Curating.info

- Firstly, an exciting announcement: after years of working on building Curating.info into a high quality resource all on my own, I now have a team to help me take this site to the next level. I wish to extend a warm welcome to Katerina Gkoutziouli, Mikhel Proulx, April Steele, and Sophie Williamson. Find out more about them on the "About" page. With the addition of this powerhouse team, expect more content and new developments here at Curating.info.

- Moving on to my usual Pick 'N Mix fare: Augustine Zenakos boldly declares that all curators should just commit suicide. If you have followed Augustine's work you know this declaration is a jolt to get your attention that will be followed up with some substantive and interesting thoughts. We'll keep an eye out for his follow up text, but in the meantime, check out this recent interview with Augustine.

- I imagine many of us are gearing up to go to the opening festivities of the Venice Biennale. Get into the Venice mood by reading this interview with Bice Curiger, the curator of this year's Biennale.

- Remember Shin Jeong-ah, the Korean curator who was quickly shown the door once it was revealed she lied about her credentials? She's back, and has written a book about her experiences, entitled 4001, the number she was assigned as a prisoner.

- I quite enjoyed this article by Rachel Pastan, reporting on a lecture about artists acting in a curatorial capacity by Ingrid Schaffner. Says Ingrid: "It's my job as a curator to minimize the distance between the viewer and the object".

- The latest issue of On Curating is out, themed around politics and community, and you can download it here.

- Lastly: The amount of content here should not suffer, thanks to my marvellous new team, but things are definitely busy, as I recently accepted a post as Curator at V2_ Institute for the Unstable Media in Rotterdam, and am also working hard on an exhibition I'm co-curating with Karen Gaskill that will open at Cornerhouse in Manchester, UK this June. I hope your Spring is as busy and fulfilling as mine has been so far.

As part of its ongoing Residency Programme, the European Biennial Network is issuing an Open Call for applications for a residency position offered by the Athens Biennale.

The European Biennial Network is a collaborative structure, active in the field of contemporary art, that aims to promote dialogue, interaction and collaboration between contemporary art Biennials in Europe. It intends to use the knowledge, experience and wealth of information accumulated by organisers of large-scale periodic art events, in order to support the communication and mobility of artists and art professionals.

The Residency Programme of the European Biennial Network aims to offer to successful applicants the opportunity to conduct original research on contemporary art in a major city, while supported by the organisers of a biennial exhibition. The knowledge and experience of the host and its relationship to the specific locality will provide the resident access to the local art scene, historical records, archives, academic collocutors, and any other support necessary for research.

Each member Biennial of the European Biennial Network is individually responsible for the resident it will host. The position for which this Open Call is made is the following: One three-month residency for a curator hosted by the Athens Biennale, between 1st May 2009 to 30th July 2009.

Residency position requirements: The scope of the residency must relate to researching the Athens contemporary art scene.

The resident will be required to follow a demanding programme, which will include studio visits, conversations with artists, curators, critics and academics, collectors, museum directors, and other art professionals, as well as visits to exhibitions and portfolio examinations. He/she will also be expected to fully engage with the local scene, acquiring an expertise in local artists that may be used in future projects. He/she will also be required to give lectures about former and current projects, participate in seminars with various partners of the Athens Biennale.

The term of the residency coincides with final preparations and the opening the 2nd Athens Biennale 2009 HEAVEN, which will offer the resident a unique ‘insiders look’, as well as the opportunity to experience the city at a most vivid period for contemporary art.

This application is open to all curators, whether permanently employed at an institution or independent.

Applications must be made for the specific residency position. The successful applicant will be selected by the Athens Biennale. (Please see Application Guidelines below.) The successful applicant will be offered travel to and from their host city and accommodation, as well as a stipend of 1.000 euros per month. Additional funds for equipment and/or transport of work may be available, depending on the specifics of the residency.

Upon completion of the residency, the resident will be required to produce a text, outlining the basic parameters of his/her research, which will be used for publication by the European Biennial Network.

Application Guidelines:

Applications must be made by cv and a letter of interest (max. 500 words). There is no special application form.

In the letter of interest, the applicant must clearly outline how he/she intends to respond to the requirements of the position.

Applicants may be requested to provide further clarifications and/or additional material, during the selection process. This will not constitute any indication as to the success of the application.

Generic applications, or ones not clearly relating to the requirements of the position, will not be accepted.

Applications must be in English.

Although the Athens Biennale will be selecting the successful applicant, applications must not be sent directly to the Athens Biennale. Any such applications will not be accepted. Applications must be sent by e-mail only (attached as word or pdf documents) to the European Biennial Network: contact@europeanbiennialnetwork.org.

Application deadline: 28th February 2009, inclusive.

The successful applicant will be notified by the Athens Biennale, after 15th March 2009.

Only the successful applicant will be notified. Due to the volume of applications expected, we cannot individually reply to each applicant.