Tag: Tilting Axis Fellowship

Klieon John selected for Tilting Axis Fellowship 2024

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In 2019 Nieuwe Instituut joined forces with Tilting Axis to offer a Fellowship to an applicant based in the Caribbean. We are delighted to share news that Klieon John, from St. Kitts and Nevis, has been selected as the fourth recipient of the Tilting Axis / Nieuwe Instituut Fellowship. Klieon will begin his Fellowship at Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam starting February 2024 and will thereafter continue research and activities through August 2024.

See the announcement on the Tilting Axis website here.

Klieon John, from St. Kitts and Nevis

With over fourteen years in the media industry, Klieon John is based in St. Kitts & Nevis where he works as a writer, filmmaker, and creative director. His work in public relations, advertising, and brand development has expanded regionally to include Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago. Klieon founded the film production and curation studio Twin-Island Cinema in 2019 which is dedicated to research, development, and the preservation of Caribbean history and culture through design and visual storytelling.

Selected project

Klieon John’s project, Nieuwe Bohío: An Immersive Digital Retrospective on Indigenous Caribbean history, culture, and mythology, is a research and design project that seeks to embark on an immersive journey into the Indigenous Taíno and Kalinago cultures of The Caribbean region, with the ultimate objective of creating a cinematic and transformative virtual reality experience. The findings will serve as the foundation for an eclectic spectrum of practical applications including architectural research, sustainable community planning, and the development of an interactive Augmented Reality (AR) experience. By examining the traditional architectural techniques, use of materials, and spatial organisation principles of our Indigenous peoples, we can integrate their cultural elements into contemporary design practices and create physical and digital spaces that pay homage to our indigenous legacy while addressing urgent contemporary challenges like climate change and economic instability.

Jury comments on the selected proposal

St. Kitts and Nevis-based Klieon John will use the Fellowship as a birthing space to develop his research integrating archeological findings, architectural research, sustainable community planning, non-western architecture and the development of an interactive 3D video game universe. Klieon’s examination of traditional architectural techniques, materials, and spatial organisation principles will form a foundation from which these cultural elements will be integrated into contemporary design practices, informing the proposed digital space honouring Indigenous legacies while responding to the urgent and current challenges of the climate emergency and economic crises. His research will explore the integration of gameplay elements with storytelling techniques to effectively convey mythical themes within the game format while encouraging active user engagement and an appreciation for indigenous cultural heritage.

The jury felt that Kileon’s interest in growing his understanding of virtual reality game design as a way to think about the region’s past and potential futures. His submission responds to the moment in compelling ways involving issues of interpretation, conservation, preservation and ethical considerations relating to understanding and working with Caribbean Indigenous narratives and knowledge systems. The jury was inspired by Klieon’s ambitious submission and his goal to create a transformative virtual reality experience informed by the indigenous Taíno and Kalinago cultures of St. Kitts & Nevis and the wider Caribbean. Furthermore, the jury recognised Klieon’s proposed methodology to consult with Indigenous communities and cultural experts to ensure respectful representation while maintaining ethical approaches to working with these communities in the region.

General jury comments on the open call

The members of the jury were impressed by the wide range of themes approached by the projects, as well as the relevance and timeliness. Applicants submitted a wide cross-section of projects from all four linguistic territories of the Caribbean. Proposals included various working methodologies and mediums such as architecture, design, dance and performance, sound work, virtual reality, digital design, and archival research. The projects represent the creativity and power of the work developed by makers and practitioners in the Caribbean, which highlighted the urgency of continued dialogue and collaboration with the region, as projects found resonance in cross-national focuses. Submissions included proposals concerned with topical themes such as sonic landscapes, AI, linguistics, Nation language, folklore, vernacular architectures, indigeneity, the marine environment, Afro-Caribbean spirituality, ritual, and queer futures.

Selection procedure

The Fellowship is supported by the 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 the 15th of May 2023 and the deadline on June 23rd 2023, Nieuwe Instituut and Tilting Axis received 24 eligible entries in response to the open call from eleven countries across the Anglophone, Francophone, Hispanophone, and Dutch Caribbean region including The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Martinique, St. Kitts & Nevis, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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

  • Ramon Amaro, Senior Researcher, Nieuwe Instituut

  • Holly Bynoe, ARC Magazine, Researcher, Sour Grass and Tilting Axis co-founder

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

  • Jessy Koeiman, Curator of Collective Learning, Kunstinstituut Melly

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

  • Lara Khaldi, Director, De Appel

  • Imara Limon, Curator, Amsterdam Museum & Lateesha Verwey, Curator-in-Training, Amsterdam Museum

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

The meeting was chaired and moderated by Nieuwe Initituut program manager, Joyce Hanssen and Nieuwe Instituut researcher Federica Notari.

Proposals were evaluated on the basis of their research proposal, considering their methodological approach and connection to the themes of architecture, design or digital culture; as well as their proposal’s interest in the hosting partners. Four candidates were shortlisted and invited to an online interview with members of the selection committee on July 3rd 2023. Following the interviews, the committee selected Klieon John (St. Kitts & Nevis) as the recipient of the Fellowship. The other shortlisted candidates were Simone Garcia (Cuba), Celine Choo Woon Chee (Trinidad and Tobago) and Matthew McCarthy (Jamaica).

Open Call: Tilting Axis Fellowship 2024

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Nieuwe Instituut and Tilting Axis are launching the fourth iteration of the Fellowship program for applicants based in the Caribbean. The initiative aims to foster and support research based practices and stimulate mutual exchange between the Caribbean region and the Dutch cultural field. Together with the leading partners – Nieuwe Instituut and Tilting Axis – other cultural institutions including The Amsterdam Museum, De Appel, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and Kunstinstituut Melly will engage with the selected applicant during the Fellowship.

About the Fellowship

This Fellowship focuses on applicants living and working within the Caribbean region offering the space to think through research and practice. The selected applicant will be based in Rotterdam at Nieuwe Instituut and will have access to other partner cultural institutions in Rotterdam and Amsterdam.

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

Applicants are invited to submit a proposal that addresses their current investigations and research interests through the lens of architecture, design and digital culture.

Read more about the past editions of the Tilting Axis Fellowship with Fellow Sean Leonard in 2020-2021, Fernando Martirena and Anadis González in 2021-2022 and Israel Mapp in 2023.

Watch a video introduction to the Open Call here.

For whom?

One researcher, 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 research practice around themes related to architecture, spatial practice, design or digital culture.

Neither a curriculum vitae nor letters of recommendation are requested. The Fellowship is open to all degree levels in design, architecture and digital culture. Equal priority will be given to those without a degree or institutional affiliation who can also demonstrate a high level of creativity, critical thought and other potential in their respective fields. There is no age limit for applicants.

Artists who are residents of and based in the following countries can apply: Anguilla, Antigua, Aruba & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saba, St. Barthélemy, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Saint Martin, Sint Martin, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands, US Virgin Islands.

Resources offered by the Fellowship

  • 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;
  • Offer practical support for travel to the Netherlands;
  • Engage with hosting and collaborating institutions to interrogate and challenge their institutional structures and methodologies;
  • Utilise the existing Tilting Axis network.

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 fellow’s research could lead to an installation, exhibition, or further events at partner institutions during or after the Fellowship;
  • Write a final reflective report on the Fellowship experience is required and will be posted on the websites of Tilting Axis and Nieuwe Instituut, with links to the partner institutions.

Research Stipend and Travelling to the Netherlands

A total stipend of €12,000 will be granted by Nieuwe Instituut to cover living expenses and in addition to the stipend, Nieuwe Instituut will cover one round-trip airfare from any country within the Caribbean to the Netherlands. Accommodation costs will be reimbursed to the fellow for the period of stay in the Netherlands 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 including visa restrictions will be taken into account. The Fellowship might be undertaken partly remotely for applicants who are only able to reside in the Netherlands for 90 days given visa stipulations.

Crossovers Programme

This Fellowship is part of 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.

Application process

Applicants for the Fellowship are invited to develop an independent proposal clearly outlining their areas of research/practice while also highlighting their interests in some or all of the partner organisations. 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 Nieuwe Instituut and partner institutions’ websites, newsletters, or other publications.

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

Apply

The Open Call for 2024 is available from May 12 2023, with a deadline for submission on June 23, 2023. Proposals should be submitted to ta-fellowship@nieuweinstituut.nl with the subject Tilting Axis Fellowship 2024/ .

In order to be considered, proposals should include the following information:

  • An introductory video of max 3 minutes in which applicants introduce themselves, their initial project idea and what inspired them to apply.
  • A written proposal of max 1000 words in which applicants detail: a statement of intent which should explain the applicant’s research focus and its methodology, highlighting its connection to architecture, design, or digital culture; the relation between their interests and the hosting partners and institutions; a proposed working calendar with availability to take up the fellowship from February- July 2024.
  • Relevant documentation of previous work (maximum 10 works), and/or links to audio or video files (maximum 5 minutes) in PDF format with an accompanying caption list.

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@nieuweinstituut.nl about the availability of any support service.

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. Find a full overview of the jury members here. The review committee includes:

  • Ramon Amaro, Senior Researcher, Nieuwe Instituut
  • Holly Bynoe, 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 of Collective Learning, Kunstinstituut Melly
  • Mark Raymond, Director of the Graduate School of Architecture at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa
  • Lara Khaldi, Direct at De Appel
  • Imara Limon, Curator, Amsterdam Museum & Lateesha Verwey, Curator-in-Training, Amsterdam Museum
  • Charl Landvreugd, Head of Research and Curatorial Practice, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an online interview with members of the selection committee. Candidates must hold the dates July 4th 2023 for the interview.

 

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.

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.

Fresh Milk’s 2020 Highlights

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Thank you for your continued support of Fresh Milk!

While it’s taken us a little while to share our reflections on the year 2020, we’re pleased to celebrate what we have been able to achieve in spite of the challenges that cultural workers everywhere have had to navigate.

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Still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, the virus has made our already precarious cultural sectors here in Barbados and across the wider Caribbean even more fragile. We have been challenged to find new ways to nurture one another, and Fresh Milk has participated in collaborations that have been beneficial to many artists in the region.

To learn more about the work we have done including CONTESTED DESIRES – an ongoing partnership with artist initiatives in the UK, Portugal, Spain, Cyprus and Italy; working with Le Centre d’Art in Haiti on a residency exchange programme; the most recent Tilting Axis Fellowship in partnership with Het Nieuwe Instituut in the Netherlands; or the pan-Caribbean CATAPULT project in partnership with The American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ) and Kingston Creative, see more below!

For 2021, Fresh Milk remains committed to delivering virtual editions of the programmes Caribbean Linked and Transoceanic Visual Exchange (TVE). These online platforms will unite artists across linguistic territories in the region, as well as expand our work with colleagues in Latin America.

If you would like to support artists participating in Caribbean Linked and TVE, or would like to lend support to the management of these various projects, go ahead and click on the donate button below! It’s very easy to support us and the artists we work with by making a donation through this PayPal link. Your contributions make our programmes possible, and gifts of any size are welcome.

While our artist residency programme is on pause now that we have honoured all previous commitments, we look forward to sharing an open call for a local project with three exciting components, which will take place right here in Barbados, in the parish of St. George.

Stay tuned for more details!

  If you’d like to work with us to build your art collection by acquiring work by local and Caribbean artists, please get in touch.

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We would like to thank everyone who worked with us, supported us, and express gratitude to the many artists who we have had the privilege of working with across the Caribbean during this very demanding year.

We are pleased to be able to share our 2020 reflections with you all and hope you enjoy this newsletter.