Koumaria 2012 Open Call (Oct 08th – 21st-2012)

By artist collective Medea Electronique

http://www.medeaelectronique.com/2012/04/27/">http://www.medeaelectronique.com/

Deadline July 15th 2012

Residency

Since 2009 the artist collective Medea Electronique has organized an annual 10-day experimental artist residency, Koumaria, near Sparta in Greece, focusing on improvisation and new media practices.  Avant-garde artists from all over the world, inspired by the Greek natural landscape, come together to create a multicultural and cross-media ‘dialogue’ culminating in a collective presentation in Athens at the end of the residency. Past residents have formed lasting friendships and new artistic partnerships.  For us the residency serves as a model for future creative collaborations.

The residency is held at an organic olive oil farm at the foot of Mount Taigetos in Sparta. The base for the residency, a modern and comfortable house, features dormitory-style bedrooms, large and comfortable common rooms (featuring fireplaces and magnificent views of the surrounding mountains and fields), two primary spaces for project development and practice, terraces, rooftop overlooks, and a large and modern kitchen.  (A second building is being constructed which may be ready for this year’s residency.) The surrounding hills, mountains, villages and the not too distant sea, coupled with a vast expanse of sky, stars, and ever-changing mountain vistas, afford the residents amble space and opportunity for creative work.  Meals are taken communally, with an emphasis on fresh and local produce and traditional recipes. In this environment artists not only have the chance to live and work together interacting with the Greek landscape, but also to trade their experiences concerning everyday life and culture.  Chores are undertaken collectively, but there is ample time for residents to work, create, explore the surroundings and enter into new artistic partnerships.

The residency is held in cooperation with the Onassis Cultural Centre (http://www.sgt.gr/en">http://www.sgt.gr/en), who will host the performance of the residency results as part of a major international 3 day event entitled Across the Great Divide—Creative Human—Machine Improvisations.  This event will feature workshops, lectures, performances and demonstrations by many of the leading artist/theorists working in the field of human—machine artistic interactions, including George Lewis, Pauline Oliveros, Evan Parker.  Residents will have the unique opportunity to participate in this event, and interact with these, and other, participating artists.

Accordingly, the theme of the residency this year is Machine-Human Improvisational Interactions, and applicants to the residency are requested to submit with their application a project description that speaks to this theme, and evidence of prior work undertaken in this area.  We construe the theme broadly, and it raises a number of questions that residents may want to pursue   How do machine-human improvisations reveal features of what improvisation itself is, or could be?  What do such interactions tell us about what it is to be human, or to be a machine?  How might we remain humanists as artists yet embrace new technologies and their potentials?  Can machines help us overcome artistic limitations, or do they create new ones?  Are new modes of improvisation suggested by software and hardware systems?  Have the use of new technologies in art changed the notion of what a body is, or what a machine is?  How can we integrate new technologies into art that focuses on nature and the environment?  Is a new age of improvisations powered by machines potentially freeing, or stultifying–should we be excited by the possibilities, or worried by what might follow?

We invite applications from artists working across the spectrum of new media arts (musicians, dancers-performers, video artists, photographers, e.t.c.) to participate in the residency.  We will select up to 6 participants  from the applications received.  We are excited by the fact that innovative artist Miya Masaoka will be in attendance for the end of the residency to both work with the residents, and participate in the collective work.  It is possible that other guest artists may “drop in” during the course of the residency.

Medea Electronique, being an eclectic art collective, is interested in people from diverse cultural and artistic backgrounds.  Past residents have come from a variety of artistic backgrounds, and from numerous countries.  While assorted nationalities and ethnicities have been represented, the common language of the residency is English (although fluency is not necessary, an ability to interact with other artists in English is necessary).

The residency provides:

A.In terms of hospitality

1)    transportation from Athens to the residency and back.

2)    housing and food supplies in Sparta

3)    Internet connection while in Sparta residency

4)    housing in Athens during the presentations

While there are few expenses the residents need to consider while at the residency, it is worth having some funds for trips to local cafes and the like.

Notes:

B. In terms of equipment

1) A Mac Pro with Logic and Final Cut, assorted plugins

2) A 32-channel digital mixing desk, high-end monitoring (8 Channel Diffusion Set UP)

3)  A range of studio microphones and sound processors

4)  2 digital recorders (Olympus LS11, Tascam HD2)

Notes:

We do not provide…

Unfortunately no artist fee is to be given for the presentations/performances.  Residents are also responsible for their own transportation to and from Athens.

Paperwork to submit

1)     A participation form (Download http://www.medeaelectronique.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Koumaria-Application-Form_Final.doc" target="_blank">Here)

2)    A personal statement saying why you want to participate.

This statement should speak to this year’s theme.

3)    A small sample of your individual  work (site, demo, pictures etc)

4)    First draft ideas for projects related to this year’s theme

5)     Your C.V.

Please read the Terms and Conditions before applying http://www.medeaelectronique.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Koumaria-Terms-and-Conditions_Final.doc" target="_blank">here

Please submit all inquiries preferable online at

info@medeaelectronique.com

or at (Please only regular Post)

Manolis Manousakis

Feidiou 11 Gerakas

15344

Greece