about Bulgarian art scene, in working with Bulgarian artists and exchanging knowledge, contacts, new practices and more. Interest in networking, creating professional contacts, exchange and future collaborations with Bulgarian curators and artists beside the residency, is highly appreciated.

In conclusion of the residency selected curators have to present a final project – preferably an exhibition (with Bulgarian artists) or a performance, a workshop or other public events and experimental formats. The organisers provide exhibition/event spaces: the Credo Bonum Gallery and the gallery of the Goethe-Institut Bulgaria.

WHO CAN APPLY

Non-Bulgarian emerging curators, regardless of their age or country of origin, are invited to apply. Curatorial experience of at least two years or at least three realized curatorial projects are required, as well as good command of English.

SCHEDULE

January – opening the call for application
10^th March – deadline for application
Mid-end March – informing the applicants and announcing the selected curators
May-June – first possible period for the residencies to take place
October-November – second possible period for the residencies to take place

APPLICATION

Interested curators have to submit following documents (in English):

• a CV
• a portfolio with documentation of at least three realized curatorial projects
• a cover letter expressing the motivation of the applicant. Mentioning background knowledge of the Bulgarian art scene, possible topics of interest for research as well as expressing interest or ideas for the final project are of advantage. Please, include your desired schedule for the residency (in which of the two periods and if you spend the 5 week-period in one or two stays – possibly with approximate dates).
• Applications to be submitted before 10^th March at click.sofia@goethe.de

SELECTION COMMETTEE

Vessela Nozharova – curator and representative of the Art Affairs and Documents Foundation
Vera Mlechevska – curator and representative of the Art Affairs and Documents Foundation
Dessislava Dimova – curator and representative of the Art Affairs and Documents Foundation
Enzio Wetzel and Stefka Tsaneva – representatives of Goethe-Institut Bulgaria
Emile Ouroumov – independent curator
Snejana Krasteva – curator, Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow

CLICK is a project by Art Affairs and Documents Foundation and Goethe-Institut Bulgaria
Partner: Credo Bonum Gallery, Sofia
Supported by the Programme “Culture” of the City of Sofia, Bulgaria
Contact person for further questions: Stefka Tsaneva, click.sofia@goethe.de
More information: www.click-sofia.tumblr.com 
CLICK’s visual identity is created by artist Boris Pramatarov.