ArkDes Fellowship

Selection Criteria: following pre-selection, a jury will have the final decision on applications. The jury will assess applications against the following criteria:

• Degree of interdisciplinary and exploratory focus
• Originality of thought; unconventionality and/or experimental nature
• Convincing methodology
• Relationship to global issues and those pertinent to the broader Swedish context

Applications that do not meet the submission requirements (as outlined in Practical Information, below) will not be considered by the jury. All applicants will be notified by email of the jury’s final decision.

Nikolaus Hirsch is a Frankfurt-based architect, editor and curator. He was the director of Städelschule and Portikus in Frankfurt and currently teaches at Columbia University in New York. His realised projects include the Dresden Synagogue (2001), Hinzert Document Center (2006), Cybermohalla Hub (Delhi, 2008-12), Do We Dream Under The Same Sky (with Rirkrit Tiravanija), Museum of Immortality (Mexico City, 2016) and, currently, the conversion of the National Gallery in Prague. Hirsch curated numerous exhibitions at the Portikus, the Folly project for the Gwangju Biennale (2014), Real DMZ (2015), and “Wohnungsfrage” at HKW Berlin (2015). Hirsch is the co-founder and editor of the Critical Spatial Practice series at Sternberg Press and e-flux Architecture.

Liza Fior is a partner of muf architecture/art, a London-based practice working in the public realm (including museums). The practice brings unsolicited research into every project, working with those who know a place in order to articulate the value of the existing before moving onto discussions of the future. muf work primarily in East London, but not exclusively so. They are the only UK winners of the European Prize for Public Space (for Barking Town Square), and were the authors of the British Pavilion at the 2010 Venice Architecture Biennale. Liza has taught, lectured and been published internationally.

Behzad Khosravi Noori is an artist, writer and educator based in Stockholm. He has lectured widely and led theory and practice seminars about comparative art history (with a focus on microhistory), Islamicate, as well as research based art practices. His work has been shown in various national and international exhibitions including Tensta Konsthall, Botkyrka Konsthall, MKC in Stockholm, Sakakini, Ramallah Palestine, the Arran Gallery Tehran, and the research pavilion at 2017 Venice Art Biennale. He is currently a PhD candidate at Konstfack’s Fine Art department in collaboration with the Department of Architecture at KTH Stockholm.

Maria Lind is a curator, writer and educator based in Stockholm, and is currently the director of Tensta konsthall. She was the artistic director of the 11^th Gwangju Biennale, the director of the graduate program at the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College (2008-2010), and director of Iaspis in Stockholm (2005-2007). Between 2002-2004 she was the director of Kunstverein and in 1998, co-curator of Manifesta 2. Lind has taught widely since the early 1990s and is currently professor of artistic research at the Art Academy in Oslo. She has contributed widely to newspapers, magazines, catalogues and other publications. In 2009 Lind was the recipient of the Walter Hopps Award for Curatorial Achievement. In 2010 Selected Maria Lind Writing was published by Sternberg Press.

A monthly salary of around SEK 25,000 (after taxation) will be made available to successful applicants, along with round-trip travel from their country of residence. Fellows will be responsible for finding their own accommodation in Stockholm.

• You must be available to spend the majority of the Fellowship period in Stockholm.
• High competence in English is essential. While it will not affect the decision of the jury, knowledge of Swedish would be an advantage in engaging with some of the material in our library and collection.
• We do not request a CV, letters of recommendation, academic certification, or a portfolio of work
• Submissions are welcome from citizens of the European Union who have right to reside in Sweden for a period 6 months, the minimum duration of a Fellowship, beginning on or around September 1, 2018. At this time we are unable to support visa applications
• Applicants may apply as individuals, partnerships or groups. In the case of partnership or group applications, one monthly payment of around 25,000 SEK (after taxation) will be made to one member of the partnership or group
• There is no age limit for applicants

Successful applicants will begin their Fellowship on or around September 1, 2018. The first Fellowship period will formally end in February 2019.

Eligibility: During this first Fellowship period (2018-2019) the programme is only open to applicants who are citizens of the European Union (including those of the United Kingdom). We intend to open the Fellowship programme to both EU and non-EU applicants in the second Fellowship period (2019-2020) and beyond.

The Fellowship is open to applicants from any field, profession, or discipline. We do not request academic certification or formal references during the application process. All applications must be aligned with the broad theme of the Open Call and the practical guidelines outlined on this page. Individuals within companies are able to apply independently.

Can partnerships or groups apply?

Group applications may contain a maximum of four persons. A partnership application will consist of two persons. Each person participating in a group or partnership application must contribute a separate 250-word biography.

We are open to inventive forms of group participation. Please clearly articulate any intended form of group/partnership arrangement in your application as part of Research Methodology.

Do I/we have to be in Stockholm?

We expect Fellows to spend the majority of their time in Stockholm. Shared working space in ArkDes will be available for all Fellows in order to facilitate close interaction and collaboration with our curators and researchers.

If other types of spaces are required for research and/or production, ArkDes will be able to assist in finding possible partnerships in Stockholm. There is no requirement to outline this ambition in your application.

What is financially covered by the programme?

Discussions about divisions and procedure of payments will be discussed and negotiated with each individual or partnership/group independently. ArkDes will cover round-trip travel from the Fellow’s country of residence and will be able to provide a modest production budget. Fellows will be responsible for finding their own accommodation in Stockholm.

Should applications be directly relevant to Sweden?

Proposals do not have to directly relate to Stockholm or Sweden but should ideally address large-scale themes relevant to this territory.

What could the output of the programme be?

We do not ask for a stipulated outcome or output in applications. How research might be presented or communicated will be discussed independently, dependent on the project.

You can direct further questions related to the Open Call to fellowships@arkdes.se before March 18, 2018.