From October 15th to November 21st 2021, artists can apply for 21 Regional Challenges on the European Green Deal & the New Bauhaus as part of the Repairing The Present project. The Belgian Regional S+T+ARTS Centre Snowball, in partnership GLUON and Leiedal, launches 2 challenges for artists. Under the title (Inter)active productive landscapes one of the challenges aims to explore how digital technologies might support citizens, policymakers, entrepreneurs and researchers in their ambition to create more balanced relations between nature and humans in the region of South West Flanders?
Challenge context
The open space is globally under threat. Every region is looking for the best solutions to tackle its particular, local challenges. The region of South West Flanders is marked by a network of blue & green veins, that carry specific challenges in the development of more sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, sustainable water management, the creation of multiple uses of open space and original approaches for re-forestation. In line with the European Green Deal, the region aspires to a sustainable transition towards more balanced relations between nature & humans. The intermunicipal organisation Leiedal offers different opportunities and spots within the blue & green network in the South-West Flanders, as a testing ground for artists or artist collectives to deepen, broaden, imagine and/or accelerate this transition. The artist is invited to select a particular opportunity for a more balanced relationship between nature & humans and will be involved in the selection of relevant sites. The aim of the fellowship is to develop an art project that raises awareness of the importance of the quality of the open space, supported by digital prototypes that offer concrete solutions for the challenge.
Fellowship Characteristics
This Fellowship is highly collaborative, aimed at strengthening the quality of the open space in the region. It implies the involvement of local target groups (entrepreneurs, youngsters, policymakers and researchers) during the entire fellowship. It strives to develop a project with the potential of duplicability (tools, methods & outcome) to other sites and (European) regions after the completion of the fellowship.
Through the network of the hosting institutions, the artist will get access to local experts/companies/research institutions in the field of AI, IoT, blockchain, big data and visualisation technologies such as VR and AR. Specific expertise required by the artist for the implementation of the project will be evaluated by the Local Expert Group.
What do we offer?
The selected artists will be invited for a 6—month residency and will receive a budget of 40,000 euros. The results of the residencies will be presented in a pan — European exhibition in the fall of 2022, including at ZKM in Karlsruhe and at MAXXI Museum in Rome.
