HELEN OF SPARTA eResidency

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

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

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 eResidents' work will be presented live online, in a video and an e-publication.

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, textile art, dress culture, women's history, performance and design.

The idea of the eResidency program reflects the tradition of 18th and 19th century travelers in Greece whose impressions greatly influenced artists and intellectuals in their own countries. Johann Joachim Winckelmann, archaeologist and founder of the Art History discipline, for example, never visited Greece, but developed his approach based on what he had read or heard from travelers. German poets Goethe and Hölderlin found inspiration in Greek antiquity without ever having 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.

Due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, the intensive workshop takes place exclusively online, including tele conference, live streaming, customized exercises and individual advice. The tightly scheduled monitoring and coaching program consists of lectures, slideshows and videos, visual notes, group meetings and personal chat.

Participants of the "Helen of Sparta" eResidency have the option to visit Greece (Athens or Arcadia/Peloponnes) in Summer/Fall 2021.

Details:

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 photographic material will be published in SMCK Magazine (www.smck.com). A live streaming presentation of participants' work will also be scheduled instead of the usual (physical) exhibition opening.

Total of hours (Workshops/coaching):

• Workshop (21 hours)

• Performance:  8 hours

• From Greek mythology to narrative: 4 hours

• Video scenario: 3 hours

• Easy video techniques: 2 hours

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

• Objects as performance inspiration: 1 hour

• Individual coaching: 2 x 30 minutes/artist.

• Homework required: 3 hours/day

Each session is one hour maximum with intermissions in between.

Reference: A similar eResidency - Helen's Dress - exclusively designed for and funded by Stavros Niarchos Foundation, was realized by FaveLAB's Christoph Ziegler and Loukia Richards in June 2020.

For project documentation, please see:

Helen's Dress filpbook

Article on Klimt02

Vamvakou Revival Homepage

Duration of residency:   Four days.  The eResidency starts on Thursday morning and ends on Sunday afternoon. The eResidency dates are:  

Thursday 8 - Sunday 11 October 2020    OR   Thursday 22 - Sunday 25 October 2020

Disciplines, work equipment and assistance:  Visual artists, textile artists, jewellery artists and designers, fashion designers, writers, performers, dancers, choreographers. Daily workshops on mythology, history of culture, performance, Greek crafts, Greek traditional dress, narrative and performance guide artists to prepare their own story, performance and objects.

Accommodation / studio / workspace:   The eResidency participants stay & work in their own place. A good internet connection (tele conference, live streaming) is necessary.

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

Expectations towards the artist: Participants are asked to deliver a performance video and photo material of their work plus a short text profile (150 words). Text and pictures will be published in SM*CK Magazine.

Number of participants/eResidents:  minimum four - maximum eight artists.