Open call for KORDON LAB on Food and Energy residency

We recognize food as a transmitter of place and culture, with practices such as smoking, drying, salting, and fermenting being necessary energy transformations to sustain life in the northern hemisphere. With the isolation of food production from its origin and the artificial refinement of produce, this relationship has been fading, preserving the social and economic status quo of globalisation.

How can we distinguish modes other than production and consumption?
How can traditional techniques be combined with modern knowledge?
How might transdisciplinary activities propose alternate food and energy relationships?

The residency grounds and surroundings, located on Hiiumaa island in Estonia’s Unesco biosphere reserve amidst the Baltic Sea, serve as a starting point for future connection between the residents’ artistic activities, the location, and its inhabitants. We hope to achieve a paradigm shift in our perspective of making human and other-than-human life possible by allowing inhabitants to map, reflect on, and modify food processes and knowledge in relation to energy.

Residency structure
Each resident will be welcomed to stay for approximately 11 weeks, divided into three different time periods to emphasize the long-term process in relation to the changing of seasons. The first residence period is defined by study and mapping, which takes place in late summer/early autumn 2023—a time of abundance and harvesting potential. The second residence period, which takes place in winter/early spring 2024, is characterized by testing and experimenting—a time for reflection and learning. The third residence term is distinguished by the molding and finalization of creative ideas during the peak of summer 2024—the busiest time on the island when the artworks will be exposed to the public.

Call for applications
We are looking for artists-in-residence from a variety of disciplines, such as architecture, visual and performing arts, and so on. In addition, we welcome submissions from professional cooks who want to develop their expertise in the arts. Residents are required to carry out an individual artistic process while also being willing to live and work in a collective context where caring for the common good and working together are vital.

What we offer
Each resident will receive a one time artist fee of 3000 EUR, production grant up to 2000 EUR, per diems up to 900 EUR. We cover slow travelling costs (by land and sea) up to 275 EUR per round trip. We offer free accommodation in the newly reconstructed residency house.

How to apply
To apply we ask you to compile the following materials (subsection “how to apply”) into one single pdf file and send it to opencall [​at​] kordon.ee. Deadline: March 8, 2023 by 11:59pm (EET). Questions regarding the application process can be directed to the email indicated above. All applicants will be informed about the selection results by March 31, 2023.