HELEN OF SPARTA eResidency

Intensive 4-day virtual residency + workshop + public presentation for visual, multimedia and interdisciplinary artists, jewelry and fashion designers or writers who work with textile art, story telling, mythology, performance.

Participation fee: 350,00 € paid by each participant

The eResidency:

The Helen of Sparta eResidency aims at inspiring eight artists/writers/performers to develop their own updated version of the ancient Greek myth. The intensive four-day program addresses issues, such as misogyny, abuse, manipulation, fake news, armed conflict. 

The eResidency program Helen of Sparta ambitions to introduce artists into the tradition of Greek art and culture, with a strong focus on narrative, Greek mythology, jewelry art, textile art, dress culture, women's history, performance and design.

The eResidents' work will be presented in a special online event and in a special section of SM*CK Magazine for Independent Artists (March 2021 #Munich issue).

The story behind the concept:

Helen, the mythical queen of Sparta, falls in love with the enemy and causes a merciless war.

The idea of the eResidency program reflects the tradition of 18th and 19th century travelers in Greece whose impressions greatly influenced artists and intellectuals back home. 

A famous example, the archaeologist and founder of the discipline of art history, Johann Joachim Winckelmann, never visited Greece, but developed his approach based on travelers' accounts. German poets Goethe and Hölderlin found inspiration in Greek antiquity, although they had never visited the country. The rediscovery of "Greek aesthetics" in art, architecture and fashion, and the revival of democracy in the age of Enlightenment was more a product of imagination than of physical presence.

Schedule and options:

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the intensive eResidency takes place exclusively online; it consists of teleconference meetings, customized exercises and individual advice. The tightly scheduled program consists of lectures, slideshows and videos, visual notes, group meetings and personal coaching.

eResidents have the option to participate in the online show and/or the gallery show organized and curated by ZLR Betriebsimperium during SCHMUCK/Munich Jewelry Week_March 2021.

eResidents of the Helen also have the option to attend a physical Artist-In-Residence in Greece (Athens or Arcadia/Peloponnes) in Summer/Fall 2021 or Winter 2021/22.

eResidency goals and promotion:

Developing a narrative and a story board, a performance concept and a choreography or an action script for an easy-to-do-it-yourself video is the feasible outcome of the workshop. Participants develop the concept, write the script, shoot and cut their video, even without prior knowledge or experience.

• Participants’ videos will be published online and shared via the social media.

• Text and images will be published in SMCK Magazine (www.smck.org).

•A live streaming presentation of participants' work will also be scheduled instead of the usual (physical) exhibition opening.

The eResidency includes the option for participants to show their work during SCHMUCK/ Munich Jewelry Week_March 2021 and via online presentation and gallery exhibition.

Program details: 

• Workshop & coaching (21 hours)

• From Greek mythology to narrative: 4 hours

• From Greek crafts (textile, jewelry, ceramics) to contemporary design: 2 hours

• Objects as performance inspiration: 1 hour

• Performance: 8 hours

• Video scenario: 3 hours

• Basic video techniques: 2 hours 

• Individual coaching: 2 x 30 minutes/artist

• Homework required: 3 hours/day

= total: 21 hours

Each session is one hour maximum with intermissions in between.

References:

• Helen's Dress online flipbook ( http://www.favelab.net/flipbooks/HelensDress_2020/mobile/index.html )

• Article on KLIMT02 ( https://klimt02.net/forum/articles/helens-dress-e-residency-mythology-embroidery-performance-gender-zlr-betriebsimperium )

• Helen's Dress participants' videos ( https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLteNVBNQW0WTp9rxu_FobwvVtchhHrBOo )

Requirements:  A good internet connection + zoom application (teleconference, live streaming) is necessary.

Support:  We give letters of support to selected artists who wish to apply for funding. We do not provide funding.

Duration and dates:  4 days. The eResidency starts on Thursday morning and ends on Sunday afternoon.

Number of participants:  Minimum 4 to maximum 8 artists.

eResidency Dates + application deadlines:

26 to 29 November 2020 -- Application deadline: 15 November 2020

3 to 6 December 2020 -- Application deadline: 22 November 2020

10 to 13 December 2020 -- Application deadline: 29 November 2020

7 to 10 January 2021 -- Application deadline: 22 December 2020

21 to 24 January 2021 -- Application deadline: 10 January 2021