Japan - AIR Z Artist In Family residency

Open call for an innovative artist residency in Odate, Japan. 'Artist In Family' is an opportunity for touching with local people and culture! Support is offered for the flight, per-diem and production costs. The residency is for the month of October 2018.

With the initiation of “Artist In Family”, the ZERODATE Art Project will invite two overseas artists. During the one-month stay with a local household, the artists will research the local area, create artwork, and present these results through an exhibition or event. One artist selected by a residency curator will be traveling from Edinburgh, Scotland, while the second artist will be selected from the international open call being held by the ZERODATE Art Project.

Artist In Residence ZERODATE
We have been developing the art festival and art programs at Odate city and Kita-akita city every year since 2007, such as in vacant store of shopping district and in natural rich suburbs.

Many of the artists for the art festival will stay in the city every year, also we have conducted long-term residency program from 2012 to 2014. In Akita prefecture, there are delicious food, Japanese sake, rich nature and a lot of hot springs.

Feature of AIR Z Program 2018
This program aims to expand as a base for international cultural exchange by directly connecting Odate City’s cultural and artistic practices with those of overseas regions. Through its activities involving the local culture and arts, the ZERODATE Art Project has succeeded in building a network among citizens, artists, companies, groups and institutions, as well as government administration. Yet in mind of the potential for diversity and sense of co-existence brought by overseas artists, ZERODATE hopes to initiate exchange between local artists and overseas AIR group for its upcoming activities and large-scale projects.

Today we look towards the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics with ever-growing diversity and global exchange going beyond our national borders. Inviting overseas artists with the ability to experience distinct regions in which to conduct fieldwork will serve to stimulate its local citizens and young artists. Furthermore, this serves to promote the internationalization of domestic artists and give rise to exchange between overseas nations and localities.

Moreover, by carrying out the new project known as AIF (“Artist In Family”), a deeper connection to the local community will be made, in which the artist will directly experience everyday life and surroundings. In turn, the host will first-handedly experience artistic expressions and diverse cultures, which will then be returned to the community. As this new model moves towards the development of self-sustainable AIR projects, it will also strengthen connections with overseas regions and groups, spreading overall cultural and artistic exchange between both sides.

Research stipulations
Participants will begin a new work or research while in Japan and present the finished work or one part of a work-in-progress at the Artist Talk event and final presentation: exhibition format.

Residence period: October 1st-30th 2018

Support towards artists

•Flight to Japan, travel within Japan.
•Accommodation, workspace
•Per-diem (186,000 JPY) Total of daily expenses from October 1st to 30th.
•Production costs (Maximum 60,000 JPY)
•Research costs (Maximum 60,000 JPY)
•Coordination/interpretation support (Event translation, consultation)
•Opportunity to presentation research/work at the end of residency
•Opportunities to interact with Japanese artists and community at a local level

Qualification

•Able to participate in the program starting from October 1st and ending on 30th, 2018 (※Please note that it will not be acceptable for participants to arrive after the start date).
•Able to make a presentation or performance for the artist talk.
•Experience in carrying out art projects and collaborating with local communities
•Demonstrated high quality of artwork or artist activity and experience participating in residencies and large-scale projects.
•In addition to independent artwork production, experience planning art events, etc.
•Able to submit a reflective writing piece of approximately 1500 words in English by October 30th, 2018 as part of the program
•All the receipts of items purchased toward art production and research should be submitted to the coordinator by October 28th, 2018. In return for the receipts, participants will be reimbursed for production and research costs (max 60,000 JPY each).

Conditions of participation

•Reside outside of Japan and be a citizen of a country other than Japan
•Be able to speak either English or Japanese at a conversational level
•Be in good health for intensive travel
•Have access to the equipment necessary to participate in a remote interview (i.e. a computer capable of connecting to the internet and using Skype)