Open Call is closed. We received 318 applications!
Residency duration: around 3 weeks
Residency dates: June to August 2023
Residency location: Estonia
Application deadline: January 27th 2023 (included)
Results of the open call: March 2023
The project Wild Bits is an exhibition concept that proposes a temporary art park in the wilderness. Wild Bits is part of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 main programme. The exhibition looks for points of contact between people, technology and nature. The technological art installations consisting of sounds, lights, texts, sculptures or their online counterparts are placed in natural spaces like forests, fields, swamps and lakes.
With this open call Maajaam is seeking proposals for installations, interventions or processes to be installed in landscapes spread out around Maajaam that explore the human condition in a contemporary technological society. The artworks should withstand outdoor conditions. We encourage artists to think of solutions that are energy sustainable: use alternative sources (e.g. solar panels) and be as economical as possible.
Maajaam is situated in an old farmhouse, but is nonetheless operated as a media art experimentation residency. It lies on the frontier of these overlapping normalities, extending an invitation to contemplate, question and explore the aspects of a technological society, its influence on our behaviour, perception and thinking as well as on our surrounding environments.
The residency will take place between June and August of 2023. The residency lasts for approximately 3 weeks, depending on your production plan. The produced works will remain in Maajaam until 2025. By participating in this open call, the artist agrees that their works can be also displayed in satellite exhibits in Latvia (partner Savvala) and Estonia.
In total we will select three to five projects for the 2023 residency period. We are open to all artists from around the world. Selected projects receive an artist fee of €2000 (per project) and a travel grant. The total maximum production budget per project can be up to €5000 (please submit a preliminary budget). The production will be assisted by organizers by providing some production facilities, tools (see the list here), specialized know-how and a smoke sauna experience.
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Main selection criteria:
Residency production camp will take place between June and August 2023 in Maajaam. As an exception we can organize one or two individual residencies on other dates.
Wild Bits is part of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 main programme. The artistic concept of Tartu 2024 is Arts of Survival or Ellujäämise Kunstid in Estonian.
Do artworks stay in Maajaam after 2025?
The future of the art works after 2025 will be settled per project basis.
Can I propose an artwork that has been exhibited before?
We would prefer new works that are developed in the residency, but we also accept works done before to be adapted to the new landscape.
What equipment and facilities are provided in the residency?
You can see the residency possibilities on Maajaam website. If Maajaam does not have some specific tool or equipment, we try to rent or find a service locally.
Can I submit a light-based project?
As the main exhibition period is a summer with very long days due to northern latitudes it might be difficult to see. If submitting a light-based project this aspect must be taken into consideration.
How to power installation?
We do have solar power in the farm to supply energy to installations, but transmitting it to long distances might be problematic. If you need electricity for your work, please include a power management plan in your project. It’s best if installations use integrated solar panels, wind turbines or movement of visitors to create electricity. We are very happy with non-electric works.
Do you accept AR/VR projects?
We are open to all kinds of projects, but we do prefer physical objects in physical spaces. In our view physical objects create better conditions for being present in the natural landscape. If the user experience is well thought through and is something more than watching (through) a screen, please feel free to submit!
How can I use the project budget?
The budget and the production of the project is managed by Wild Bits.
When and where will the audience see the artworks?
The artworks will be presented in 2024 at Maajaam open air art park in South Estonia and remain accessible for the audience for around 4 months (with a possibility to extend to 2025). Some selected artworks will also be premiered to Latvian audiences in summer of 2023 in Savvala, North Latvia, Vidzeme.