Skulptur/Sculptuur Bredelar: Call for curators

Symposium 2017 and Exhibition 2018

Register by 1 November 2016
Paper submission by 30 January 2017

About us and our mission:

Skulptur/Sculptuur Bredelar is a project about Dutch and German sculpture. Every two years, we offer young – known and unknown – Dutch and German artists a platform to exhibit their work at Kloster Bredelar (near Marsberg in Sauerland, Germany). During these Biennales, we purchase one piece, which is subsequently given on long-term loan to the abbey, thus adding to the contemporary sculpture park being created in Bredelar.

The first Prelude Exhibition took place in the summer of 2014 and the Hybrid Modus exhibition by curators Bas Hendrikx (NL) and Ursula Ströbele (D) will open on 28 May 2016 (see website). The next exhibition will take place in 2018.

Kloster Bredelar

Kloster Bredelar is a medieval monument in east Sauerland, not far from the documenta city of Kassel. Every year, over two hundred events are held at the abbey, from workshops to lectures, weddings to conferences. The west wing and former church have been renovated, renovations of the nearby foundry are currently ongoing, and plans have been drawn up to turn the ruinous east and south wings into hotel and catering establishments, places to spend the night and housing. A legacy is available for the linking structure, to be used in the future to fund the creation of an area dedicated to sculpture on the south side.

We are looking for people like you!

We are looking for a Dutch and German curator to organise the 2018 Exhibition. You need to have a feel for the field of contemporary sculpture, be able to demonstrate its urgency, and clarify your vision in order to ultimately visualise this in an exhibition. Entry is open to any curator, sculptor, gallery owner or theoretician who has an affinity with contemporary sculpture and is keen to organise an exhibition featuring Dutch and German artists.
You are asked to write an essay on the subject: ‘The need for contemporary sculpture in the Netherlands and Germany’. Please also attach a minimum of two and maximum of seven images of contemporary works of art supporting your vision. Essays may be written in Dutch, German or English.

Terms and conditions of entry

1. Email mail@sculptuur-bredelar.nl by 1 November 2016:
   • To register your participation, including an introduction to your essay (300 words)
   • A written motivation of your personal enthusiasm and expectations about the project
2. And send a PDF file of maximum 12 MB by 30 January 2017 to mail@sculptuur-bredelar.nl consisting of:

• Your essay (maximum 2,000 words) on: ‘The need for contemporary sculpture in Germany and the Netherlands’
• Minimum two, maximum seven images of contemporary works of art which illustrate the kind of exhibition you envision organising and which support your argument

3. A CV with detailed description of your relevant training and work experience
4. Two written references from third parties recommending your entry
5. We need to have received your essay by 30 January 2017

Symposium 2017

An independent, professional jury will select two curators (one Dutch and one German) from the entries received. These curators will be given the opportunity to organise an exhibition at Kloster Bredelar the following year, in May 2018, under the supervision of the project manager.

During the symposium in the Netherlands on Sunday 18 June 2017, the two winners will clarify their essay in a Pecha Kucha style presentation. After these presentations, you will enter into a debate with a panel of sculpture connoisseurs, the jury, the two former curators of Skulptur/Sculptuur Bredelar and the audience in the room. The debate will focus on the question of how the newly selected curators plan to express the ideas from their essays in an exhibition. Essay authors are therefore advised to familiarise themselves with the exhibition venue by visiting the 2016 exhibition (28 May to 31 July 2016 incl.) at Kloster Bredelar.

We offer a payment of € 250, exclusive of VAT and inclusive of travelling expenses, for the presentation and debate. The symposium takes one day and the language of communication is English.

Bredelar Papers

The essays and images, as well as a summary of the discussion, will be compiled and published in the Skulptur/Sculptuur Bredelar Papers series.

• You will be paid € 0.30 per word for this (2,000 words amounts to € 600)

Exhibition 2018

The two selected curators will visit Kloster Bredelar together with the project manager of Skulptur/Sculptuur Bredelar. They will be allocated a budget and write their concept for the Skulptur/Sculptuur Bredelar Biennale for the following year (2018).

The Biennale is organised under the supervision and responsibility of the project manager. With this in mind, the project manager and curators will keep in regular contact according to a schedule to be agreed beforehand, to ensure the progress of activities.

This is your field of activity:

• you are an expert in the field of sculpture (plastic arts, sculpture, spatial art)
  • you are able to explain why you feel sculpture is important
  • you are familiar with new work which you are really keen to show
• your specialist field relates to our time
• you are prepared to limit yourself to two countries: the Netherlands and Germany

If you are lucky enough to be selected as a curator:

• you will be allocated a budget for your part of the exhibition
• you will organise the exhibition in Germany together with your fellow curator and under the supervision of the project manager
• you will sign a contract as a guest curator and receive a fee of € 5,000 in three instalments for your services
  • A production budget and modest fee is available for the participating artists (maximum seven) you select

Act now:

• Read the ‘Call for curators’ on the website: www.sculptuur-bredelar.nl
• Visit the 2016 exhibition Hybrid Modus at Kloster Bredelar
• Watch the retrospective of the Prelude Exhibition on YouTube
• Email us the brief synopsis of your essay in 300 words by 1 November 2016