Open Call for Artists, Curators & Researchers Trio

1a space is pleased to announce an open call for trio group(s) composed of an artist, a curator and a researcher to participate in the Mid-Career Artist Exhibition & Publication Series. In response to the shortage of mid-career retrospectives in Hong Kong and the need of documenting and researching the local art ecology, we aim to initiate a long-term commitment to a series of comprehensive solo exhibitions and high-quality publications dedicated to mid-career artists. Through demonstrating an artist’s creative process in a thorough and inclusive manner to the general public, the project serves to acknowledge and encourage prolonged artistic practices. In addition, by facilitating dynamic collaborations between leading Hong Kong artists, curators, and researchers, we hope to invite reflections upon different roles and possibilities in exhibition-making.

We seek to support a trio consisted of an artist, a curator, and a researcher, to realise a solo exhibition at the 1a space gallery in early 2022, coupled with an artist monograph publication. Pairing a deserving curatorial talent with a mid-career artist, the survey exhibition is expected to make visible the progression of an artist’s journey, demonstrating how an artist reflects, reconfigures and rejects idea. The project also sees curatorial research as a core component in tandem with exhibition planning. We intend to develop cohesive and well-contextualized retrospectives that fill in the gap between larger public institutions and commercial galleries. In accompany with the exhibition, public programmes such as artist talks and guided tours will be organized, inviting the local community to interact with the artist, curator and researcher, and to expand related discussions.

To further anchor the exhibition in the wider local art discourse, the selected researcher will be responsible to conduct research and produce essay(s) focused on the artist. The publication shall include, but is not limited to, introductory essay(s), biographical information on the artist, analyses of works of art, artwork illustrations and installation images of the exhibition. While the exhibition and related programmes are temporal events, the academic monograph produced will continue to contribute to the research of local art as a helpful and permanent resource.

Successful applicants will receive:

- Administration and venue support

- Publication support (including book designing, artwork and exhibition photography support, ISBN registration, collecting and sorting out cataloguing details, etc.)

- Production fee for each participating artist, curator and researcher

- Press materials and PR support

Eligibility:

- Applicants must be living and working in Hong Kong, or Hong Kong artists/curators/researchers living and working abroad. Please note that the project will not be able to cover travelling and accommodation costs for successful applicants coming from abroad.

- We acknowledge that the careers of artists, curators and researchers progress in various ways. Thus, we broadly define the eligibility of each role through listing different milestones. Interested parties should show in the application that they have reached most of the milestones below or should demonstrate their accomplishment of other experiences that they see equivalent.

o The open call is aimed at mid-career artists with at least 10 years of experience working as artists; participation in solo and group exhibitions locally and internationally; participation in local or international residencies; and an accumulated sizable quantity of works that showcases a linear development of the artist’s style and creative language.

o We are looking for curators who has actively engaged in curatorial practices locally or internationally in the recent 10 years.

o Applying researchers should have previous professional publishing experiences, or should possess relevant academic qualifications.

Application guidelines:

- Interested trios consisted of an artist, a curator and a researcher should submit ONE shared application pack. The pack should be in PDF format, and should include the following items in no more than 20 pages:

1. CV of the artist – Please note that the list of exhibitions should include maximum 10 selected items from 2016 onwards.

2. Artist’s portfolio - With images and captions of selected artworks and exhibitions

3. CV of the curator

4. CV of the researcher

5. A shared application statement – The statement should explain how your participation in the project can benefit your current states of career, and how your group visualize the upcoming collaboration. Some related questions include why this particular trio was formed, and how the trio can offer a comprehensive review on the artist’s career and deepen the understanding of the Hong Kong art scene.

6. Curator’s portfolio – with at least 2 exhibitions

7. Researcher’s writing sample – with at least 2 writing samples

- Considering the limited number of pages, applicants are encouraged to include website links in replacement of long texts.

- Each applicant can be involved in one application only.

- One representative of the trio shall submit the application pack via email to info@oneaspace.org.hk (Subject: Application for Mid-Career Artist Exhibition & Publication Series) on or before 7pm on 28 November 2021 (Sunday) .

Selection Process:

Submissions will be evaluated by a committee that includes representatives and the curatorial panel of 1a space. Applications will be evaluated based on the applicants’ artistic and academic merit, and the exhibition’s benefit to the applicants’ development. Results of the open call will be announced in late December 2021.