Call for Entries in the Alternative Havana Biennial May 2018

 Call for Entries

#00 Havana Biennial (May 5th – 15th 2018)   

“From official to unscrupulous”

“A Biennial in every studio”

HAVANA TIMES — The Museum of Politically Uneasy Art, alongside a group of independent Cuban spaces, artists, theorists and curators are calling for entries for the #00 Havana Biennial which will take place from May 5-15, 2018 in the Cuban capital.

This event was conceived in the wake of the decision made by the Ministry of Culture, the National Council of Visual Arts and the Wilfredo Lam Center of Contemporary Art to postpone until 2019 the XII Havana Biennial (scheduled to take place from October 5th to November 5th 2018), as a result of the damages caused by hurricane Irma.

That’s why, independently and with the intention of supporting the development of Cuban culture, at a time when the country is experiencing a serious crisis of faith, when banalities and despair are on the rise, and taking art’s demanding and emancipatory power as our banner, we believe it’s imperative that this event isn’t delayed and to put it on with the minimal resources available.

The #00 Havana Biennial with no set theme and international projection is calling upon artists of all nationalities, with no age restrictions to participate. A team of curators will be responsible for choosing the projects that will be featured in the program, a selection that will be made using inclusive criteria and dialogue.

The #00 Biennial has no state or private funding. Its organizers will work voluntarily. It will take place via personal initiatives to collect funds, exchanging experiences and materials among participants and collaborators themselves. There will also be a crowdfunding campaign to print catalogues, programs, merchandising and for other production expenses.

Requirements for Cuban artists and/or curators who live on the island:

-To work in any art form. (We are especially interested in giving priority to artistic expressions such as graffiti, performance art, public interventions, art on the internet, etc. as the event doesn’t have many exhibition venues)

-To present one to three proposals (curatorial project or art piece) in a digital format with high resolution (300 dpi) images, technical notes, statement, specific requirements for assembly, a brief biography (max. 200 words), personal contact information and photo of the artist.The artist’s career won’t be taken into account, nor will the short biography and other information that is being requested, this is only needed so it can be included in the event’s catalogue. Projects that don’t have all of this information won’t be accepted.

-Projects don’t need to be unpublished.

-To have an exhibition space or try to find one (a private home, public space that is open to being taken over. In both cases, the social impact the intervention can have is the artist’s, curator’s and organizing team’s sole responsibility.) During the preparation phase of the event, the organizers will establish links between artists, curators and independent spaces so that possible work connections can be created, but they won’t be responsible for setting up the artist’s work in any way.

-Participants must take charge of setting up their own works.

-The selected piece can’t be replaced by another during the duration of the event.

Requirements for Cuban or foreign artists and/or curators who live abroad:

-The event organizers will not be responsible for bringing artists to Cuba or moving works from one country to another. Nor will the organizers be responsible for getting entrance visas to Cuba.

– Present one to three proposals (curatorial project or art piece) in a digital format with high resolution (300 dpi) images, technical notes, statement, specific requirements for assembly, a brief biography (max. 200 words), personal contact information and photo of the artist. Projects that don’t have all of this information won’t be accepted.

-The artist’s career won’t be taken into account, nor will the short biography and other information that is being requested, this is only needed so it can be included in the event’s catalogue.

-The work can be in any art form (We are especially interested in giving priority to artistic expressions such as graffiti, performance art, public interventions, art on the internet, etc. as the event doesn’t have many exhibition venues).

The artist does NOT have to be in Cuba when producing their work, they should only send a proposal taking into account the minimum human and material resources they need, as the organizers will be responsible for setting them up and finding a venue to exhibit them. Nevertheless, any artist that can, needs to or wants to produce a more complex piece of work in terms of cost, will have access to an account where they can send money to be specifically used for their work. The Biennial team will be voluntarily responsible for arranging the production of the work according to conversations with the artist.

-A project that is selected for the event cannot be replaced by another.

Selection criteria:

The jury will take into account the aesthetic and conceptual aspects of each project and their cost of production, while the organization team will be open to all kinds of negotiations with the artists who send in proposals.

Closing date for applications

Proposals will start being received on November 1, 2017 until January 2, 2018.

Work conversations between artists and curators in pursuit of an ideal production of each accepted proposal will begin as soon as projects are accepted by the selection committee.

Projects selected to take part in the event will be made public on February 1, 2018.

Cuban artists who are scheduled to have an exhibition at an institution-owned venue during the time of the #00 Havana Biennial (May 5-15th 2018), can include this exhibition within the event program if they wish to do so, as long as it meets the event’s selection criteria.

Cultural institutions or venues, both government-run and private, who want to participate in the event can do so in a climate of respect and dialogue.

The biennial includes a theoretical event that will have its own separate call for entries.

The memoir of the event will be collected in a book/catalogue and in a program, which is why it’s essential that closing dates are respected so that every proposal can be featured.

*For further information, those interested can send an email to: [email protected] which is where proposals for the event should also be sent.

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