Category: Contemporary Art

Announcing Kia Redman as the Barbadian resident artist at Le Centre d’Art, Haiti

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Fresh Milk is thrilled to announce Barbadian artist Kia Redman as the recipient of a one month artist residency at Le Centre d’Art, Haiti, who we have partnered with for a residency exchange programme between Haiti and the wider Caribbean to create opportunities for women arts practitioners, supported by UNESCO’s International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFDC).

Kia’s residency will take place October 14th – November 14th, 2019. A subsequent call for women, Haitian artists to attend a one month residency with us at Fresh Milk, Barbados will be released soon!

About Kia Redman:

Kia Redman is a creative professional living and working in Barbados. She attained her BFA in Studio Art R with first-class honours from the Barbados Community College in 2017 and has spent the time since developing her creative practice.

Kia currently works part time as a designer and videographer for Acute Vision Inc. and Bajans in Motion. She has participated in local residencies with Punch Creative Arena and Fresh Milk Barbados and taken part in local group shows and screenings internationally. In 2018 her short film Roots|Routes won six awards including Best Short Film at the Barbados Visual Media Festival.

Being born into a post-independent nation in formation, Kia’s work focuses on issues of identity, mapping culture and documenting histories. She aims to rewrite the blanket definition taught to be her Caribbean identity and discover the things unique to her lived experience.

Jungle, Digital Collage (in progress), Experimentation with combining live images with illustrations. Part of ‘A Paradise Escape?’
The Tourist, Digital Collage (in progress), Part of ‘A Paradise Escape?’
The Citizen, Digital Collage (in progress), Part of ‘A Paradise Escape?’

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About Le Centre d’Art:

Le Centre d’Art in Port-au-Prince is an institution that works towards promoting artistic creations by Haitian practitioners on the basis of preserved heritage values. Since its creation in 1944, this atypical space with multiple missions has been at the heart of societal and artistic evolutions. As the major protagonist in the reconfiguration of the fine arts realm in Haiti, Le  Centre d’Art has been paving the way for several schools and artistic movements.

Despite the destruction of the infrastructure during the earthquake of 2010, Le Centre d’Art managed to save more than 5000 works and 3000 archive files, which are today preserved and valued. Since the reopening in 2014, Le Centre d’Art has once again become an essential part of Haitian culture.

Its mission is to support artists and their creations, and to conserve and disseminate Haitian visual arts. It is a resource space for artists, art students, art lovers, collectors and researchers alike.

Open Call: Artist Residency at Le Centre d’Art, Haiti

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Fresh Milk is pleased to announce an exciting partnership with fellow arts organization Le Centre d’Art, Haiti, who have invited us to be part of a residency exchange programme between Haiti and the wider Caribbean to create opportunities for women arts practitioners, supported by UNESCO’s International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFDC).

This segment of the programme invites women artists from Barbados or its diaspora to apply for a fully funded, one month residency at Le Centre d’Art in Haiti from October 14th – November 14th, 2019. The deadline for submissions is August 16th, 2019.

A subsequent call for women, Haitian artists to attend a one month residency with us at Fresh Milk, Barbados will be released at a later date.

See the current, full open call below, or download the PDF guidelines and application form here.

About Le Centre d’Art

Le Centre d’Art in Port-au-Prince is an institution that works towards promoting artistic creations by Haitian practitioners on the basis of preserved heritage values. Since its creation in 1944, this atypical space with multiple missions has been at the heart of societal and artistic evolutions. As the major protagonist in the reconfiguration of the fine arts realm in Haiti, Le  Centre d’Art has been paving the way for several schools and artistic movements.

Over the years, well-known Haitian artists have been revealed internationally, including Philomé Obin, Hector Hyppolite, George Liautaud, Antonio Joseph, Rigaud Benoit, Robert St Brice, Jasmin Joseph, and Préfète Duffaut.

Le Centre d’Art was the starting point for a wealth of visual creativity–upholding a considerable legacy that is today part of private and public collections, in Haiti and abroad. The establishment is apolitical, non-profit, and has gained public recognition since 1947. The governance is composed of a board of directors, an international scientific council and an executive team

Despite the destruction of the infrastructure during the earthquake of 2010, Le Centre d’Art managed to save more than 5000 works and 3000 archive files, which are today preserved and valued. Since the reopening in 2014, Le Centre d’Art has once again become an essential part of Haitian culture.

Its mission is to support artists and their creations, and to conserve and disseminate Haitian visual arts. It is a resource space for artists, art students, art lovers, collectors and researchers alike.

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Residencies Scope

Le Centre d’Art is setting up a synergy project for artistic creation and artistic analysis in the Caribbean, thanks in particular to UNESCO’s International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFDC). Titled Implementation of a Network for the Creation and Dissemination of Caribbean Art, the project aims to create a link between Haiti and Caribbean places of creation, and to promote the practices of Caribbean artists, especially women, to strengthen the Haitian cultural sector. For two years, artistic residencies will be set up, and will end with an exhibition and a widely distributed publication.

Theme

“The ability of humans to participate intelligently in the evolution of their own system is dependent on their ability to perceive the whole” – Immanuel Wallerstein

Toussaint L’Ouverture, Jean Price Mars, Aimé Césaire, Marcus Garvey, Frantz Fanon, Derek Walcott – long is the list of illustrious men who have shaped the Caribbean as we know it today. What about Caribbean women? University theses on the role of women are rising but they are not written for the general public. Art has the power to make accessible fundamental values and principles, which are too often convoluted. This project aims at highlighting the role of women in the construction of the Caribbean.

About the Residency

For this segment of the residency programme, Le Centre d’Art will host one Barbadian artist for one month in Haiti from October 14th to November 14th, 2019.

Le Centre d’Art will fully bear the costs of residency. The artist will be provided with a workspace, tools and supplies and housing. In addition, the artist will receive per diem to cover all food and transportation expenses throughout the residency. The ticket and the visa will also be covered by Le Centre d’Art.

Moreover, the team of Le Centre d’Art will facilitate access to public and private art collections and cultural activities. The artist will visit artists’ studios, and will give a class on a specific art technique at Le Centre d‘Art.

Le Centre d’Art is located in the heart of the Haitian capital, Port-auPrince. The artist will be housed in a neighbourhood close to Le Centre d’Art and will be able to work within the institution.

Terms of Application

Residency in Haiti, October 14th–November 14th, 2019

This call for applications to attend a residency at Le Centre d’Art in Haiti is now opened to any woman artist from Barbados or the diaspora.

The call concerns exclusively the field of visual arts (any medium). The artist may practice multiple forms of artistic production.

The submitted file must include the following documents in a single PDF document:

• The completed application form (download the document here);
• The Artist’s Curriculum Vitae, including elements describing the artist’s training, her professional career, her experiences, the history of her public exhibitions and shows in galleries (2 pages maximum);
• The residency project related to the theme (2 pages maximum)
• A selection of visuals of the artist’s works (10 works visuals maximum). The visuals must be in color and captioned to legibly specify the dimensions, materials and technique used. For videographers, a page with links to videos accompanied by a brief summary for each one.

Electronic files and any other request should be sent by email to contact@lecentredart.org and Cc judithmichel@lecentredart.org before August 16th, 2019 midnight (GMT).

Selection Committee

The decision is to be made by a selection committee composed of a member of the Board of Le Centre d’Art, a member of the executive team and a representative of Fresh Milk.

Criteria

Special attention to be paid to:

• mastery of the techniques used and the quality of execution
• the aesthetic and technical interest of the artist’s practice
• the coherence of the artist’s proposal with the theme as well as the depth of the readings and interpretations of concepts
• the originality of the works

#ask TVE 2019 – Community Feedback

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As part of Transoceanic Visual Exchange‘s (TVE) community led curatorial approach to the selection of works that will be screened as part of our 2019 programme, we invite input from those living in the Caribbean and its diaspora to share their thoughts on what is happening right now in the areas of video art and film in their region.

#askTVE lets you submit your feedback directly to our team, which will add to the discourse in our community roundtable sessions and be taken into consideration when forming the final shape of the programme.

Respond to the form here!

About TVE 2019:

The Fresh Milk Art Platform (Barbados), China Residencies (NY and China), The Barbados Museum and Historical Society, I: project space (Beijing) and Alice Yard (Trinidad & Tobago) are partnering to screen a survey of of recent film and video works – screenings, installations, new media and expanded cinema – by contemporary artists practicing in the Caribbean, China and their diasporas for the third edition of Transoceanic Visual Exchange (TVE), a series of programmes taking place this year between Barbados, China and Trinidad & Tobago.

Fresh Milk announces participation in the international programme ‘CONTESTED DESIRES’

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Fresh Milk is delighted to be a part of the team of cultural entities headed by D6: Culture in Transit whose collaborative project “CONTESTED DESIRES” was awarded funding by Creative Europe. We are the only Caribbean cultural organisation on the team, and we very much look forward to working with our EU partners between now and 2021 as the project unfolds.

See the original press release on the D6 website here.

CONTESTED DESIRES

D6, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, has been awarded €199,937 to promote creative international connections and development opportunities between our region, the rest of Europe and beyond.

D6 is one of only a handful of UK organisations leading these international cultural projects, and the only one to be selected in the North East of England. CONTESTED DESIRES will include partners in Italy (ECCOM), Spain (La Bonne), Cyprus (Xarkis), Portugal (Lac) and Barbados (Fresh Milk). Through contemporary visual arts it explores our colonial histories and the impact this has had on our understanding of European cultural heritage and identity. At a time of increasing right wing populism, CONTESTED DESIRES aims to challenge the de-stabilising and divisive impact of political discourse where the complexities, diversity and expansion of our communities continue to be met with the power play of fear-mongering, discrimination and exclusion.

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CONTESTED DESIRES will work with artists and producers to engage with communities both in the North East and further a field to create spaces for intercultural dialogue. The programme will begin in September 2019 and over the next two years will offer unique opportunities for artists and communities, further enriching the cultural scene and supporting creatives to grow their experience and knowledge of the wider international arts sector. The programme will include artist residences, capacity building, exhibitions, public events and new digital work.

This is not the first time that D6 has attracted Creative Europe to the UK.  From 2014-18 Corners connected communities in the North East of England to communities across Europe. Through a creative programme, Corners drew threads between neighbourhoods built for industries that were no longer there or that had significantly changed.

At a time of such uncertainty with our relationship with Europe, we are pleased to have been handed the baton by the European Commission to continue to grow this region’s international collaborations, and by our international partners who chose to invest in D6 and in the UK when the political landscape is so uncertain. We are delighted to once again be bringing this investment to our region and look forward to the journey ahead.

Clymene Christoforou, Director, D6: Culture in Transit

Event Cancelled – FRESH MILK XXII – A Potlatch of Histories: Lessons on Brazilian Art

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Due to unforeseen circumstances related to travel, Paulo Miyada’s trip to Barbados and the event FRESH MILK XXII will no longer take place this week as planned. We apologize for any inconvenience caused, and we hope to make arrangements to reschedule for later in the year.

Thank you for your understanding, and wishing you all the best.
The Fresh Milk Team

The Fresh Milk Art Platform is pleased to invite you to FRESH MILK XXII – A Potlatch of Histories: Lessons on Brazilian Art, taking place on Thursday, June 6th, 2019 from 7:00pm – 9:00pm at Fresh Milk, Walkers Dairy, St. George, Barbados. This event will feature a presentation by São Paulo-based curator Paulo Miyada, chief curator of the Tomie Ohtake Institute and the adjunct curator of the 34th São Paulo Biennial (2020).

Paulo will address a few significant chapters from Brazilian art history and offer the audience an exchange: for every narrative about Barbados’ culture and history that someone can bring to the table, he will also share information about another artist or event from Brazil. Join us for an evening of rich cross-cultural discussion and knowledge transfer!

This event is free and open to the public. Directions to Fresh Milk can be found on the ‘About Page’ of our website.

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About Paulo Miyada:

Photo credit: Patrícia Araujo

Paulo Miyada is a curator and researcher of contemporary art. He holds a Master’s Degree in History of Architecture and Urbanism from FAU – USP. He is the adjunct  curator of the 34th São Paulo Biennial (2020) and the chief curator of the Tomie Ohtake Institute, where he coordinates the Research and Curation Center, as well as co-coordinating the course programme of the Escola Entrópica, where he teaches. He was assistant curator of the 29th São Paulo Biennial (2010), part of the curatorial team at Rumos Artes Visuais do Itaú Cultural (2011-2013) and was adjunct curator of the 34th Panorama of Brazilian Art at MAM-SP (2015). Among other projects, he has curated: É preciso confrontar as imagens vagas com os gestos claros (2012), Paulo Bruscky: Banco de Ideias (2012), Medos Modernos (2014), Estou Cá (2016), Leda Catunda: I love you, baby (2016), Osso – Exposição-apelo ao amplo direito de defesa de Rafael Braga (2017), Miguel Rio Branco: Wishful Thinking (2017) e AI-5 50 Anos – Ainda não terminou de acabar (2018).