DEADLINE: September 24, 2024

Folie/Culture invites you to submit projects for the « Artiste assigné.e à résidence » program on the theme Gardez cette porte fermée.

“Artiste assigné.e à résidence” is a one-year initiative that will take place from April 2025 to March 2026. Over this 12-month period, an artist will be invited to create works around our theme Gardez cette porte fermée. They will benefit from support and a platform throughout their residency, but will not be restricted to a specific location.

“Assigné.e à résidence” translates to “under house arrest,” a legal term describing someone who is required to stay in their home, under surveillance. It’s a sentence handed down not only to convicts, but to a myriad of people who are housebound for financial reasons or due to physical or mental disability. Being an “artiste assigné.e à résidence,” an artist-in-residence, is a joyful one-year sentence that will be served by working with Folie/Culture to create projects wherever and whenever the artist pleases.

The artist will also be called to work with the Folie/Culture team to hold an “end-of-sentence” event.

GARDEZ CETTE PORTE FERMÉE. When told to “keep this door closed,” the more conventional among us will move on without questioning anything about the instruction or the entity that gave it.. Curious souls will find themselves absorbed by the mystery, wondering what could be behind the door. The contrarians will simply blow off the hinges, no matter what the risk—fuck security. As for the mad… they’ll look for other ways of getting in and going around the instruction.

Folie/Culture invites the curious, the contrarians, and the mad to explore the theme Gardez cette porte fermée. from every angle. After all, behind that door, a world of questions awaits. Choosing to open or close it is more than just a physical action: it’s a political one, too. It shines a light on current issues like immigration and cohabitation. It’s an invitation to explore ideas like suspicion, insecurity, individualism, and segregation. As a wall between personal property and community, it’s an opportunity to discuss trust, the concept of a “safe space,” the struggle to ask for help, and the need for comfort and human connection. Standing on the threshold, you can see the people who were left behind, those who live on the margins, making us consider what is left of  their agency. Folie/Culture notes that keeping the door closed is a way of staying safe, but it’s also giving up the opportunity to see what might emerge from the unknown.

PLEASE SEND THE FOLLOWING TO programmation@folieculture.org:

• A schedule and a brief description of the proposed project in writing (500 words) or as a 2.5-minute audio (MP3) or video (MP4 or WAV) presentation
• Your artist bio in writing (500 words) or as a 2.5-minute audio (MP3) or video (MP4 or WAV) presentation
• A portfolio of up to 10 images
• Any complementary documents related to your residency proposal

The selected artist will receive the following compensation :

• Residency fee: $2,500
• End-of-sentence event fee: $541
• Materials: $500
• Accommodation and a per-diem will be provided for the end-of-sentence event.

*Please note that this project will depend on the financing awarded to the organization. We anticipate that this will be confirmed in January 2025.

Folie/Culture strongly encourages artists whose identities and/or practices are under-represented in the art world to submit proposals. Candidates who are unable to provide the requested material in the recommended format may contact the team to discuss a custom submission agreement.

Please email programmation@folieculture.org or call 418-649-0999 for more information.