learning materials artists in residence

HIAP, Bioart Society, Koynẽ Program and SWAMP: Art Material and Waste Management Point and TUO TUO invite applications for a new pilot residency programme focused on socially engaged, process-orientated and material-driven practices.

Learning Materials investigates how biomaterials, traditional practices, new technology and existing knowledges can be brought together to rethink our relationship with materials and the planet. The project aims to focus on conscious and tangible approaches to ecological and sustainable material practices for artists and communities.

The project’s intent is also to investigate obstacles and solutions related to the use of sustainable materials in the operations of cultural organisations, focusing on the implementation of multipurpose, reusable and recyclable materials.

Hosted at HIAP Helsinki International Artist Programme (Suomenlinna Studios), 3 artists based outside of Finland in one of the Nordic Baltic countries will undertake a 3 month residency.

The residencies will respond to one or more of the following themes under the Learning Materials umbrella:

• Waste and circular economies
• Material legacies and biomaterials
• Tourism and greenwashing

Each theme has been generated in response to a material challenge the project partners are investigating, which relate to their locale and communities. Artists will need to demonstrate expertise in material and socially-engaged practices (as opposed to artists looking to learn or experiment for the first time).

The residency focuses on research and experimentation, with no designated output. Residents have the opportunity to share their practice through the delivery of a Learning Materials Lab, and through publishing one text (or other format) online via the partners websites at the end of the residency period. The artists also have the option to participate in HIAP’s broader residency programme, including Open Studios.

During the residency, artists will have support from and access to the expertise and facilities of each partner and their networks. This activity will be the first time the project partners have collaborated to pool expertise, resources and facilities in this way.

The outcomes of the residency and feedback from the artists will be used to further define and develop the future of the Learning Materials project.