Call for applications: LAPA Season II artist residency in Johannesburg

Evolving from the LAPA Season I residency, LAPA Season II invites two artists as an artistic duo or pair. Working from Roger Robinson’s ‘A Portable Paradise’ (2022) and Albert Camus’ ‘Create Dangerously’ (1957), the residency wonders on theories and practices of collectivity, third spaces, shared inquiry and co-citizenship to consider art as a social practice. How do communities reclaim and redefine their inherent values?

Who can apply?

LAPA is developed for artists across all disciplines based in Africa. Priority will be given to pairings working on the continent seeking to expand their working relationship and continue developing their artistic language and research. Applications are open to all (with or without formal art education) who have been professionally active for at least six years.

Applicants are required to prepare the following:

• An outline/proposal of the intended research and project work. Applicants should include any references, books, music or external sources that influence their work so that the organisers can see their approach and thinking (max 800 words).
• For organisers to understand the artists’ use of the residency time, applicants should provide a short work plan or outline (max 450 words).
• A portfolio of prior and existing work for both artists that relates to the proposal/work plan, including a biography of each individual or as a pair (max four pages).
• One page CV.
• One minute video introducing yourselves and your work.
• The programme is run in English, but applicants are welcome to develop and present bilingual/multilingual approaches.

How to apply?

• Applications should be submitted here before 15 July.
• Any questions for clarity regarding the application should be sent via email to [email protected] before 11 July.
• All applicants will receive a response by 15 August.

The selected artistic duo will be contacted timeously in order to best prepare for their residency period. Artists will receive a letter of invitation and itinerary and will be expected to apply for their visas in order to secure all travel arrangements. Artists working together, in tandem and in pairs, are welcome to submit a joint application.

Note: Late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted.

Outcome(s)

As the name LAPA reflects the residency’s manifesto, the core principles relate to neighbourliness, conviviality, community, healing, environment and home. Artists are encouraged to engage with ideas and metaphors of community through their work and the Brixton and arts community of Johannesburg. The duo will be expected to present their work in any format they choose. LAPA hosts a ‘function-first’ public space on the ground floor of Breezeblock, which is a library and office space. The artist should consider their trace and impact in the community of LAPA and Brixton.

Accommodation and studio information

The artist pair will live on the third floor in the LAPA apartment, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, open plan kitchen, dining and living area, which can also accommodates a studio space. The kitchen area is a communal area for the team’s use. Should the residents have specific studio-based needs, this must be clearly outlined in their applications. Artists will have access to a communal workspace on the ground floor. At its heart, they’ll find a well-equipped, cosy office space, a shared courtyard at Breezeblock, and a slowly expanding archive and library.

What is paid for:

• Travel to and from LAPA (return flight and ground travel from OR Tambo International Airport to Brixton, Johannesburg) and monthly living/subsistence costs.
• Fee: R6 000/month ($370) each to cover basic living expenses and materials and resources.
• A separate budget allocation is made for the artist’s public moment.

LAPA residency structure

LAPA is a communal, experimental thinking space in Brixton, open to publics. It ideates and hosts forms of gathering and being together. It is an offering for reflecting on restorative artistic and communal pan-African histories and practices. To reinitiate the space for Season II, LAPA invites artistic duos, acknowledging that great things come in pairs and more can be done when we work alongside each other.

“By inviting artists who work in a variety of mediums, we emphasise experimentation over medium,” Goethe-Institut said. “As a process-based residency for artistic research, artists have the space to determine their method and work plan as motivated by the demands of their research. LAPA commits to facilitate this by offering a welcome, working space, supportive programme of discussions, and connections to other art professionals. The residency will be supported by an organiser and mentors who will share resources with moments of reflection and critical feedback.”

View the original call here.