»Artist in Residence«

in the context of »11. Darmstadt Photography Days«

on Rosenhöhe, Atelierhaus Ludwig-Engel-Weg 1, Darmstadt (DE)

On the occasion of »11. Darmstadt Photography Days« (24 April to 03 May, 2020), the festival’s organizers and the society of »Kultur einer Digitalstadt« (»Culture of a Digitalized City») provide an opportunity to international artists to apply for a three-month artist’s residence at Atelierhaus Ludwig-Engel-Weg 1 on Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt, Germany. Emanating from this year’s topic of »11. Darmstadt Photography Days«, the residence is supposed to enable the artist(s) to escape from everyday life, with the aim of finishing or devoloping an art project.

The results of the residence will be exhibited in the Atelierhaus during the festival.As a precondition, artists have to give up a short personal statement (preferably via their social media profiles) explaining why exactly they deserve to receive the possibility of escaping their everyday life with the residence.

The programme — This is what you can expect:

Time Period: 03 February to 03 May, 2020

The Possibility to live and work at an inspiring space (resort + artists’ colony), expenses of the residence to be beared by the programme (no participation fee for the artist(s))

Preparation and realization of a solo-exhibition, vernissage in line with the opening of »11. Darmstadt Photography Days« on 24 April, 2020

Artist talk/ public presentation to an audience in April 2020

The programme’s benefits:

Living in a fully furnished three-room apartment house on Rosenhöhe (built in the 1960s, recently renovated in 2018)

Artist’s fee of 1,500 EUR per month (three months in total)

Your own working space, in close proximity to the adjacent Atelierhaus, equipped with a kitchenette and desk

The Atelierhaus at your disposal for the exhibition

Travel allowance for your travel to/ from Rosenhöhe from/to your current place of residence; necessary research travels during the residence within the Rhine-Main-area supported by the programme

Joint conception, assumption of production costs (up to 2,000 EUR) as well as support during the installation of the solo-exhibition in the context of »11. Darmstadt Photography Days«

Promotion of the production process of your project via the means of communication of »11. Darmstadt Photography Days« and the society of »Kultur einer Digitalstadt«, ideally throughout the production process; documentation of the whole project

Curatorial and professional supervision by the project management provided to the artist(s) in residence, as well as interesting meetings, exhibitions and events within the art scene of Darmstadt

Research support 

Bike, Wifi, a DIN A4 b/w printer as well as information material about Darmstadt will be provided

Personal contribution and responsibilities of the artist(s):

Towels and bed linen have to be brought along

Subsistence costs

Insurances and, if necessary, costs for a visum have to be organized and paid for in full by the artist(s)

A deterrent fee of 500 EUR as part of the total costs of production for material/ production of the work and solo-exhibition is expected to be paid by the artist(s). The work realized within the period of the residence will become the artist’s property 

Organization of the artist(s)’ travel to/ from the residence and necessary transports have to be organized by the artist(s); refund of costs through the programme only possible after previous consultation with the organizers

Equipment, technology, media (computer, phone, camera etc.) to be brought along, and if necessary insured by the artist(s) for the period of the residence

The artist(s)in residence agree to the gratuitous and temporally unlimited supply and use of photo- and information material of their works within the context of »11. Darmstadt Photography Days« as well as publications by the society of »Kultur einer Digitalstadt«

A high willingness to cooperate towards the festivals’ and society’s team in preparations of the solo-exhibition is expected from the artist(s)

Background information about the residence’s location

At the end of the 19th century, an artists’ colony was founded in Darmstadt, as it was common in other places in Germany at the same time as well. Between 1899 and 1914, several renowned artists of the art nouveau lived and worked on Mathildenhöhe in Darmstadt. In the 1960s, the city of Darmstadt established a new colony for artists. For this, seven studio- and residential houses, planned by Rolf Prange, Rudolf Kramer, Bert Seidel, Heribert Hausmann and Reinhold Kargel, were errected at the Park Rosenhöhe (adjacent to Mathildenhöhe) from 1965 to 1967. Among others, writer Heinrich Schirmbeck, poet Karl Krolow, art historian Hans Maria Wingler and sculptor Wilhelm Loth lived and worked here.

In 2018, the house previously owned by Family Hensel was completely furnished with financial means of the city and has since been in use of the society of »Kultur einer Digitalstadt«. The society’s aim is to try out different ways of events and support for both artists, researchers and experts within various and interdisciplinary fields of practice, in the Atelierhaus Ludwig-Engel-Weg 1. The studio- and residential houses combined constitute an architectural ensemble. The other six identical building complexes on Rosenhöhe are partially occupied by artists. An open garden connects the settlement’s houses with each other. Through the adjacent Mathildenhöhe, the historical artists’ colony and the neighbouring Hochschule Darmstadt/ Faculty of Design, Atelierhaus Ludwig-Engel-Weg 1 additionally becomes a place with special importance for the contemporary artists living there for a limited period of time.

»Bizarre Escapes — Humour in Photography«

About this year’s topic of »11. Darmstadt Photography Days«

Humour and photography share more common aspects than is superficially apparent. Both of them probe the status quo, exaggerate events and process experiences from a specifically selected viewpoint. With pointed precision, photography employs odd perspectives in order to visualize, in concentrated moments or by means of unconventional staging, the world in which we live. Only through captivated contemplation can we gain new insights. Humour charmingly takes a look at the everyday, sketching its opposite with a slightly displaced gaze, playing with superficial associations – and causing things below the surface to flare up. Humour or satire in the image are able to visualize comical situations, surprising turns and unexpected contradictions. 

The distanced or displaced mode of contemplation conveys new perspectives to us – and ideally, societal action can be derived from the unexpected findings. At all events, these findings make the gravity of life more bearable and query our attitudes, values and prejudices.

A jury, consisting of the following members, will chose one or more suitable candidates for the residence:

Lukas Einsele (CEO of the society of »Kultur einer Digitalstadt«)

Julia Reichelt (Director of Kunstforum of TU Darmstadt)

Alexandra Lechner (photographer/ founding member of »Darmstadt Photography Days«/ RAY-Curator)

Gregor Schuster (photographer/ founding member of »Darmstadt Photography Days«)