Amaia Vicente and Mario Paniego will participate in an artist-in-residence programme in Wroclaw

For the fifth year running, two Basque artists will participate in an artist-in-residence programme in Wroclaw, Poland, of as part of AIR Wro, the legacy programme of the European Capital of Culture Wroclaw 2016 organised by the Culture Zone Wroclaw. Amaia Vicente and Mario Paniego are the artists, their projects selected from among the 10 proposals submitted.

For the fifth year running, two Basque artists will participate in an artist-in-residence programme in Wroclaw, Poland, of as part of AIR Wro, the legacy programme of the European Capital of Culture Wroclaw 2016 organised by the Culture Zone Wroclaw. Amaia Vicente and Mario Paniego are the artists, their projects selected from among the 10 proposals submitted.

Amaia Vicente will reflect on urban space using sound and geolocation, while Mario Paniego will take a close look at advertising in public spaces. The residence will include a workshop for the people of Wroclaw and will end with a presentation open to the public.

The artist-in-residence programme will run from September 24th to November 18th. Each of the artists will receive €2000, in addition to support from the organizers for production, promotion and communication. Accommodation and expenses to and from Wroclaw will also be provided.

Cooperation between Wroclaw and the Basque Country started in 2014 while preparing for the European Capital of Culture celebrations in Wroclaw and Donostia / San Sebastián. Since then, Wroclaw has hosted 11 Basque artists as part of the AIR Wro programme, supported in part by the Etxepare Basque Institute as a platform for Basque artists to develop their careers and display their work. The programme also strives to encourage mobility, intercultural dialogue and international collaboration.

Wroclaw Artist-in-Residence Programme

AIR Wro is a programme that involves artist residencies, study visits and international collaboration. The objective is to support and promote artists in different areas of culture and art who are interested in working with representatives of local organizations and communities and establishing international cultural relations.

The programme supports artists, curators, researchers, journalists, activists, animators and managers of projects on urban identity and culture which also address such issues as grassroots movements, public space, urban greenery, environmental protection, ecology, civic education, social issues or cultural policies. The aim of AIR Wro is to promote mediation and to search for good practices and solutions for modern cities.

This year’s call for artists from the Basque Country focuses on changes caused by different social, historical and personal factors connected with the character of a city. Urban landscape and ecosystem are constantly shaped by people, but do they interact or interfere? New forms of activism, artistic practices and collaborative experiences are emerging in modern cities because of continual change in our communities. These changes are often connected with current trends in broadly defined civic attitudes: urban research and education, sustainable development and ecology, guerrilla initiatives and self-organization, as well as issues related to public space. All of them seem to influence the way we work, live and co-exist.

The city and its culture can be a starting point for artistic, cultural and social activities rooted in dialogue and mediation. This call is meant to invite artists interested in urban identity and culture to create a new project in Wrocław.

More information about the artists and projets here.