Curators’ Agenda Residency program

Intensive residency program for emerging international curators organized by DAS WEISSE HAUS in partnership with the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna.

Curators’ Agenda (C’A) is an annual intensive curators-in-residence program taking place in Vienna, launched in 2015 by the Vienna-based organization BLOCKFREI. BLOCKFREI Collective (Nevena Janković, Eva Kovač, and Jana Dolečki) assumed the leadership of DAS WEISSE HAUS (from Alexandra Grausam) in January 2024 and, since then, integrated BLOCKFREI’s programs under the umbrella of DAS WEISSE HAUS.

C’A program is designed for up to ten curators, selected via an international open call, who are interested in enhancing their curatorial competencies and establishing sustainable professional connections with the Viennese contemporary art scene and their peers.

Application deadline: July 20, 2024
Program duration: September 10–November 10, 2024
Program location: Vienna, Austria (DAS WEISSE HAUS, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, different locations around Vienna).

For whom is the C’A designed
C’A is designed for emerging curators from all around the world, who are seeking to discover Vienna’s contemporary art scene and are eager to immerse themselves in its diverse narratives and inclinations. Based on their applications, up to ten curators will be selected to participate.

C’A program

• Lectures & talks with established curators and cultural educators from leading institutions and independent spaces, as well as with freelance curators and art professionals
• Weekly theoretical workshops with curatorial mentor Anamarija Batista
• Studio visits
• Guided tours and visits to current art fairs
• Project management workshop
• As part of the program’s final segment, the C’A participants will co-curate a group exhibition at DAS WEISSE HAUS, showcasing selected artists (students and recent alumni) from the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna.

C’A program costs
The registration fee is 70 EUR (this processing fee is non-refundable). The registration fee payment must be made by the deadline of July 20, 2024, and proof of payment must be sent to studio [ at ] dasweissehaus.at.

The program participation fee is 1,200 EUR. After being informed, selected participants must make the payment of the program participation fee by July 26, 2024. The transaction confirmation needs to be emailed to studio [ at ] dasweissehaus.at on that date. Cancellations made after July 31, 2024, will result in non-refundable fees. Refunds for cancellations made before this date will be subject to bank transfer fees.

The program fee covers entries to museums, art fairs, and other special events, workshops, lectures, studio visits, and production costs of the group exhibition.

C’A application
Please send us your CV/biography (one A4 page), a letter of motivation (one A4 page) explaining why you want to take part in this program, and the completed registration form (available here) by July 20, 2024, to studio [ at ] dasweissehaus.at with the subject line: Application Curators’ Agenda: VIENNA 2024. All candidates will be notified about the outcome of their application several days after the deadline.

Important information

• The working language of the program is English.
• There is no age limit for the applicants.
• The participants will receive the certificate of the Curators’ Agenda program completion after finishing the residency.
• If you require a traveling visa for Austria, make sure to learn what you need for that purpose in a timely manner.
• The accommodation, travel insurance, and medical insurance, as well as the public transport tickets are not included in the fee but are part of the responsibility of the selected candidates.
• Bank fees and wire costs should be covered by the participants. Please take this into account when making a payment.

All inquiries regarding the program can be directed to studio [ at ] dasweissehaus.at.

You can find more information about the previous collaborative exhibitions in the framework of the Curators’ Agenda program here: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015.

Photo credit: God’s Entertainment, Performance BODIES & BUILDING, DAS WEISSE HAUS (2024), ©Peter Mayr.