EastEast

In his four-part series for EastEast, artist and filmmaker Rouzbeh Akhbari presents brief dispatches from his three-month research trip in Oman, driven by his work on the International North-South Transit Corridor (INSTC) and his experimental documentary, Point Rendezvous, which explores the informal livestock trade between the Caspian and Persian Gulf littorals.

During his stay in Khasab, Akhbari engaged in insightful conversations with people involved in the informal trade networks that link Iran’s sanctioned economy to the outside world. Through these oral histories, he uncovers the nonlinear nature of progress in Musandam, shedding light on how ostensibly unforeseeable events have prompted rapid policy changes and architectural modifications in the port area.

Read it via the link in bio.

Peru stands out for its incredible agrobiodiversity, thanks in part to the legacy of generations of dedicated farmers who have turned their fields into living laboratories. However, despite this wealth, Peru faces a serious food insecurity crisis, with over half the population at risk. How can this be in such a diverse land? 🌱

In his project Food for Everyone: Deities, Nature, and Humans, Peruvian photographer Prin Rodriguez .rodriguez explores this paradox by delving into the heart of Cusco, a city in the southern Andes where agriculture, tourism, and mining converge. Through conversations, interviews, photographs, videos, and collaborative writings, Rodriguez reflects on the future, emotional bonds, and food as a connector among all beings in the Andes.

Rodriguez’s work challenges us to reconsider our connection with nature and each other, asking: How can we imagine the future in a moment of crisis? From what perspective do we view the future? At a time when our connection with nature is shattered by extractivism and the systematic quest to consume our subjectivities, how can we be human?

Through this project, Rodriguez invites us to appreciate different ways of thinking and living, emphasizing the importance of imagination, storytelling, and community in shaping a future where diverse visions can converge.

Open call for artistic contributions to the Lost&Found Bureau exhibition, which collects memories of homes forcibly left due to displacement, wars, state terror, and natural disasters.
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It archived anonymous memories of such homes from various countries and decades. The project seeks to digitally represent objects described in the archive, inviting artists to create fantastical, not literal, representations.
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Artists must be based in or connected to the South Caucasus, with a focus on those in exile or with histories of displacement.
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Artists can submit 2D (still or video) or 3D digital representations. Selected artists will receive a 150 EUR honorarium upon completing the artwork.
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This initiative is part of the Homeing research art project, which critically reflects on the concept of Home in times of mobility, displacement, and radical uncertainty.
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Follow the link in our bio to learn more about the open call and the application process.

We are sharing a new selection of open calls, residencies, grants and educational programs that we have hand-picked for you. For more announcements specially curated for artists, researchers, and creative professionals, follow the link in our bio.
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Photography by Ksenia Mikhailova for EastEast.

Teva Cosic is an artist navigating between Naarm/Melbourne and Gimuy/Cairns in Australia. Her work deeply engages with the themes of memory, loss, and place.

Her project, Puno Puno, Lacu Noć, emerged from a heartfelt desire to reconnect with her Croatian heritage following the loss of her grandmother. This project expansively explores how personal and collective narratives of migration, identity, and belonging are entangled and embedded within nostalgia. From the vantage point of a third-generation Croatian, the work muses on the essence of culture, striving to forge a sense of connection while reconciling her own feelings of displacement through creative expression.

The project weaves together photographic encounters, archival materials, and other visual investigations, creating a constellation of personal narratives interlinked with those of the broader Croatian community.

KU Leuven is offering a PhD position as part of the project “Tourism and Rural Liveability in Remote Locations: Studying Tourism Impacts from a Socio-Spatial Systems Perspective.” This project aims to understand how tourism can develop symbiotically with the socio-economic, cultural, and landscape contexts of rural areas in Georgia and Argentina.

Application deadline: August 29th

PhD Position in the Anthropology of Tourism Impacts in Remote Areas Deadline: August 29th

Lisbon Architecture Triennale presents the Début Award, targeting those who are starting their careers in order to celebrate the work and promote the path for new generations in architecture. Both individual and collective applications will be evaluated by an international jury.

Application deadline: February 24th, 2025.

Lisbon Triennale Millennium bcp Début Award Deadline: February 24th

The Boghossian Foundation is launching an international Prize to celebrate artists whose work fosters a better mutual understanding among cultures.

Application deadline: September 15th

Open Call: The Boghossian Foundation Prize Deadline: September 15th

Galerie Bart announced two film screenings that delve into Mongolian culture and mythology. The screening of State of Dogs (1998) will take place on Saturday, July 13th at Galerie Bart in Amsterdam and Posta da Kona, a bookshop and shared studio in Tbilisi. The screening will be launched simultaneously at 13:00 CET and 15:00 Tbilisi Time.

State of Dogs Screening at Galerie Bart and Posta da Kona Amsterdam and Tbilisi. July 13th

The University of Saskatchewan Art Galleries and Collection (USAGaC) has now opened the application call for the third annual ohpinamake Prize for Indigenous Artists.

Application deadline: October 15th

ohpinamake Prize for Indigenous Artists Deadline: October 15th

In the "Colors of the City" exhibition at Design Doha 2024, architecture historian and curator Péter Tamás Nagy explores the dynamic architectural landscape of 20th-century Qatar. Nagy has examined the historical and cultural narratives behind the unique Doha Deco style and the development of Doha Brutalism, revealing the influences that shaped these distinct trends. His research uncovers surprising stories of notable structures that define Doha's architectural heritage.

Colors of the City Péter Tamás Nagy on the architecture of Doha

In an ode to a genre many would find perplexing and often unbearable, Anna Mikheeva describes the unique circumstances that brought her to Japanese Speedcore. Through an embrace of its "harmless aggression," Mikheeva finds both comfort and community in this "vibrant, absurd, and ironic" sound world.

On Falling in Love With Japanese Speedcore An unexpected source of sonic solace

EastEast is thrilled to present the online screening of "Exodus" by Choy Ka Fai, a Berlin-based Singaporean artist. This 18-minute film, commissioned for the 2024 Sydney Biennale, explores the intersection of Indonesian folklore, Indo-Rock, and digital culture. Featuring performances by TikTok stars, the Dewi Arum Girls and interviews with knowledgeable musicians, "Exodus" delves into the historical and cultural layers of Dolalak and Indo-Rock, blending colonial cosplay, traditional dance, and electronic music.

Watch here: https://easteast.world/posts/670

This screening is part of the ongoing collaboration between EastEast and Biennale of Sydney.

Para Site, Hong Kong's leading contemporary art center, is hiring an Assistant Curator to join their team.

Application deadline: July 5th

Job Vacancy: Assistant Curator at Para Site Hong Kong, China. Deadline: July 5th

The Lih Pao Cultural Arts Foundation is now accepting submissions for the 7th Lih Pao Sculpture Biennale Awards.

Call for Submissions for the 7th Lih Pao Sculpture Biennale Awards Deadline: September 30th

The VH Award 2024 Residency Program, hosted by the Hyundai Motor Group, supports emerging media artists who engage with Asia and its future. Applications for the program are open through July 5th, 2024. The announcement of finalists is scheduled for August 27th, 2024, and the residency program will run from September 2024 to December 2024.

VH Award: Grant and Online Residency for Emerging Asian Media Artists Deadline: July 5th

The Saison Artist in Residence Visiting Fellows 2024 Open Call aims to foster an international network for contemporary performing arts and enhance mutual understanding. It provides opportunities for international artists and arts managers to research the contemporary performing arts scene in Japan and support those expected to play a significant role in the international performing arts scene.

Application deadline: July 4th

Saison Foundation: Artist in Residence Visiting Fellow 2024 for Performing Arts Tokyo, Japan. Deadline: July 4th

The Arttaca Photography Grant 2024 has been announced, presenting an exciting global opportunity for photographers.

Application deadline: June 30th

Arttaca Photography Grant 2024 Deadline: June 30th

The Dastaangoi Sustainability Residency is open to international artists, designers, and architects. It focuses on creating environmentally responsible and resource-efficient projects. Participants will spend a month at the Dastaangoi Residence in Islamabad, Pakistan. Participants are encouraged to explore themes such as environmental impact, community engagement, and the use of sustainable materials.

Application deadline: June 30th

Open Call for the Dastaangoi Sustainability Residency Islamabad, Pakistan. Deadline: June 30th

Tbilisi Architecture Biennial 2024 announces winners. The Biennial will take place from September 28th to October 19th, 2024.

Tbilisi Architecture Biennial 2024 Announces Winners The theme of this year's Open Call was Correct Mistakes

The Global Cultural Relations Programme (GCRP) is looking for professionals interested in developing an interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral approach to work. The 2024 edition of GCRP is open to professionals in the cultural and creative sectors, or those working in the realm of creating safer societies.

The GCRP is scheduled to take place in Marrakech, Morocco from November 25th to 28th, 2024.

Application deadline: July 14th

Open Call: Global Cultural Relations Programme Marrakech, Morocco. Deadline: July 14th

Pillusion, an independent international film festival located in the Tyrolean Alps, is currently accepting submissions for their 2024 edition. The theme for the 2024 festival is "Revelations" and they are seeking short and feature-length documentary and fiction films that explore this theme.

Deadline: July 1st

Open Call for Submissions: Pillusion Film Festival 2024 Deadline: July 1st

Villa Empain - Fondation Boghossian is inviting Lebanese visual artists, filmmakers, and youth literature writers to apply for its Prize program. The foundation is now accepting applications for three awards: The Visual Arts Prize, the “Cinéma Coup de Cœur” Prize, and the “Littérature Jeunesse” Prize.

Application deadline: September 30th

Boghossian Foundation Prizes for Lebanese Artists, Filmmakers, and Youth Literature Writers Deadline: September 30th

Join a lecture by Vienna-based philosopher and author Fahim Amir on June 11th at 19:00 at e-flux, New York.

In his lecture, "Under Afghan Eyes: Stories of Plants and Paints," Amir will explore the mundane entanglements of two non-human entities from Afghanistan: the rock lapis lazuli, which forever changed Western art history, and the plant bandana, which continues to enrich the lives of ordinary Afghans.

RSVP

Lecture by Fahim Amir: "Under Afghan Eyes: Stories of Plants and Paints" New York, USA. June 11th, 19:00

The artist and filmmaker Rouzbeh Akhbari is sharing brief dispatches from his three-month research trip in Oman at EastEast. These dispatches will feature excerpts from field notes, archival documents, photographs, and audiovisual materials. Akhbari’s interest in the region stems from his work on two related projects: research focused on how the International North-South Transit Corridor (INSTC) translates into local contexts near Iran’s maritime and terrestrial border zones, and an experimental documentary titled “Point Rendezvous” that follows the informal livestock trade between the Caspian and Persian Gulf littorals.

You can read the first dispatch at EastEast.world: https://easteast.world/posts/623

Ma’dan of Iraq, known as the Marsh Arabs, have survived for 6,500 years in the Southern Wetlands of Iraq with floating island technologies that rival contemporary, non-biodegradable islands. They have evolved simple, habitable, adaptable, versatile, and biodegradable buoyant infrastructures using a single reed species known as the qasab to construct the entire built environment. Their floating villages known as Al-Tahla are constructed on manmade islands that can survive for twenty-five years, and are topped by houses constructed in as little as three days from the same reeds.

These photos are part of a vast research project conducted by Julia Watson, a designer, educator, author, and a leading expert on nature-based technologies for climate resilience. Her book, Lo-TEK; Design by Radical Indigenism, builds on indigenous philosophy and vernacular infrastructure to generate sustainable, resilient, nature based technology. We are thrilled to share the visual selections from her book, along with short extracts from an insightful conversation between EastEast and Watson.

You can explore more at EastEast.world here: https://easteast.world/posts/610

Photos: Al-Tahla Floating Islands of the Ma'adan, Iraq / “Lo-TEK, Design by Radical Indigenism,” by Julia Watson, published by Taschen. Photos by [1] Carolyn Drake [2] Agata Scowronek.

Moving Narratives, a multidisciplinary mentorship program organized in partnership between the Prince Claus Fund and the British Council, has announced its second cycle. This program supports creative practices that aim to make the world more equitable and just by reconsidering historical legacies and exploring emancipatory movements.

Application deadline: July 16th

Moving Narratives: A Multidisciplinary Mentorship Program for Artists Deadline: July 16th

The exhibition A Unity of Time and Place with Other Times and Places at the STATIONS exhibition space showcases 15 short films from six renowned filmmakers and artists: Ravi Agarwal, Ali Essafi, Cătălin Ilie, Rosalind Nashashibi, Margaret Tait, and Tom Thayer.

On view through June 16th.

Cinema/Installation: A Unity of Time and Place with Other Times and Places STATIONS, Berlin. From April 27th through June 16th

Suzanna Spertsyan, an Armenian-born writer and stylist based in Paris, and German photographer Patrick Bienert traveled to Armenia to create and shoot their joint project “If There's Space I'll Stay, If There's Time I'll Sing.”

We are excited to showcase a selection of the project's photos and share a conversation between the artists and EastEast’s film curator Olya Korsun.

Read here: https://easteast.world/posts/630

International Creator Residency Program, operated by Tokyo Arts and Space (TOKAS), a division of The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, invites highly motivated and distinguished creators from around the globe in the fields of visual art, film, design, and architecture to work, create, and conduct research activities in Tokyo.

Application deadline: July 2nd

Tokyo Arts and Space: International Creator Residency Program Tokyo, Japan. Deadline: July 2nd