Tag: Het Nieuwe Instituut

Jury Report: Tilting Axis Fellowship 2023

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In Fall 2019, Het Nieuwe Instituut joined forces with Tilting Axis to offer a Fellowship to one mid-career or established applicant based in the Caribbean. Barbadian multi-disciplinary designer and architect Israel Mapp has been selected as the recipient of the Tilting Axis /Het Nieuwe Instituut Fellowship 2023. Israel Mapp will begin the Fellowship at Het Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam starting February 2023 and will continue his research and activities through July 2023.

See the announcement on the Tilting Axis website here.

Barbadian multi-disciplinary designer and architect Israel Mapp

Procedure

The fellowship is supported by Het Nieuwe Instituut as lead partner and host, and will include collaborations with its partners, the Amsterdam Museum, De Appel, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and Kunstinstituut Melly. By the deadline for the application on May 27th 2022, Het Nieuwe Instituut and Tilting Axis received 9 eligible entries in response to the open call, from eight territories in the Caribbean region: Barbados, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Suriname, The Bahamas, and Trinidad & Tobago.

All the proposals were reviewed by a committee composed of the following members:

  • Aric Chen, Artistic and General Director, Het Nieuwe Instituut

  • Setareh Noorani, Researcher, Het Nieuwe Instituut

  • Iyawo (Holly Bynoe Young), Sour Grass and Tilting Axis co-founder

  • Annalee Davis, Visual Artist, Founding Director of Fresh Milk, Sour Grass and Tilting Axis co-founder

  • Jessy Koeiman, Curator Collective Learning, Kunstinstituut Melly

  • Mark Raymond, Director of the Graduate School of Architecture at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa

  • Huib Haye van der Werf (Interim Director), Director at De Appel

  • Inez van der Scheer, Junior Curator of Contemporary Art, Amsterdam Museum

  • Charl Landvreugd, Head of Research and Curatorial Practice, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

Submissions and interviews were evaluated based on their ability to present a clear proposal outlining their thinking, projected investigation, and how the fellowship would expand and enrich their practice. Four candidates were shortlisted and invited to an online interview with members of the selection committee on 22nd June 2022. Following the interviews, the committee selected Israel Mapp as the recipient of the 2023 fellowship. The other shortlisted candidates were Dayana Trigo Rames (Cuba), Jorge Pablo Lima (Cuba) and Miguel E. Keerveld (Suriname).

General Comments

The members of the jury were impressed by the spirited and dynamic nature of the projects, as well as the ambition of the applicants. The set of applications showed a variety of working methodologies and media, ranging from installations and architectural designs to the role of curating as an artist and various forms of social, political and symbolic public engagements and activism.

The jury was pleased to have received applications from applicants based across three linguistic territories of the Caribbean. Submissions responded to urgent themes including the climate emergency, colonialism, social consciousness, material cultures and architectural innovations found in nature, histories and literature.

The shortlisted projects investigated the nature of pathology in design, knowledge building within collective and co-creative practices, the role of architecture within ecology and embodied knowledge along with exploring non-extractive material considerations in the era of climate emergency.

Comments on the Selected Proposal

Israel Mapp’s proposal “Above Oceans” was supported unanimously during the interview process because of its considerations around material cultures and their connection to tangible and intangible heritages. The clarity expressed along with his poetic, empathetic and human-led explorations made his exchange with the jury memorable. In addition, Mapp was able to expand on his idea of creative placemaking in a meaningful way connecting several of his unique interests to the strengths of each partner institution.

This opportunity to engage in more intimate and nuanced ways with partner institutions is something that is very attractive to the legacy of the Fellowship. His inquiries and curiosities deal with the very real eco-challenges that are being faced by every Caribbean nation. “Above Oceans” points to material culture as praxis and identity and the urgency around forming community and institutional support using generative, open and humanist value systems.

His ambition includes embracing new learning through the introduction of labs which will create a growing reference library and continued opportunity to develop resources that can bring more wholeness and unification to the creative landscape of Barbados through exchange and co-ideation/co-creation. Collectively the jury was thrilled by Mapp’s interest in reworking clay, fibres from native flora, and limestone found in colonial architectural forms, and in re-presenting these materials in ways that will engage in an ethos connected to a regenerative circular design, that will involve creating more adaptive spaces that embody unlearning and transformation for these urgent times.

On receiving the news that he had been awarded the fellowship, Mapp shared this statement with the jury:

“Above Oceans is not the beginning, it is a point along an exploratory journey for me recognizing and acknowledging how landscape influences Barbadian identity. I truly enjoyed developing the “Above Oceans” proposal for the Tilting Axis Fellowship. It was a process of introspection and discovery working towards an alignment of love, joy, my talents and interests, and the needs of community.

I am equally thankful for the Tilting Axis | Het Nieuwe Instituut Team for taking the time and effort to consider, analyze and inquire with interest about Above Oceans. Receipt of critical feedback from one’s peers has always been an empowering experience for me. It often provides multiple and diverse perspectives that one would have not considered, drills down to the details that matter and ultimately adds more value and depth to the initial idea. Good design comes about when good questions are presented. This process with The Jury was insightful, and inspired me to review, refine and develop the proposal with the view to implement in Barbados. They asked great questions.

I am extremely grateful for and accept this gift and opportunity to continue and expand the work I have been doing in Barbados to which the fellowship will provide. It is also one of meaningful exchange, exploration and discovery; experiences that I value and contribute greatly to my work. My practice calls for experimentation and the exploration of the possibilities; working in the creative environment of Rotterdam will be an excellent observatory and laboratory.

The next six months will be critical in the planning of the fellowship beginning 2023. In addition to having access to the resources of Het Nieuwe Instituut, the partnering organisations and building new relationships, I look forward to taking opportunities for research and development, and collaborations towards approaches in architectural-product design routed innately in Barbadian material culture and a parallel track on understanding the development and operations of creative clusters. I look forward to sharing the fellowship and its fruits with my peers across the ocean.”

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Above is a selection of images from Mapp’s work which features:

  • Architecture: Urban Renewal Project Union at Beckwith Creative Cluster, Bridgetown.

  • Product Design Homewares: CartoGraphs – surface design of recovered Sukabumi stone tiles and Hot Tea clay tea pot product development.

  • Product Design Fashion: Flotsam+ Jetsam : Rescued Ocean Objects Reimagines and Hot Tea.

Open Call: Tilting Axis Fellowship 2023

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Het Nieuwe Instituut and Tilting Axis launch the third iteration of a fellowship programme for mid-career or established applicants based in the Caribbean. The initiative aims to foster and stimulate mutual exchange between the Caribbean region and the Dutch cultural field. Together with lead partners – Het Nieuwe Instituut and Tilting Axis – other cultural institutions including The Amsterdam Museum, De Appel, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and Kunstinstituut Melly will collaborate with the selected applicant during the fellowship.

For Whom?

One mid-career or established researcher, artist, designer, writer, curator, or cultural producer based in the Caribbean region interested in building new links with cultural institutions in the Netherlands, and with an interest in developing their practice around themes related to architecture, spatial practice, design or digital culture.

Resources offered by the Fellowship

  • Opportunities to develop, stimulate and visualise curatorial, design, and artistic realities coming from the Caribbean region.

  • Enhance knowledge exchange and collaboration with a cross-section of Dutch cultural institutions.

  • Network and exchange with a variety of platforms for professional experience

  • Produce critical knowledge on inter-disciplinary exchanges as well as visual culture.

  • Access practical support and travel to the Netherlands for an extended Fellowship.

  • Engage with hosting and collaborating institutions to interrogate and challenge their institutional structures and methodologies.

  • Utilise the existing Tilting Axis network.

About the Fellowship

This Fellowship focuses on applicants living and working within the Caribbean region and is both research and practice-led. The selected applicant will be based in Rotterdam at Het Nieuwe Instituut and will have access to other partner cultural institutions in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. A total stipend of €12,000 will be granted by Het Nieuwe Instituut to cover living expenses and in addition to the stipend, Het Nieuwe Instituut will cover the round-trip airfare from any country within the Caribbean to The Netherlands. Accommodation will be provided for a period of six months for a maximum of €800 per month. Stipends may be subject to a withholding tax. Specific details about the position will be discussed with the selected applicant. Developments around Covid-19 and/or the restrictions imposed by governments will be taken into account. Therefore the Fellowship might be developed partly remotely.

Read more about the past editions of the Tilting Axis Fellowship with Fellow Sean Leonard in 2020 and Fernando Martirena and Anadis González in 2021-2022.

Knowledge exchange

The Fellowship will be developed through independent research; individual support and interaction with the Research Department team at Het Nieuwe Instituut; monthly meetings to discuss thematic and methodological aspects of the project; and diverse collaborations with partner institutions.

Application and selection process

Applicants for the Fellowship are invited to develop an independent proposal outlining a clear interest in the areas of research/practice and organisations highlighted. The proposal should be content driven and can be based on already existing research or offer new projects. The Fellow is not expected to produce an outcome or finished artwork or product but will be encouraged to publicly present the ongoing research interests whilst in The Netherlands. The research will also be published on an ongoing basis via Het Nieuwe Instituut and partner institutions’ websites, newsletters, or other publications.

Proposals will be considered by an international committee consisting of the Tilting Axis and Het Nieuwe Instituut teams along with representatives from the partner institutions including curators, academics, and museum professionals. The review committee includes Aric Chen (Artistic and General Director, Het Nieuwe Instituut), Setareh Noorani  (Researcher, Het Nieuwe Instituut), Iyawo (Holly Bynoe Young), (ARC Magazine, Sour Grass and Tilting Axis co-founder), Annalee Davis (Visual Artist, Founding Director/Fresh Milk, and Tilting Axis co-founder), Jessy Koeiman  Curator Collective Learning, Kunstinstituut Melly), Mark Raymond (Director of the Graduate School of Architecture at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa and the current Plym Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Huib Haye van der Werf (Interim director at de Appel), Imara Limon (curator of modern and contemporary art, Amsterdam Museum), Inez van der Scheer (junior curator of modern and contemporary art, Amsterdam Museum), Charl Landvreugd (Head of Research and Curatorial Practice, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam)

Read more about the Tilting Axis Fellowship and the Call for Applications on the website of Het Nieuwe Instituut and Tilting Axis.

Covid-19

Developments around Covid-19 and/or the restrictions imposed by governments will be taken into account. Therefore the fellowship might be developed partly digitally/remotely.

Crossovers Programme

This Fellowship is part of Het Nieuwe Instituut’s crossovers programme that aims to stimulate the international exchange of knowledge and research through collaborative fellowships, events, exhibitions, and publications involving designers, researchers and partners across the world. Broader alliances can contribute to cultural and political change, and eventually to policy adjustments.

HOW TO Apply

The Open Call for 2022 is available from March 28, with a deadline for submission on May 27, 2022. The call is open to individuals. Applications should be submitted in a single PDF file of a maximum of 10MB. In order to be considered, proposals should include the following information:

  • A self-introduction in which applicants articulate the relation between their interests and the hosting/partner institutions. Departing from a curatorial, research, or design and artistic ambition, we expect to see a statement of intent of a maximum of 1000 words. This statement should explain the applicant’s research focus, its possible connection to architecture, design, or digital culture, and the interest in the anchor and partner institutions.

  • Relevant documentation of previous work, and/or links to audio or video files (maximum 10 minutes) in the application PDF.

  • Indication of availability to take up the Fellowship from February – July 2023.

Proposals should be written in English and applicants must have a working knowledge of English. While we understand that English proficiency may vary or that English may not be the applicant’s first or primary language, unfortunately, we are not able to offer translation support at this time. Applicants with specific questions are encouraged to contact ta-fellowship@hetnieuweinstituut.nl about the availability of any support service.

Applicants for the Fellowship are invited to develop an independent proposal outlining a clear interest in the areas of research/practice and organisations highlighted.

The Fellow will be invited to:

  • Make a series of presentations in Rotterdam & Amsterdam at host and partner institutions on their research/practice;

  • Produce a monthly text/sound/video/photo essay as potential options to be discussed with the fellow. The series of monthly texts will be posted on the websites of Tilting Axis and Het Nieuwe Instituut, with links to the partner institutions;

  • Research could lead to an installation, exhibition, or further events at partner institutions during or after the Fellowship;

  • A final report on the Fellowship experience is required.

Format and Submission Requirements

Selection Process

Proposals will be considered by an international committee consisting of the Tilting Axis and Het Nieuwe Instituut teams along with representatives from the partner institutions including curators, academics, and museum professionals. The review committee includes:

  • Aric Chen, Artistic and General Director, Het Nieuwe Instituut

  • Setareh Noorani, Researcher, Het Nieuwe Instituut

  • Iyawó (Holly Bynoe Young), ARC Magazine, Sour Grass and Tilting Axis co-founder

  • Annalee Davis, Visual Artist, Founding Director of Fresh Milk, Sour Grass and Tilting Axis co-founder

  • Jessy Koeiman, Curator Collective Learning, Kunstinstituut Melly

  • Mark Raymond, Director of the Graduate School of Architecture at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa and the current Plym Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Spring 2021).

  • Huib Haye van der Werf, Interim Director, Director at De Appel

  • Imara Limon, Curator of modern and contemporary art, Amsterdam Museum

  • Charl Landvreugd, Head of Research and Curatorial Practice, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

Shortlisted candidates are invited to an online interview with members of the selection committee.

The Fellowship is organised by Tilting Axis in collaboration with a group of five Dutch partners led by Het Nieuwe Instituut, who will co-host the Fellow in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. This Fellowship includes access to and collaborations with these partners. See more information below about their offerings.

Amsterdam Museum

The Amsterdam Museum tells the story of the city of Amsterdam; about its past, present and future. The museum considers it its social mission to make the story of Amsterdam accessible and to present it to as broad an audience as possible. We develop exhibitions, events, publications, and other public products, in our museums as well as online. Innovation, hospitality, diversity, (international) cooperation and knowledge exchange are some of our most important values. The museum receives more than 500.0000 visitors each year in its four permanent locations in the heart of the historic city.

What is offered: The fellow has access to the facilities at the locations of the Amsterdam Museum, including the library, archives, exhibitions, workspaces, and presentation spaces. The team is willing to have in-depth conversations with the fellow and encourage proposals by the fellow for a (public) event such as a talk, screening, or a different form of presenting their work and research.

De Appel

De Appel is an Amsterdam-based contemporary art institute that brings together people, objects, and ideas to explore the unknown. With an experimental, open-minded, and inclusive focus, the programs of De Appel serve the intellectually and emotionally curious, (non-) specialised art enthusiasts as well as seasoned art professionals.
De Appel organises exhibitions, performances, film screenings, lectures, and gatherings that cross boundaries between the arts and other disciplines. These programs facilitate artistic and socially relevant dialogues with various cultural and societal organisations, both in Amsterdam and beyond. In addition, De Appel is home to a world-renowned curatorial programme and houses an extensive archive and library. De Appel is continuously developing its programs and goals in order to remain critical towards its changing societal and cultural contexts.

What is offered: The fellow will have daily access to the facilities of De Appel, including the library, archive, exhibition, workspaces, and presentation spaces. The archive is specialised in performance arts and contains books, magazines, drawings, letters, and ephemera. The team and Curatorial Programme participants are also ready to welcome the fellow and provide contacts, feedback and are happy for the fellow to learn from new voices coming from De Appel.

Het Nieuwe Instituut

Het Nieuwe Instituut is the Dutch Institute for Architecture, Design and Digital Culture. The institute combines a research-driven museum, the State Archive for Architecture, the Agency for international programmes, and for 2019 an unofficial Academy under the title Neuhaus. In an era characterised by radical technological, economic, cultural, and social shifts, Het Nieuwe Instituut aims to illuminate and map the quickly changing world and foster discussion of it, in a networked fashion, with architects, designers, artists, knowledge institutes, cultural organisations, and other agents. The institute organises exhibitions, lectures, and fellowships, carries out and publishes research projects, and develops international programmes at the Venice Architecture Biennale, the Salone del Mobile in Milan, the Istanbul Design Biennale, and the Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture in Shenzhen, among other forums. All Het Nieuwe Instituut’s activities are grounded in the principles of design and innovation – two concepts bound up with changing value systems and conflict.

What is offered: The fellow has daily access to the facilities of Het Nieuwe Instituut, including the library, archives, exhibitions, workspaces, and presentation spaces. Other resources may be available in concert with other departments of Het Nieuwe Instituut as well as its ongoing institutional partnerships.

Kunstinstituut Melly

Kunstinstituut Melly was originally conceived as an art-house with a mission to present and discuss the ideas and work created today by visual artists and cultural makers. To fulfill the core mission of presenting contemporary art and theory, we organise exhibitions, commission art, publish and develop educational and collaborative initiatives. In doing so, we apply a practice of collective learning. This means we spatialize and socialise different forms of knowledge. Public engagement is intrinsic to our creative processes and artistic outcomes. We believe that experiencing art and theory this way is vital to enjoy our present and learn with and about culture. We have especially worked with artists and engaged audiences who pose challenging inquiries and articulations of our present. We are interested in catalysing thought and have been known for inspiring public debates. And while Kunstinstituut Melly’s program considers the contemporary, it also regards how art has been created and experienced in the past, and it imagines the many futures art can come to shape. Here, art is a motion; learning is porous.

What is offered: The fellow may choose to participate in a dedicated public programme at Kunstinstituut Melly to present existing or ongoing research on contemporary visual arts or cultural developments in the present. Alternatively, the programme could be organised as a private session, in the form of a think tank, professional networking event, or similar, with the goal of discussing the fellow’s research topic or sharing information collected to date. Whatever format is chosen, this programme would be organised within the frame of the institution’s collective learning initiative.

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

The aim of the Stedelijk is to enrich people’s lives with art. Our collection, exhibitions, publications, research, and educational programs offer unique and compelling insights into today’s world and highlight topics that impact our societies and individual lives. Our interactions between audiences and art are driven by dialogues with artists. We explore complex topics of yesterday, today and tomorrow – as defined by artists and signaled by ourselves – in an adventurous program. This vision is guided by a fresh, energetic approach to displaying, caring for and renewing our world-famous collection. Our museum builds memories for the future.

What is offered: The fellow will have access to the research facilities, library, and archives at the Stedelijk Museum; will engage in a meeting with the Research Programme team; will be provided a platform to give a public lecture at the Stedelijk Museum and in so doing, contribute to the artistic life of the museum; will be supported to meet other cultural workers with similar research interests, and will receive critical feedback during the course of their fellowship.

Tilting Axis

Tilting Axis is an arts platform for, from, across, and through the Caribbean. It is a call to action to rethink the position and conditions of contemporary art practices in the region. Its perspective, informed by artist-led initiatives within the archipelago, recognises this space as central rather than peripheral and is fed by multi-generational voices. It aims to build support systems that sustain contemporary art practitioners in the region and serve as a catalyst for creative projects and collaborations.

Tilting Axis is an arts platform for, from, across, and through the Caribbean. It is a call to action to rethink the position and conditions of contemporary art practises in the region. Its perspective, informed by artist-led initiatives within the archipelago, recognises this space as central rather than peripheral and is fed by multi-generational voices. Tilting Axis was co-founded in 2014 by Annalee Davis of The Fresh Milk Art Platform and Iyawó (Holly Bynoe Young) of ARC Magazine. From its inception, Tilting Axis has grounded its concerns in the Caribbean as a part of a wider creative ecology, and the health, evolution, and advancement, a primary objective of its annual meetings held inside and outside of the region. Bringing together artist-led initiatives, private and state sector arts institutions and artists, writers, researchers, and curators, Tilting Axis offers an intimate discursive space to reflect on how we might contribute to more inclusive and equitable art worlds. At each meeting, several themes have been identified including the following but not limited to Development; Curating strategies for the Caribbean; the archive, cultural ecologies; and Decolonisation and Art Criticism.

Tilting Axis is the organisational platform that manages the annual meetings and coordinates the Fellowships in partnership with host institutions.

Jury Report: Tilting Axis Fellowship 2021/2022

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In autumn 2019, Het Nieuwe Instituut joined forces with Tilting Axis to offer a fellowship to an applicant based in the Caribbean. Cuban architect Fernando Martirena has been selected as the recipient of the Tilting Axis /Het Nieuwe Instituut Fellowship 2021/2022. Together with Anadis González, Martirena founded the architecture office Infraestudio in Havana in 2016.

See the announcement on the Tilting Axis website here.

Procedure

The fellowship is supported by Het Nieuwe Instituut as lead partner and host, and will include collaborations with the Amsterdam Museum, De Appel, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and Kunstinstituut Melly. Between the announcement of the open call on 25 May and the deadline on 4 July 2021, Het Nieuwe Instituut and Tilting Axis received 10 eligible entries in response to the open call, from six territories in the Caribbean region: Aruba, Cuba, Guadeloupe, Trinidad and Tobago, The Bahamas and Suriname.

All the proposals were reviewed by a committee composed of the following members:

  • Holly Bynoe, independent curator and Tilting Axis co-founder
  • Aric Chen, Artistic and General Director, Het Nieuwe Instituut
  • Annalee Davis, visual artist, Founding Director/Fresh Milk, and Tilting Axis co-founder
  • Sofía Hernández Chong Cuy, Director, and Jessy Koeiman, Curator Collective Learning, Kunstinstituut Melly
  • Charl Landvreugd, Head of Research and Curatorial Practice, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
  • Imara Limon, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Amsterdam Museum
  • Marina Otero Verzier, Director of Research, Het Nieuwe Instituut
  • Mark Raymond, Director of the Graduate School of Architecture at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa and the current Plym Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (spring 2021)
  • Monika Szewczyk, Director, De Appel

Proposals were evaluated on the basis of their engagement with the theme of the open call, and clear interest in the areas of research/practice and organisations highlighted in it. Four candidates were shortlisted and invited to an online interview with members of the selection committee on 15 July 2021. Following the interviews, the committee selected Fernando Martirena as the recipient of this fellowship. The other shortlisted candidates were A k u z u r u (Trinidad and Tobago), Sonja Dumas (Trinidad and Tobago) and Dr Ian Bethell Bennett (The Bahamas).

General Comments

The members of the jury were impressed by the relevance and timeliness of the projects, as well as the expertise and ambition of the applicants. The set of applications showed a variety of working methodologies and media, ranging from installations and architectural designs to performances, workshops, archival research and forms of public engagement and activism. The projects represent the creativity and power of the work developed by artists and intellectuals in the Caribbean.

The jury was pleased to have received applications from applicants based in all four linguistic territories of the Caribbean. Submissions responded to urgent themes including climate change, colonialism, de/colonisation, architecture found in nature, ritual, myth and paradise.

Further Reflections on the Open Call

Following this second edition of the Tilting Axis Fellowship, Het Nieuwe Instituut and Tilting Axis, together with the partners, will consider how to further develop these collaborations across and beyond the Caribbean, acknowledging not only the inhabitants of these territories but also their diasporic communities and their histories.

Comments on the Selected Proposal

Cuba-based Fernando Martirena will use the fellowship to expand on building a body of knowledge on the different manifestations of what he terms the Architecture of Cruelty, and find those examples that react against it.

The jury felt that Martirena’s proposal was relevant and coherent and responded to the call in compelling ways. His submission articulated the prohibitive bureaucracy and difficult situation in Cuba in relation to architecture, and a desire to reflect on his immediate environment from afar. Furthermore, the jury was intrigued by his interest in working on the political character of architecture and in considering how to care for and think differently about the local challenges architects face in Cuba, as well as in other regions in the Caribbean and beyond, by mobilising the forms of collaboration, solidarity and engagement that the fellowship offers. His ambition includes the creation of a database, the production of a suite of collages, models, craft books and texts, and a deepening of his relationship with the archives so as to develop another understanding of the political implications of architecture and social-spatial practices, resonating with the fellowship partners’ interest in opening up their archival collections and spaces to greater scrutiny and interpretation.

Untitled (The Universal Art Museum of Cuba and the 5 Star Hotel Manzana Kempinski) by Infraestudio, 2020.

On receiving the news that he had been awarded the fellowship, Martirena shared this statement with the jury:

“Each city, each landscape, has its own political and social conflicts, increasingly similar everywhere. Architecture responds to latent conflicts, once they have already been resolved or forgotten: it always comes too late. It is the last representation of the economic and political power games of a territory. Inspired by the Theatre of Cruelty (The First Manifesto), by Antonin Artaud, my research seeks to build a body of knowledge on the different manifestations of cruelty in contemporary architecture and find those examples that react against it. Thus, I will illustrate dystopian but possible fantasies from a poetic and personal point of view, taking as examples the city of Havana and the political figure of the architect as a servant.

I will use the fantastic opportunity provided by the Tilting Axis Fellowship to investigate the current condition of my city and the many intersections that exist between architecture and politics around the world.

Once this is done, I hope to be able to make a mise-en-scène that not only talks about architecture, but makes architecture speak for itself. This will be possible thanks to the access to libraries, archives and interviews, and to the study time provided by the institutions associated with the fellowship. The final result will be a series of ideas whose documentation will be inspired by the ‘bookworks’ that Ulises Carrión made in Amsterdam in the 1970s. I am immensely grateful for this opportunity that I consider as both a gift and a challenge.” 

Biography

Fernando Martirena (b.1992) currently works and lives in Havana. He graduated from the Technical University of Havana, where he gave lectures on the theory and criticism of architecture. Martirena co-founded the art and architecture studio Infraestudio together with Anadis González. Infraestudio is a transdisciplinary practice interested in space, politics, the minimum and fiction. In addition to architectural projects, Martirena has produced books, collages, installations, urban research and editorial projects. His work seeks to illustrate the poetics of a minor architecture focused on ideas rather than forms. Currently, the studio has five buildings under construction, including the Line 508 Contemporary Art Center. Infraestudio has participated in exhibitions in the last two iterations of the Havana Biennial, the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba, the Gorría Gallery Workshop and Cuban Art Factory.

Fernando is also Coordinator of the Cuban Architecture Studies Group. Being one of the protagonists of contemporary Cuban architecture, he has thoroughly studied its political and social condition, and has published critical texts about it in Arquine, Rialta Magazine and No Country Magazine. Other examples of his positioning towards national architecture have been the curatorship of two group exhibitions featuring installations, performances and digital art. He has also been one of the main activists and leaders of the Campaign for the Legalisation of Cuban Independent Architecture, which up to the present day remains illegal.

Open Call: Tilting Axis Fellowship 2021

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Het Nieuwe Instituut and Tilting Axis launch the second iteration of a fellowship programme for mid-career or established applicants based in the Caribbean. The initiative aims to foster and stimulate mutual exchange between the Caribbean region and the Dutch cultural field. Together with lead partners Het Nieuwe Instituut and Tilting Axis, other cultural institutions including The Amsterdam Museum, De Appel, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and Kunstinstituut Melly will collaborate with the selected applicant during the fellowship.

Applicants have until July 4th, 2021 to submit proposals for consideration. Please send proposals to ta-fellowship@hetnieuweinstituut.nl, attention: Tilting Axis Fellowship 2021 Review Committee. Late submissions will not be reviewed.

Who Should Apply?

One mid-career and established researcher, artist, designer, writer, curator, or cultural producer based in the Caribbean region interested in building new links with cultural institutions in the Netherlands, and who has an interest in developing their practice around themes related to architecture, spatial practice, design or digital culture.

Goals

  • To develop, stimulate and visualise curatorial, design and artistic realities coming out of the Caribbean region
  • To enhance knowledge exchange and collaboration with a cross-section of Dutch cultural institutions
  • To provide a variety of platforms for professional experience
  • To produce critical knowledge on inter-disciplinary exchanges as well as visual culture
  • To offer practical support and travel to the Netherlands for an extended fellowship
  • To engage with hosting and collaborating institutions to interrogate and challenge their institutional structures and methodologies
  • To utilise the existing Tilting Axis network

Applications

Applicants for the Fellowship are invited to develop an independent proposal outlining a clear interest in the areas of research/practice and organisations highlighted. The proposal should be content driven and can be based on already existing research or offer new projects. The Fellow is not expected to produce an outcome or finished artwork, yet will be encouraged to publicly present the ongoing research interests whilst in the Netherlands. The research will also be published on an ongoing basis via Het Nieuwe Instituut and partner institution’s website, newsletter or other publications.

The Fellow will be invited to:

  • Make a series of presentations in Rotterdam & Amsterdam at host and partner institutions on their research/practice;

  • Produce a monthly text/sound/video/photo essay (6 essays in total). The series of monthly texts will be posted on the websites of Tilting Axis and Het Nieuwe Instituut, with links to the partner institutions;

  • Research could lead to an installation, exhibition or further events at partner institutions during or after the Fellowship;

  • A final report on the Fellowship experience is required.

Format and Submission Requirements

The Open Call for 2021 is available from May 25, with a deadline for submission on 4 July 2021. The call is open to individuals. Applications should be submitted in a single PDF file of maximum 10MB. In order to be considered, proposals should include the following information:

  • A self-introduction in which applicants articulate the relation between their interests and the hosting/partner institutions. Departing from a curatorial, research or design and artistic ambition, we expect to see a statement of intent of maximum 1000 words. This statement should explain the applicant’s research focus, and its possible connection to architecture, design or digital culture, as well and the interest in the anchor and partner institutions.

  • Relevant documentation of previous work, and/or links to audio or video files (maximum 10 minutes) in the application PDF.

  • Indication of availability to take up the Fellowship from October 2021 – March 2022

Proposals should be written in English and applicants must have a working knowledge of English. While we understand that English proficiency may vary or that English may not be the applicant’s first or primary language, unfortunately, we are not able to offer translation support at this time. Applicants with specific questions are encouraged to contact ta-fellowship@hetnieuweinstituut.nl about the availability of any support service.

Applicants have until July 4th, 2021 to submit proposals for consideration. Please send proposals to ta-fellowship@hetnieuweinstituut.nl, attention: Tilting Axis Fellowship 2021 Review Committee.

About The Tilting Axis Fellowship

This fellowship focuses on applicants living and working in the Caribbean region and is both research and practice-led. The selected applicant will be based in Rotterdam at Het Nieuwe Instituut and will have access to other partner cultural institutions in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. A total stipend of 12,000 EUR will be granted by Het Nieuwe Instituut to cover living expenses and one round-trip airfare from any Caribbean country to the Netherlands. Accommodation will be provided for a period of six months for a maximum of 800 EUR per month. Stipends may be subject to a withholding tax. Specific details about the position will be discussed with the selected applicant. Developments around Covid-19 and any resulting government restrictions will be taken into account. This means that the fellowship might be undertaken remotely in part.

Read more about the first iteration of the Tilting Axis Fellowship, with architect and researcher Sean Leonard in 2020.

Knowledge Exchange

The fellowship will be developed through: independent research; individual support and interaction with the Research Department team at Het Nieuwe Instituut; monthly meetings to discuss thematic and methodological aspects of the project; and diverse collaborations with partner institutions.

Application and Selection Process

Applicants for the fellowship are invited to develop an independent proposal outlining a clear interest in the areas of research/practice and organisations highlighted. The proposal should be content-driven and can be based on pre-existing research or propose a new project. The fellow is not expected to produce an outcome or finished artwork yet will be encouraged to publicly present the ongoing research while in the Netherlands. The research will also be published on an ongoing basis via the website, newsletter or other publications of Het Nieuwe Instituut and the partner institutions. Apllication deadline is July 4, 2021.

Proposals will be considered by an international committee consisting of the Tilting Axis and Het Nieuwe Instituut teams, along with representatives from the partner institutions including curators, academics, and museum professionals. The review committee includes: Aric Chen (Artistic and General Director, Het Nieuwe Instituut), Marina Otero Verzier (Director of Research, Het Nieuwe Instituut), Holly Bynoe (ARC Magazine, Sour Grass and Tilting Axis co-founder), Annalee Davis (visual artist, Founding Director of Fresh Milk, and Tilting Axis co-founder), Sofía Hernández Chong Cuy (Director, Kunstinstituut Melly), Mark Raymond (Director of the Graduate School of Architecture at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa and the current Plym Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Monika Szewczyk (Director, De Appel), Imara Limon (curator of modern and contemporary art at Amsterdam Museum), and Charl Landvreugd (Head of Research and Curatorial Practice, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam).

Read more about the Tilting Axis Fellowship and the call for applications on the websites of Het Nieuwe Instituut and Tilting Axis.

Open Call: Tilting Axis Fellowship 2020

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Het Nieuwe Instituut has joined forces with Tilting Axis to offer a Fellowship to one mid-career to established applicant based in the Caribbean. The Fellowship is supported by Het Nieuwe Instituut as lead partner and host, and will include collaborations with the Amsterdam Museum, De Appel, The Black Archives and Witte de With.

For Whom?

Mid-career and established researchers, artists, designers, writers, curators, or cultural producers based in the Caribbean region interested in building new links with cultural institutions in the Netherlands, and who have an interest in developing their practice around themes related to architecture, spatial practice, design or digital culture.

Goals

  • Develop, stimulate and visualise curatorial, design and artistic realities coming from the Caribbean region.
  • Enhance knowledge exchange and collaboration with a cross-section of Dutch cultural institutions.
  • Provide a variety of platforms for professional experience.
  • Produce critical knowledge on inter-disciplinary exchanges as well as visual culture.
  • Offer practical support and travel to the Netherlands for an extended Fellowship.
  • Engage with hosting and collaborating institutions to interrogate and challenge their institutional structures and methodologies.
  • Utilise the existing Tilting Axis network

About the Position

This Fellowship focuses on applicants living and working within the Caribbean region and is both research and practice-led. The selected applicant will be based in Rotterdam at the Het Nieuwe Instituut and will have access to other partner cultural institutions in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. A total stipend of 12,000 Euros will be granted by Het Nieuwe Instituut to cover living expenses and one round-trip airfare from any country within the Caribbean to the Netherlands. Accommodation will be provided for a period of six months for a maximum of 800 Euros per month. Stipends may be subject to a withholding tax. Specific details about the position will be discussed with the selected applicant.

 

Knowledge Exchange

The Fellowship will be developed through independent research; individual support and interaction with the Research Department team at Het Nieuwe Instituut; monthly meetings to discuss thematic and methodological aspects of the project; and diverse collaborations with partner institutions.

This Fellowship includes access to and collaborations with:

Het Nieuwe Instituut: The fellow has daily access to the facilities of Het Nieuwe Instituut, including the library, archives, exhibitions, workspaces and presentation spaces. Other resources may be available in concert with other departments of Het Nieuwe Instituut as well as its ongoing institutional partnerships.

The Amsterdam Museum: The fellow has access to the facilities at the locations of the Amsterdam Museum, including the library, archives, exhibitions, workspaces and presentation spaces. The team is willing to have in-depth conversations with the fellow and encourage proposals by the fellow for a (public) event such as a talk, screening or a different form of presenting their work and research.

De Appel: The fellow will have daily access to the facilities of De Appel, including the library, archive, exhibition, workspaces and presentation spaces. The archive is specialised in performance arts and contains books, magazines, drawings, letters and ephemera. The team and Curatorial Programme participants are also ready to welcome the fellow and provide contacts, feedback and are happy for the fellow to learn from new voices coming from De Appel.

The Black Archives: The fellow may choose to present the progress of their research during a public talk at The Black Archives in Amsterdam. While hosting a public talk, the fellow will be able to engage with our audience about Black and Caribbean histories.

Witte de With: The fellow may choose to participate in a dedicated public programme at Witte de With to present existing or ongoing research on contemporary visual arts or cultural developments in the present. Alternatively, the programme could be organised as a private session, in the form of a think tank, professional networking event, or similar, with the goal of discussing the fellow’s research topic or share information collected to date. Whatever format is chosen, this programme would be organised within the frame of the institution’s collective learning initiative.

 

Application

Applicants for the Fellowship are invited to develop an independent proposal outlining a clear interest in the areas of research/practice and organisations highlighted. The proposal should be content driven and can be based on already existing research or offer new projects. The fellow is not expected to produce an outcome or finished artwork, yet will be encouraged to publicly present the ongoing research interests whilst in the Netherlands. The research will also be disseminated on an ongoing basis via Het Nieuwe Instituut and partner institution’s website, newsletter or other publications.

The fellow will be invited to:

  • Make a series of presentations in Rotterdam & Amsterdam at host and partner institutions on their research/practice;
  • Produce a monthly text/sound/video/photo essay (6 essays in total). The series of monthly texts will be posted on the websites of Tilting Axis and Het Nieuwe Instituut, with links to the partner institutions;
  • Research could lead to an installation, exhibition or further events at partner institutions during or after the Fellowship;
  • make a presentation at the Tilting Axis meeting in 2020. The aim is to support the fellow’s travel to Tilting Axis 6, hosted by the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas in Nassau.

A final report on the Fellowship experience is required.

 

Format and Submission Requirements

The Open Call will be available from 16 September, 2019, with a deadline for submission on 17 November, 2019. The call is open to individuals. Applications should be submitted in a single PDF file of maximum 10MB. In order to be considered, proposals should include the following information:

● A self-introduction in which applicants articulate the relation between their interests and the hosting/partner institutions. Departing from a curatorial, research or design and artistic ambition, we expect to see a statement of intent of maximum 1000 words. This statement should explain the applicant’s research focus, and its possible connection to architecture, design or digital culture, as well and the interest in the anchor and partner institutions.

● Relevant documentation of previous work, and/or links to audio or video files (maximum 10 minutes) in the application PDF.

● Indication of availability to take up the Fellowship from April – September 2020

Proposals should be written in English and applicants must have a working knowledge of English. While we understand that English proficiency may vary or that English may not be the applicant’s first or primary language, unfortunately, we are not able to offer translation support at this time. Applicants with specific questions are encouraged to contact ta-fellowship@hetnieuweinstituut.nl about the availability of any support service.

Proposals can be submitted to: ta-fellowship@hetnieuweinstituut.nl and copied to tiltingaxis@gmail.com with the subject ‘Tilting Axis Fellowship 2020 | The Netherlands’

Selection Process

Proposals will be considered by an international committee consisting of the Tilting Axis and Het Nieuwe Instituut teams along with representatives from the partner institutions including curators, academics, and museum professionals. The review committee includes:

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a phone interview with members of the selection committee.

 

About the Organisers

Tilting Axis

Tilting Axis is a roving meeting, pivoting on a Caribbean axis from which all other coordinates are viewed, understood and measured, facilitating alliances and increasing visibility of Caribbean contemporary art practice. It was co-founded in 2014 by Annalee Davis of The Fresh Milk Art Platform and Holly Bynoe of ARC Magazine Inc.

From its inception, Tilting Axis has grounded its concerns in the Caribbean as a part of a wider creative ecology, and the health, evolution and advancement, a primary objective of its annual meetings held inside and outside of the region. As a part of its expanded team. The core team also includes Dr Mario Caro, independent curator, board member at Res Artis, and Lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Tobias Ostrander, independent curator; Natalie Urquhart, Director of The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands; and Lise Ragbir, Director of Galleries of Black Studies, University of Texas, Austin, USA.

Tilting Axis is the organisational platform that manages the annual meetings and coordinates the Fellowships in partnership with host institutions.

About the Partners

The Fellowship is organised by Tilting Axis in collaboration with a group of six Dutch partners led by Het Nieuwe Instituut, who will co-host the fellow in Rotterdam and Amsterdam.

The Amsterdam Museum

The Amsterdam Museum tells the story of the city of Amsterdam; about its past, present and the future. The museum considers it its social mission to make the story of Amsterdam accessible and to present it to as broad an audience as possible. We develop exhibitions, events, publications and other public products, in our museums as well as online. Innovation, hospitality, diversity, (international) cooperation and knowledge exchange are some of our most important values. The museum receives more than 500.0000 visitors each year on its four permanent locations in the heart of the historic city.

De Appel

De Appel is an Amsterdam based contemporary art institute that brings together people, objects and ideas to explore the unknown. With an experimental, open-minded and inclusive focus, the programs of De Appel serve the intellectually and emotionally curious, (non-) specialised art enthusiasts as well as seasoned art professionals.

De Appel organises exhibitions, performances, film screenings, lectures and gatherings that cross boundaries between the arts and other disciplines. These programs facilitate artistic and socially relevant dialogues with various cultural and societal organisations, both in Amsterdam and beyond.

In addition, De Appel is home to a world-renowned curatorial programme and houses an extensive archive and library. De Appel is continuously developing its programs and goals in order to remain critical towards its changing societal and cultural contexts.

The Black Archives

The Black Archives is a unique historical archive for inspiring conversations, activities and literature from Black and other perspectives that are often overlooked elsewhere.

Het Nieuwe Instituut

Het Nieuwe Instituut is the Dutch Institute for Architecture, Design and Digital Culture. The institute combines a research-driven museum, the State Archive for Architecture, the Agency for international programmes and for 2019 an un-official Academy under the title Neuhaus.

In an era characterised by radical technological, economic, cultural and social shifts, Het Nieuwe Instituut aims to illuminate and map the quickly changing world and foster discussion of it, in a networked fashion, with architects, designers, artists, knowledge institutes, cultural organisations and other agents. The institute organises exhibitions, lectures, and fellowships, carries out and publishes research projects, and develops international programmes at the Venice Architecture Biennale, the Salone del Mobile in Milan, the Istanbul Design Biennale, and the Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture in Shenzhen, among other forums. All Het Nieuwe Instituut’s activities are grounded in the principles of design and innovation – two concepts bound up with changing value systems and conflict.

Witte de With

Founded in 1990, Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art was conceived as an art house with a mission to present and discuss the work created today by visual artists and cultural makers, from here and afar. It organizes exhibitions, commissions art, publishes, and develops educational and collaborative initiatives. This non-profit institution has especially worked with artists, and engaged audiences, who are interested in posing challenging inquiries and articulations of our present. While its program considers the contemporary, it also regards how art has been created and experienced in the past, and it imagines the futures art can come to shape.