ART PROSPECT network

An informal network of organizations and individuals in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus/Germany, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Ukraine/Poland, and Uzbekistan focusing on socially engaged and public art

CEC ArtsLink policy statement following Russia’s war against Ukraine (March 2023) 

Art Prospect Network partners open letter against war in Ukraine (March 2022)

The Art Prospect Network, initiated by CEC ArtsLink in 2017, addresses the need for creating social inclusion in 11 post-Soviet countries by supporting activities that encourage civic engagement, on-going exchange, and collaboration between local citizens, artists, and local governmental and non-governmental agencies. Art Prospect Network members share a commitment to developing innovative artistic and social practices which stimulate community engagement, positive change, and encourage dialogue. Network members share information and resources and participate in Art Prospect’s international public art festivals, residencies, workshops, and seminars. 

Art Prospect Network utilizes and unifies CEC ArtsLink’s experience in the region in a program of network building activities, educational programs, public art festivals, and socially engaged artist residencies for artists and curators. Since its inception, over 200 artists and curators have participated in residencies, public art festivals, and educational seminars as part of the Art Prospect Network program. 

Network Partners

Belarus / Germany

Ambasada Kultury is an initiative of Belarusian culture workers and activists. Originally from Minsk, Belarus, it is currently based in Berlin, Germany.

Organizational Focus

  • Community. We support and develop connections within and outside the Belarusian cultural community, promoting cooperation and collaboration between artists and activists from different cultural fields.
  • Multi-disciplinary. We strive to build new connections across different fields of culture, science and other disciplines. We believe in the power of interconnectedness and horizontal entanglement that sparks synergies and insights and creates new experiences.
  • Contemporary art and culture. Our passion and key interest is contemporary art and culture, which we view as a means to reflect and analyze processes that are taking place today in Belarus and beyond through artistic practices, research, exchange and the implementation of artistic projects.

We strive to be part of the global community and processes, an element of the pattern that spreads across knowledge fields, time, locations and experiences. We see ourselves as nomads, non-localized culture ambassadors that are radically open to the Other, unknown, and unexpected.

Art Prospect Network Residency at Ambasada Kultury

Ambasada Kultury invites artists and curators working with the issue of forced migration for one-month residencies in Berlin. We are now witnessing a powerful wave of migration of individuals from the Belarus cultural field. Together with Berlin-based representatives of Belarusian culture and science, we are interested in investigating the prerequisites, reasons, and causes for the migration of Belarusian cultural communities during the 20-21st centuries as well as its impact on the cultural assimilation and transformation of the local professional field.

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Image: Wassily Kandinsky, “Dance Curves: On the Dances of Palucca”, 1926

Kazakhstan
Almaty and Nur-Sultan

The Art and Creative Solutions Public Foundation unites professionals in the cultural sphere and creative industries.  The Foundation’s primary goal is to support growth of the creative potential of citizens of Kazakhstan. The Fund has offices in Nur-Sultan and Almaty.

Art Prospect Network Residency at the Art and Creative Solutions Public Foundation

We are interested in artistic interventions in urban spaces in Nur-Sultan and Almaty. We invite artists interested in interacting with the urban environment and local community to collaborate with us.

One of the most important directions for the development of the contemporary Kazakhstani contemporary art scene is working with young artists. We are interested in collaborating with international curators who would like to explore and engage with the young artists’ community.

Kyrgyzstan
Bishkek

ArtEast is a non-governmental organization founded by the artist duo Gulnara Kasmalieva and Muratbek Djumaliev in 2002. The main mission of the organization is to strengthen the role of the contemporary visual arts as an integral component for the harmonious development of civil society in Kyrgyzstan and to provide support to artists to create artworks that are free of ideological and commercial pressure.

Art Prospect Network Residency at ArtEast

The main goals of the residency are to create a network and facilitate interaction between local and international artists and experts of contemporary art; to share experience and practices trough workshops, presentations and exhibitions.

Priority will be given to artists, curators, architects and thinkers who work with urban and rural issues, green technologies in art and architecture and who have strong communication skills and a desire to interact with the local community.

The ArtEast residency in Bishkek is located in a former apartment “Stalinka” on the ground floor. The apartment size is 50 sq. m. and includes studio, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom.

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Uzbekistan
Bukhara

Bukhara Photo Gallery aims to develop and promote art photography in the region. Many of its projects address social and political issues through photography and facilitate interaction with the local creative community, including photographers, artists, and others.  Its main activities are photo exhibits, photography workshops, and participation in local and international photography events.

Art Prospect Network Residency at the Bukhara Photo Gallery

The Bukhara Photo Gallery supports the development of contemporary art in Bukhara by attracting the attention and interest of young people as well as the general public to contemporary art and providing support and information to young artists about how to realize creative projects and successfully promote their work in the art market. Our gallery actively collaborates with the city’s galleries and exhibition halls.

We welcome applications from artists, photographers, curators, and art specialists who can stimulate beginning artists to create and realize their own projects, focusing on contemporary problems of cultural heritage and the development of a sense of responsibility for their preservation.

One of the primary goals of the residency is to stimulate the formation of an art community and to conduct educational initiatives in the sphere of contemporary art.

Tajikistan
Dushanbe

Dushanbe ArtGround / Sanati Muosir is a non-profit organization registered in 2012 in Dushanbe. DAG’s mission is to advocate for the development of contemporary art practices in Tajikistan, to redefine the role of the artist in contemporary society and shift the function of the artist from mere producer to engaged researcher and critic. DAG strategy is to achieve long-term sustainable development for new media arts and new platforms where creative and civic communities could collaboratively invent alternative avenues for social development and change.

Update, January 2023: ArtGround will not be hosting Art Prospect Network residencies in 2023

Art Prospect Network Residency at Dushanbe ArtGround

The residency in Dushanbe is open to artists, curators and cultural producers and may include individual research, a series of lectures/presentations, workshops, and/or a small scale exhibition. The DAG team seeks inspiring applications, dealing with research and investigation of local aspects of art production, urban transformations, and community driven projects, which can dynamically engage with the contemporary art community in Tajikistan.  Residents are expected to present a lecture/screening/presentation at the end of residence period to share the results of their research with the Tajik art community.  However, residents can also choose other suitable formats (series of lectures, presentation, workshop, small scale exhibition, DYI publication, etc.) to present their work.

Moldova
Chisinau

Founded in 2000 and based on a long working experience as an independent cultural actor, Oberliht aims to interconnect dispersed artistic scenes and build an artistic community making use of public spaces. The Association aims to provide support to young artists and contribute to their professional development. It develops and maintains interdisciplinary platforms and projects aiming to connect the local and international contemporary art and culture initiatives, and advocates for a strong and independent cultural sector in Moldova and in the region. Its activities include: cultural action (supporting artistic production); research of public space transformations; advocacy actions; non-formal education; community building and organizing; editorial and publishing activity (translation and dissemination).

Art Prospect Network Residency at Oberliht: KIOSK AIR

Unlike finished exhibition projects that circulate through a worldwide network of galleries and museums, the KIOSK AIR program encourages the creation of new work in relation to local contexts and realities. It offers the opportunity to explore various issues that relate to Moldova’s situation in general and to analyze the processes that shape Chisinau’s public space today. The program is structured in a collaborative manner in which the Oberliht association plays the role of local host for invited artists, curators, architects and other professionals, while the city as a whole, substituting for the studio, serves as place of research, for producing and exhibiting. Besides Flat Space which remains at the disposal of new residents, inviting them to ‘finish’ its unfinished form, the residents use a series of other locations during their stay, ranging from market places, stadiums and parks through universities and other public institutions and places.

The research phase of KIOSK AIR includes walking tours, visits to different organizations and initiatives in Chisinau, discussions and documentation, while the production phase usually leads to the creation of new works. Depending on the type of work carried out by the participants the program also includes such modules as workshops, seminars, public presentations and screenings.  Since the opening of the program in 2009 many artists, curators, architects and other cultural practitioners from Romania, Italy, Ukraine, Hungary, Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, the UK, the USA, Sweden and Slovakia have participated in the short-term residency program.

The KIOSK AIR program invites proposals for art and research projects for the following options:

1) Flat Space for the community

Dates: September 1 – 30, 2023

Please submit a project proposal for an intervention at Flat Space.

Flat Space is a functional replica of a socialist apartment designed by Stefan RUSU commissioned to represent the identity of KIOSK project (http://chiosc.oberliht.org/chiosc/). The point of departure for the design of the Flat Space was to publicly display the private space of a flat limited by the standards of the socialist society. The transparency and the openness of the flat give the exposure to an architectural model extracted from the flat building that is composed from few basic elements characteristic to societies in transitions: the main façade with a balcony covered with plastic windows, dining room, kitchen and bathroom.

Video (2009)

Video (2013)

Artists are invited to submit a proposal for a project that can be realized at Flat Space or the adjoining square used for parking. Artists can also use the walls, floors, windows, storage, ground or the square where Flat Space is situated. Also there is a light-box and postcards support installed, like the ones used for advertisements in the street, which is closed and can be illuminated during the night.

Curators are invited to submit exhibition project proposals for the Flat Space, which involve artists from Moldova.

2) Open Studios Day at “Zpace” Culture Center in Chisinau

Dates: September 1 – 30, 2023; October 1 – 31, 2023

Zpace Cultural Center appeared in 2013 on the Chisinau culture map aiming to build a community and secure open spaces for the independent culture initiatives from Moldova. It is one of only a few alternative spaces that provide open and accessible space for the local culture & art scene (a community of users of around 20 independent culture initiatives, represented by culture and civic activists).  It houses artists’ studios, spaces for rehearsal, workshop area, co-working space, a small cafe and a garden, and a larger space for public events (exhibitions, conferences, screenings, etc.) – all together about 200 m2.  Its facilities and public programs are provided to the public free of charge.

Zpace is regularly used by local and international artists working with contemporary art, socially engaged & political art, experimental photography, video, installations, graphic art, design and DIY publishing methods. Theater collectives, music bands and other performing artists used to rehearse and perform here regularly. There is a workshop area equipped for repairing bikes and other equipment and there are plans to arrange a co-working space for cultural workers and activists, who have been forced to work at home due to the pandemic.

Every year, Zpace offers a diverse public program of 20-30 events. Twice a year it hosts Open Studios Days. The next edition is planned for September 29 – October 1, 2023.

Ukraine / Poland

Due to Russia’s war against Ukraine, the team of Open Place, originally based in Kyiv, Ukraine, is currently divided between Kyiv, Ukraine and Warsaw, Poland

The Platform for Interdisciplinary Practice Open Place is an artistic initiative, which aims to facilitate discussions, exchange of opinions, ideas and experiences between artists, curators, and various social groups from across Ukraine and other countries. The platform organizes meetings and conducts joint events to foster the development of art, politics and socio-cultural transition. Open Place brings together the experiences of Ukrainian and international colleagues working in public spaces, as well as with participatory practices and strategies for engaging diverse social groups. Open Place strives to create a cultural environment, where society is an active participant in cultural events, a co-creator of common values, artistic events and cultural context.

Art Prospect Network Residency at Open Place

Open Place withdrew from the Art Prospect Network in March 2022 but will host an Art Prospect Residency (US artists) in 2023 at its current base in Warsaw, Poland

Art residencies are an important part of Open Place’s activities. Open Place supports interdisciplinary projects aimed at the expansion of art-making concepts and the engagement of new groups of people into the creative process. We are interested in the experience of international colleagues working with socially minded practices and how they use participatory art and engage different social groups.

Open Place works on researching practices of collective coexistence, building horizontal structures, and peer-to-peer learning. A significant part of Open Place’s activities is aimed at building connections between different social and professional groups, different contexts, and different types of knowledge.

The goal of the residency is to exchange knowledge and practical experience, examine the specifics of various local contexts, and develop new methods in the field of socially engaged art. Open Place is attentive to the ideas and practices of its residents. For its part, the residency program helps artists to explore the context and forge links with the artistic and research milieu upon their needs. Applicants can also propose a topic for a lecture, presentation, discussion, workshop or the idea of a project that engages communities. We are particularly looking for applications from artists and curators who are interested in development and transformation of contemporary interdisciplinary practices, focused on working with communities, and the topic of inclusion.

Azerbaijan
Baku

Salaam Cinema is a community based cinema and art space for audio-visual and performing arts. The space is run by a horizontal team of creatives offering quality programming of films, performances, exhibitions & educational programs.

Salaam Cinema Mission

  • We believe that culture should be accessible to everyone, no matter their age, gender, sexual orientation or class. 
  • Together we create opportunities and support the development of personal skills by offering space, time and resources.
  • We strive for equality, safety, inclusivity and diversity in the cultural scene.
  • We draw inspiration from the city and activate the local urban vision.
  • We support the local art scene and encourage community collaboration.
  • We build and exchange collective knowledge through non-formal education and experiential processes.
  • We advocate local film-making and film history. The cinema’s audience gets the chance to discover new Azerbaijani films and rediscover movies which have written the Azerbaijani film history.
  • We exist and move forward through collectivity.


Art Prospect Network Residency at Salaam Cinema

Salaam Artist Residency functions as an ‘artist laboratory’ that fosters exploration and experimentation in the artist’s practice within contemporary Azerbaijan, providing the opportunity for artists to critically develop their practice as well as share experience and knowledge with local communities. Artists are encouraged to use the space which is open to the public, and to collaborate with other artists.  Salaam offers artist studios and opportunities to develop on-going programs and events. Our main interest lies in horizontal education and process based work as well as decolonial theory. 

Georgia
Tbilisi

The State Silk Museum was built in 1887 as part of the Caucasian Sericulture Station. Initially, with its multiple buildings, it focused primarily on scientific and educational processes. Currently, it functions as a museum. The collections and exhibitions explore all aspects of silk production and its rich history. The Museum uses its historical background to create a new platform for sharing knowledge. It is open to creative experimental approaches involving different groups. Since 2016, the museum has been collaborating with various professionals from local and international art scenes and has been working on many art projects, exhibitions, interventions, and residencies.

Art Prospect Network Residency at the Silk Museum

The museum currently focuses on research-based projects since its building is closed to the public due to renovations. The State Silk Museum invites professionals to work on artistic research projects that explore the museum’s relationship to its surroundings. This topic was initially addressed during the Art Prospect Festival, “Memory Threads: Museum and Neighbourhood,”  conducted by the State Silk Museum in 2018.

While the Festival’s concept accentuated the museum’s role, historical layers, and connections with the surrounding area, it also showed the importance and value of artistic collaborations and creative explorations on these themes. The analysis of the museum’s institutional role and historical links with the neighborhood concerns many topics, including private and public spaces, personal and collective memories, archival and abandoned information, exhibition venues and cities. Reflecting on these ideas, research projects conducted during the residencies can be presented using diverse forms of artistic representation, including but not limited to artist tours, artist’s books, publications, online presentations, public performances, and outside events.

Bulgaria
Sofia

Structura Gallery is a contemporary art space with a focus on expanding and redefining contemporary art practices, supporting the establishment of an adequate and open to the world local art scene and creating a sustainable international network, while at the same time engaging with a critical social agenda.

Art Prospect Network Residency at Structura Gallery

The residency program is open to both artists and curators, who will be integrated into the local artistic community and provided with information about local contemporary arts organizations, socially engaged art initiatives and individuals. Site visits and meetings will be organized based on the interests of the resident artist/curator. Each resident will be invited to make either a presentation, lecture, informal talk or workshop during their visit. If desired, artists will have the opportunity to create work for the gallery windows as part of the long-term Open Windows project, whose aim is to enable communication between the self-contained art world and everyday city life. The art on display is intended to comment on socially relevant issues and view them from a new, outside perspective. Curators will be able to publish their text about the Bulgarian art scene on the website of the project.

Preference will be given to artists/curators working in any media who are interested in socio-political contexts and are open to collaboration with the local community.

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Armenia
Yerevan

The Suburb Platform provides opportunities for local and international artists and curators to create exhibitions and discuss art projects. The Suburb Platform doesn’t have a permanent location. Its main activities (artists’ talks, workshops, discussions, presentations and screenings) take place at various venues in Yerevan. Independent curator Eva Khachatryan directs the residency program. As a researcher and curator, her work focuses on self-organization and autonomy in the field of contemporary art. Eva initiates and directs educational programs for emerging artists and organizes local and international exhibitions, presentations, and seminars and visual art and electronic music exchange programs.

Art Prospect Network Residency at the Suburb Platform

The residency program is open to artists and curators, who will be integrated into the local artistic community and provided with information about local contemporary arts organizations, socially engaged art initiatives and individuals. Site visits and meetings will be organized based on the interests of the resident artist/curator. Each resident will be invited to make either a presentation, lecture, informal talk or workshop during their visit. Preference will be given to artists/curators working in any media who are interested in socio-political contexts and are open to collaboration with the local community. Interactive projects and research based exhibits are particularly welcome.

Uzbekistan
Tashkent

Founded in 1976, the Ilkhom Theater remains today the only independent theater in Uzbekistan. The activities of Ilkhom extend beyond theater and focus on the broadening of the cultural border in the region and the exchange of information, including internationally, between artists and other cultural players. The theater houses the School of Dramatic Arts, the theater gallery “Ilkhom,” the contemporary music ensemble Omnibus, and the Central Asian Laboratory for Young Directors, and also conducts international masterclasses and concerts by musicians from around the world and rock and jazz festivals.

Art Prospect Network Residency at Ilkhom

The Residency is open to artists, curators, and performance professionals (directors, choreographers, musicians), who will be introduced to the local arts environment and provided with information about contemporary arts organizations and professionals working in this sphere. Site visits and meetings will be organized based on the resident’s interests.  The residency may include: collaboration with the team of the Ilkhom Theatre, workshops, lectures, and presentations to a wide audience. Residents can also conduct interactive and exhibition projects in the Ilkhom Theater’s exhibition space and other spaces in Tashkent.

The new season of Ilkhom’s Contemporary Art Center begins in September 2022. Ilkhom’s exhibition hall will begin functioning parallel to theater performances, concerts and educational programs. The goal of the residency is to create collaborative arts projects about the city’s contemporary cultural codes, possibly outside the territory of the Ilkhom Theater. Priority will be given to artists working in the field of public art, who have experience conducting projects in public spaces or experience working on multi-disciplinarian projects (theater, film, video installation in public spaces).  Experience and/or interest in conducting practical masterclasses for artists in the field of public art and performance is preferred.

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