ESCAPE OPEN CALL

According to the United Nations, human beings are facing the huge task of adding over 2 billion people to the urban population until 2050. Global warming and population growth have put our cities under heavy demands. Cities already consume 80% of global raw materials and energy supplies, and produce 75% of greenhouse gas emissions, which have a huge impact on climate change. The crises we are experiencing should encourage the efforts of politicians and communities to start making our cities better places to live in, both for us and the planet.

The [ESCAPE] exhibition and educational project aims to call attention to the need for urgent political, economic and social transformation regarding urban sustainability. Protecting the environment and changing cultural behaviours requires creativity, hope and many positive minded people. We believe that cities and citizens can help to provide the solutions to the challenges we are facing, by changing laws, values and beliefs that have environmental and social implications, in order to create a more sustainable future.

The objective of this program is to encourage the development of experimental and holistic projects by connecting the artistic with the politics of art, belief with activism, heart with mind, along with a creative and multi-disciplinary team comprising photography and other artistic, social and environmental studies. This is the beginning of an open-ended project based in collaborative work, sharing experiences and visions with multiple meanings which contribute to the process of creating a social solidarity movement to essentially reduce this humanitarian and environmental crisis.

The programme includes various activities articulated between themselves like workshops, debates and exhibitions:

• Workshops - coordinated by Virgílio Ferreira, Krzysztof Candrowicz and Christian Barbe, will be a space for reflection and experimentation where the ten participants will take part in two intensive four-day meetings. The first meeting will take place in Amsterdam at 2 Boats, a floating education platform, during the Unseen Photo Fair in September. The second meeting will take place six months later in Porto. These workshops will contribute to promoting the discussion on environmental, cultural and social transformations through the artistic practice of photography, image-based media and texts.
• The exhibition “Escape”, curated by Virgílio Ferreira, will take place at the Triennial of Photography Hamburg 2018 and in Porto.

Eligibility

Applications are open to all artists working in photography or image-based media, creative activists, architects, designers, mystics, researchers from social and environmental studies. Preference will be given to candidates who, through their work, reveal a clear capability of reflecting on these specific contexts, as well as manifesting a socio-political, environmental and spiritual concern.

What participants will receive:

The ten selected candidates will be the participants of the free of charge workshops in Amsterdam and Porto, a “lump-sum” of 400€ to pay for the accommodation in Amsterdam and we assure accommodation in Porto and Hamburg. From September to March they will develop a body of work which will be produced and exhibited during the Triennial of Photography in Hamburg and in Porto. The project will also be featured in press communications and included in the catalogue as part of the 7th Triennial of Photography Hamburg.

Expenses:

• Supported by Triennial: the workshops in Amsterdam and Porto.
• A “lump-sum” of 400€ to pay for the accommodation in Amsterdam.
• Accommodation during the opening of the Triennial of Photography in Hamburg.
• The production of the exhibition, which will be featured in press communications and in the Triennial’s catalogue.
• Supported by the City Hall of Porto: Accommodation during the workshop in Porto.
• Paid by participants: travel expenses, food and materials.

Timeline:

Submission deadline: 31 August, 2017

Shortlist announcement: 3 September, 2017

Workshop in Amsterdam: 17 - 21 September, 2017

Workshop in Porto: 12 - 16 March, 2018

Exhibition at the Triennial of Photography Hamburg: 7 – 17 June, 2018

Exhibition in Porto: date to be confirmed

How to Apply:

Please submit the following documents to lab@ciclopf.com with the subject [ESCAPE] Environmental Changes Ecological Emergency:

• A CV or short Bio
• Documentation of your work in a single PDF format or online links to your website, projects or videos, etc...
• A short text explaining your expectations and motivations towards this project.
• Language: English

For any questions please contact us at the same address lab@ciclopf.com

Looking forward meeting you in Amsterdam, Porto and Hamburg

Krzysztof, Virgílio, Christian, Ana and Sithara