Kai Residency calls for applications 2019-2020

Kai Art Center

Kai Art Center is a new cultural hub for local and international art, located in the historic and culturally- vibrant Noblessner area on Tallinn’s waterfront. Kai is set to open in September 2019 in a former submarine production plant and will present four main exhibitions each year in collaboration with Estonian and international curators, and its 100-seat auditorium will host a programme of events drawn from all fields of culture. In addition to the residency, the exhibition space and the auditorium, Kai Art Center has a shared office space for up to five Estonian art organisations.

Kai Residency

Kai Art Center’s core programme, the Kai Residency invites international visual artists, curators, writers and other contemporary art professionals to apply for its inaugural programme. The residency provides the opportunity for selected participants to live and work in Tallinn for between two and four weeks, while being immersed in the city’s dynamic art scene. Launching in October 2019, the Kai Residency will host up to 14 participants in its first year. Five places in the programme will be specifically allocated for residents from the Nordic and Baltic countries.

Residents will be invited to take full advantage of all activities taking place at Kai Art Center, including exhibition tours, talks, screenings and seminars. Residents will also be expected to present one public program (a talk, screening, gathering or other event), to introduce their work and research to local audiences.

Kai Art Center will cover all costs of the incoming residents including travel to and from Tallinn, local transport, accommodation and administrative support. The resident will have a private furnished 20 square metre room in the newly-built Kai Art Center facilities, as well as access to WiFi, a shared kitchen area and bathroom with shower. Workspace will not be offered. With this in mind, Kai is particularly interested in artists and other professionals with a research-based practice, or those intending to undertake research rather than production during their residency.

The Kai Residency aims to support innovative practices, develop global networks, and engage the local art community in Tallinn. Residents must commit to two to four weeks in full-time residence in Tallinn and be ready to participate in the local art context and make the most of the resources that Kai Art Center will make available.

Applicants should have a professional practice of at least five years. Collectives with a track record of collaboration will also be considered if they are willing to share the living space. Applications are open to those of any nationality, although securing a Visa, if necessary, will be the responsibility of the resident.

How to apply

To apply, please email residency@kai.center a single PDF no larger than 10MB containing the full application form , a CV, 10 work samples with full captions, press and publication texts, and one reference letter. Incomplete applications will not be considered. All applications must be received no later than 1 August , 2019 and applicants will be notified of results by 1 September, 2019.

Kari Conte has been appointed Kai Residency Curator for 2019-2020 and she will serve as a jury member for the residency along with Karin Laansoo (Kai Art Center, Tallinn), Ann Mirjam Vaikla (Narva Art Residency, Estonia) and Jenni Nurmenniemi (Fiskars Village Biennale, Finland).

Kari Conte is a curator and writer, and the Director of Programs and Exhibitions at the International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP) in New York since 2010. At ISCP, she leads residencies, exhibitions, and public programs focused on global contemporary art practices. She has curated more than 40 exhibitions, including recent solo presentations by Chiara Fumai, Hikaru Fujii, Jennifer Tee, Eva Kotátková and Richard Ibghy & Marilou Lemmens and the group exhibitions Concrete Truth: Art and the Documentary, The Animal Mirror and Aqueous Earth. She has also curated exhibitions for the Aichi Triennale and Performa Biennial and is an Advisor for the 2020 Helsinki Biennale. She published Seven Work Ballets, the first monograph on artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles (Sternberg Press, 2016) and has contributed to numerous other books and journals.