The Octopus Programme is a guided research-based educational programme that encourages
artistic research and production-based collaborations across academies and art institutions; students and professionals; diverse
presentation modes; and processes of research and documentation in different geographies. While the Octopus Programme functions
as a support mechanism for emerging artists, the main objective of the programme is to accumulate experience-based collective
and creative output by taking geopolitical, social, ecological, and educational urgencies and diversities into consideration.
The programme not only intends to bridge and acknowledge social and cultural diversities in the targeted geographical regions—Europe,
the Mediterranean, and Africa—but the programme also values and connects the diversities between and/or among:
•
socio-political realities and perspectives;
• interdisciplinary approaches;
• academic and nonacademic
intellectual models;
• forms of artistic research and practices;
• divergent perspectives on artistic
production methodologies;
• individual and community-based approaches;
• top-down and grass-root organisation
models;
• accessed and distributed resources and facilities;
• strategies of environmental sustainability;
•
artistic challenges and opportunities;
• different funding possibilities;
• institutional and alternative
curatorial practices;
• forms of engagement of artists, audiences, institutions;
• forms of innovative
and technology-driven mindsets;
• and diverse knowledge production models.
The programme was initiated
with a pilot phase in 2019/2020 by University of Applied Arts Vienna and Kamel Lazaar Foundation which linked Vienna and Tunis.
The main phase is taking place in 2021/2022 and the partners of the programme are University of Applied Arts Vienna; Kamel
Lazaar Foundation, Tunis; Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts, and Design, Stockholm; Index - The Swedish Contemporary Art
Foundation; The University of Pretoria; The Centre for The Less Good Idea, Johannesburg; the Palestinian Museum, Birzeit;
SAHA Association, Istanbul; Publics and Saastamoinen Foundation, Helsinki.
The partner curators
and representatives of the programme are Barbara Putz-Plecko and Basak Senova (curator) in Vienna; Maria Lantz, Magnus Bärtås,
Marti Manen and Anne Klontz (curator) in Stockholm; Lina Lazaar, Moez Brabet in Tunis; William Kentridge, Phala Ookeditse
Phala, and Bronwyn Lace (curator) in Johannesburg; Inass Yassin (curator) in Birzeit; Çelenk Bafra (curator) in Istanbul;
Johan Thom in Pretoria and Saastamoinen Foundation and Paul O’Neill (curator) in Helsinki.
The Structure
and the Duration
The programme is designed and attached to a two-semester course “Spectral
Encounters” (a 3- credit course per semester, presented by the University of Applied Arts Vienna) that takes place
simultaneously in different cities with a joint curriculum, designed and prepared by 8 institutions from Europe, The Mediterranean
and Africa. The language of the course is English.
The programme includes peer-to-peer educational sessions,
talks and tutorials by guest lecturers, online and class discussions, research field trips and work groups, collaborative
production-based workshops in Birzeit, Istanbul, Johannesburg, Helsinki, Pretoria, Stockholm, Tunis and Vienna. Futhermore,
guest artists and activities will accompany the programme. The course is led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Basak Senova, Visiting Professor
at Art and Communication Practices, the University of Applied Arts Vienna, and managed together with 7 curators.
Two students per each university will be selected and they will be part of the programme with six other artists. The travel
and production expenses of these four winning participants are covered by the University of Applied Arts Vienna and Konstfack
University of Arts, Crafts and Design Stockholm.
For further information please visit the webpage of the project:
The
Selection Committee
+ Maria Lantz, Vice-Chancellor, Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design Stockholm
+
Barbara Putz-Plecko, Vice-Rector for Research and Diversity, University of Applied Arts Vienna
+ Magnus Bärtås,
Head of Research/ Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design Stockholm
+ Basak Senova,
Visiting Professor, University of Applied Arts Vienna
+ Anne Klontz, Head of Exhibitions, Konstfack University of
Arts, Crafts and Design Stockholm
+ Konrad Strutz, Senior Lecturer, University of Applied Arts Vienna
+
Marti Manen, Director, Index - The Swedish Contemporary Art Foundation
Eligibility
++ Oral
and written proficiency in English
++ To be able to travel abroad twice between June 2021 to June 2022 (5 to 7 days)
Application
no
later than 08.03.2021, 17:00 (CET). Late submissions will not be accepted.
The following information
should be included:
++ Contact info (phone and email)
++ A statement of motivation (150-250 words)
++
Maximum two A4 pages project proposal including text and images (should be on-going research and project which is in progress/incomplete)
++
3 to 5 project samples (portfolio) one A4 page for each project including text and images
++ Artist bio (150-250
words) including date and place of birth and educational background
[The size of the submitted PDF should
not exceed 6M].
Please note that links embedded in the PDF for video files are accepted, however, WeTransfer link,
web link or printed documents are not accepted and/or taken into consideration for the application.
Calendar
+ 20.01.2021 Announcement of the Open Call
+ 08.03.2021 Deadline of the applications (No extensions
and exceptions are allowed)
+ 12.03.2021 Notification the short-listed applicants in Austria and Sweden
+
16.03.2021 Interviews with the short-listed applicants
+ 22/26.03.2021 2-day curatorial meeting for the joint curriculum
+
26.03.2021 Notification of all the new applicants
+ 07.04.2021 The first semester course “Spectral Encounters I”:
07.04.2021 – 30.06.2021
+ 05.10.2021 The second semester course “Spectral Encounters II”: 05.10.2021 – 28.02.2022
+
20/30.06.2022 Additional presentations
