Open Call: Tilting Axis Fellowship 2023Open Call: Tilting Axis Fellowship 2023

Update 1 June 2022: The deadline for applying for this open call has currently passed.

One mid-career or established researcher, artist, 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 practice around themes related to architecture, spatial practice, design or digital culture.

• Opportunities to develop, 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.
• Access practical support and travel to the Netherlands for an extended Fellowship.
• Engage with hosting and collaborating institutions to interrogate and challenge their institutional structures and methodologies.
• Utilise the existing Tilting Axis network.

This Fellowship focuses on applicants living and working within the Caribbean region and is both research and practice-led. The selected applicant will be based in Rotterdam at Het Nieuwe Instituut and will have access to other partner cultural institutions in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. A total stipend of ¬12,000 will be granted by Het Nieuwe Instituut to cover living expenses and in addition to the stipend, Het Nieuwe Instituut will cover the round-trip airfare from any country within the Caribbean to The Netherlands. Accommodation will be provided for a period of six months 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 will be taken into account. Therefore the Fellowship might be developed partly remotely.

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

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

Applicants for the Fellowship are invited to develop an independent proposal outlining a clear interest in the areas of research/practice and organisations highlighted. 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 Het Nieuwe Instituut and partner institutions' websites, newsletters, or other publications.

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. The review committee includes Aric Chen (Artistic and General Director, Het Nieuwe Instituut), Setareh Noorani (Researcher, Het Nieuwe Instituut), Iyawo (Holly Bynoe Young), (ARC Magazine, Sour Grass and Tilting Axis co-founder), Annalee Davis (Visual Artist, Founding Director/Fresh Milk, 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 and the current Plym Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Huib Haye van der Werf (Interim director at de Appel), Imara Limon (curator of modern and contemporary art, Amsterdam Museum), Inez van der Scheer (junior curator of modern and contemporary art, Amsterdam Museum), Charl Landvreugd (Head of Research and Curatorial Practice, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam)

Developments around Covid-19 and/or the restrictions imposed by governments will be taken into account. Therefore the fellowship might be developed partly digitally/remotely.

This Fellowship is part of Het 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.

The Open Call for 2023 is available from March 28, with a deadline for submission on May 27, 2022. The call is open to individuals. Applications should be submitted in a single PDF file of a maximum of 10MB. Proposals should be submitted to ta-fellowship@hetnieuweinstituut.nl with the subject Tilting Axis Fellowship 2023/<surname.

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

• A self-introduction in which applicants articulate the relation between their interests and the hosting/partner institutions. Departing from a curatorial, research, or design and artistic ambition, we expect to see a statement of intent of a maximum of 1000 words. This statement should explain the applicant's research focus, its possible connection to architecture, design, or digital culture, and the interest in the anchor and partner institutions.
• Relevant documentation of previous work, and/or links to audio or video files (maximum 10 minutes) in the application PDF.
• Indication of availability to take up the Fellowship from February - July 2023.

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

Applicants for the Fellowship are invited to develop an independent proposal outlining a clear interest in the areas of research/practice and organisations highlighted.

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 series of monthly texts will be posted on the websites of Tilting Axis and Het Nieuwe Instituut, with links to the partner institutions;
• Research could lead to an installation, exhibition, or further events at partner institutions during or after the Fellowship;
• A final report on the Fellowship experience is required.

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 and their profiles here. The review committee includes:

• Aric Chen, Artistic and General Director, Het Nieuwe Instituut
• Setareh Noorani (Researcher, Het Nieuwe Instituut)
• Iyawo (Holly Bynoe Young), 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 Collective Learning, Kunstinstituut Melly
• 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).
• Huib Haye van der Werf (Interim Director), Director at De Appel
• Imara Limon, curator of modern and contemporary art, Amsterdam Museum
• Charl Landvreugd, Head of Research and Curatorial Practice, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

Shortlisted candidates are invited to an online interview with members of the selection committee.

The Fellowship is organised by Tilting Axis in collaboration with a group of five Dutch partners led by Het Nieuwe Instituut, who will co-host the Fellow in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. This Fellowship includes access to and collaborations with these partners. See more information below about their offerings.

The Amsterdam Museum tells the story of the city of Amsterdam; about its past, present and future. The museum considers it its social mission to make the story of Amsterdam accessible and to present it to as broad an audience as possible. We develop exhibitions, events, publications, and other public products, in our museums as well as online. Innovation, hospitality, diversity, (international) cooperation and knowledge exchange are some of our most important values. The museum receives more than 500.0000 visitors each year in its four permanent locations in the heart of the historic city.

What is offered: The fellow has access to the facilities at the locations of the Amsterdam Museum, including the library, archives, exhibitions, workspaces, and presentation spaces. The team is willing to have in-depth conversations with the fellow and encourage proposals by the fellow for a (public) event such as a talk, screening, or a different form of presenting their work and research.

De Appel is an Amsterdam-based contemporary art institute that brings together people, objects, and ideas to explore the unknown. With an experimental, open-minded, and inclusive focus, the programs of De Appel serve the intellectually and emotionally curious, (non-) specialised art enthusiasts as well as seasoned art professionals.

De Appel organises exhibitions, performances, film screenings, lectures, and gatherings that cross boundaries between the arts and other disciplines. These programs facilitate artistic and socially relevant dialogues with various cultural and societal organisations, both in Amsterdam and beyond. In addition, De Appel is home to a world-renowned curatorial programme and houses an extensive archive and library. De Appel is continuously developing its programs and goals in order to remain critical towards its changing societal and cultural contexts.

What is offered: The fellow will have daily access to the facilities of De Appel, including the library, archive, exhibition, workspaces, and presentation spaces. The archive is specialised in performance arts and contains books, magazines, drawings, letters, and ephemera. The team and Curatorial Programme participants are also ready to welcome the fellow and provide contacts, feedback and are happy for the fellow to learn from new voices coming from De Appel.

Het Nieuwe Instituut is the Dutch Institute for Architecture, Design and Digital Culture. The institute combines a research-driven museum, the State Archive for Architecture, the Agency for international programmes, and for 2019 an unofficial Academy under the title Neuhaus. In an era characterised by radical technological, economic, cultural, and social shifts, Het Nieuwe Instituut aims to illuminate and map the quickly changing world and foster discussion of it, in a networked fashion, with architects, designers, artists, knowledge institutes, cultural organisations, and other agents. The institute organises exhibitions, lectures, and fellowships, carries out and publishes research projects, and develops international programmes at the Venice Architecture Biennale, the Salone del Mobile in Milan, the Istanbul Design Biennale, and the Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture in Shenzhen, among other forums. All Het Nieuwe Instituut's activities are grounded in the principles of design and innovation - two concepts bound up with changing value systems and conflict.

What is offered: The fellow has daily access to the facilities of Het Nieuwe Instituut, including the library, archives, exhibitions, workspaces, and presentation spaces. Other resources may be available in concert with other departments of Het Nieuwe Instituut as well as its ongoing institutional partnerships.

Kunstinstituut Melly was originally conceived as an art-house with a mission to present and discuss the ideas and work created today by visual artists and cultural makers. To fulfill the core mission of presenting contemporary art and theory, we organise exhibitions, commission art, publish and develop educational and collaborative initiatives. In doing so, we apply a practice of collective learning. This means we spatialize and socialise different forms of knowledge. Public engagement is intrinsic to our creative processes and artistic outcomes. We believe that experiencing art and theory this way is vital to enjoy our present and learn with and about culture. We have especially worked with artists and engaged audiences who pose challenging inquiries and articulations of our present. We are interested in catalysing thought and have been known for inspiring public debates. And while Kunstinstituut Melly's program considers the contemporary, it also regards how art has been created and experienced in the past, and it imagines the many futures art can come to shape. Here, art is a motion; learning is porous.

What is offered: The fellow may choose to participate in a dedicated public programme at Kunstinstituut Melly to present existing or ongoing research on contemporary visual arts or cultural developments in the present. Alternatively, the programme could be organised as a private session, in the form of a think tank, professional networking event, or similar, with the goal of discussing the fellow's research topic or sharing information collected to date. Whatever format is chosen, this programme would be organised within the frame of the institution's collective learning initiative.

The aim of the Stedelijk is to enrich people's lives with art. Our collection, exhibitions, publications, research, and educational programs offer unique and compelling insights into today's world and highlight topics that impact our societies and individual lives. Our interactions between audiences and art are driven by dialogues with artists. We explore complex topics of yesterday, today and tomorrow - as defined by artists and signaled by ourselves - in an adventurous program. This vision is guided by a fresh, energetic approach to displaying, caring for and renewing our world-famous collection. Our museum builds memories for the future.

What is offered: The fellow will have access to the research facilities, library, and archives at the Stedelijk Museum; will engage in a meeting with the Research Programme team; will be provided a platform to give a public lecture at the Stedelijk Museum and in so doing, contribute to the artistic life of the museum; will be supported to meet other cultural workers with similar research interests, and will receive critical feedback during the course of their fellowship.

_Tilting Axis_ is an arts platform for, from, across, and through the Caribbean. It is a call to action to rethink the position and conditions of contemporary art practices in the region. Its perspective, informed by artist-led initiatives within the archipelago, recognises this space as central rather than peripheral and is fed by multi-generational voices.

Tilting Axis was co-founded in 2014 by Annalee Davis of The Fresh Milk Art Platform and Iyawo (Holly Bynoe Young) of ARC Magazine. From its inception, Tilting Axis has grounded its concerns in the Caribbean as a part of a wider creative ecology, and the health, evolution, and advancement, a primary objective of its annual meetings held inside and outside of the region. Bringing together artist-led initiatives, private and state sector arts institutions and artists, writers, researchers, and curators, Tilting Axis offers an intimate discursive space to reflect on how we might contribute to more inclusive and equitable art worlds. At each meeting, several themes have been identified including the following but not limited to Development; Curating strategies for the Caribbean; the archive, cultural ecologies; and Decolonisation and Art Criticism.

Tilting Axis is the organisational platform that manages the annual meetings and coordinates the Fellowships in partnership with host institutions.