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Posted on 20 Jun 2019

Call for Artists 2019

Guandu Nature Park is inviting entries to 2019 Guandu International Nature Art Festival “It's about time” The selected artists will create their artworks in a natural setting using only natural or eco-friendly materials during one month residency in Guandu Nature Park in Taipei, Taiwan. Artists who are concerned about the relationship between humans and nature are welcome to apply before the deadline on July 20th, 2019.

OPEN CALL DOWNLOAD

About The Festival

Guandu International Outdoor Sculpture Festival, dating back to 2006, was Taiwan's first large-scale natural art event held in a conservation park. The park is located in Guandu wetland, a place with unique estuary culture and diverse ecosystem. The festival takes place annually and invites artists all over the world to create site-specific outdoor installations by using natural materials. The purpose of this event is not only about art and aesthetics but also about delivering messages caring for the environment. Public participation also plays a part in this event. Through communication and cooperation with local communities and volunteers, artists are able to learn from local wisdom and try to blend in the local culture in their works.

With the experience in the past ten years, this art event has come to a new stage by resetting its title into “Guandu International Nature Art Festival “since 2016.  The triangle composed of river culture, wetland conservation, and environmental art is still the solid foundation of the curatorial concepts. Guandu International Nature Art Festival is expected to serve as a catalyst to deepen the public’s awareness of our environment, as well as care for local cultures. It is hoped that every single participant of this festival will take the initiative to connect with their surroundings, to get inspired by nature, and to make an effort in finding a way to a sustainable future.

Theme

It's About Time

“We stand now where two roads diverge, they are not equally fair. The road we have long been traveling is deceptively easy, a smooth superhighway on which we progress with great speed, but at its end lies disaster. The other fork of the road — the one less traveled by — offers our last, our only chance to reach a destination that assures the preservation of the earth.””

— Rachel Carson, Silent Spring.

Today, in the era of great acceleration, human beings have completely impacted nature and even consumed the earth's resources to an unprecedented level. Should we be amazed that how people can still be living so comfortably by already knowing the truth?

The United Nations General Assembly has set the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its seventeen Sustainable Development Goals, calling "a better and healthier world blueprint" for the global. Whether is uncovering facts or the setting of goals, it is telling us that change and action couldn't be delayed. Action speaks louder than words. There is no way to produce any useful result, if we do not start to take an action. Only by working together, we can achieve the target in these stirring times.

We comb through history to find clues, cross the field, jump out the frame and together, we create a turning point.

It’s time to take action.

Program Details

In this year, we are inviting and seeking collaborative artists for the theme “It’s About Time.”. We are seeking collaborative artists to create artworks based on three selected research projects, including “Transect Bird Survey,” “Brackish Water Reintroduction Project” and “Sound Monitoring”.

1) Transect Bird Survey

Look forward to learning about the Park’s long-term transect bird survey and about the composition of birds in the Guandu Wetland, which will help the artists to understand the current status of the Guandu Wetland and its management.

  • Invited artists will participate in the transect bird survey allowing them to interact between the researchers. With the help of researchers, the artists will be able to understand better how through data collection we can compare the composition of birds and environmental conditions of habitats, which can all be used understand the current status and crisis faced by birds all over the world.
  • There is not limitation in the form of artwork from contemporary art, visual art, performing arts, installation art, and sound art. Following the principle of being environmental friendly and create artworks by conveying the value of bird research that brings out trigger ecological conservation awareness.

2) Brackish Water Reintroduction Project

Ever since implementing the Brackish Water Reintroduction Project the Park has recorded both changes in the vegetation and benthic community.  The Project began in 2016 and already we have seen a change in the makeup of the vegetation community, as the salinity from the brackish water limits growth of certain type of vegetation and resulting in a more open mudflat favoured by most waterbirds. Over the course of the Project, we have recorded an increase in the diversity of benthos in wetland.

  • The invited artists are invited to understand the purpose and process of the Brackish Water Reintroduction Project with the help of experienced researcher. They will also take part in the benthic sampling by personally collecting and processing the samples. At last, the artists are expected to convey these experiences into their artworks.
  • There is not limitation in the form of artwork from contemporary art, visual art, performing arts, installation art, and sound art. It prioritize for visualize and artistic researchers by following the principle of being environmental friendly and create artworks by conveying the value of the Brackish Water Reintroduction Project that brings out awareness for conservation efforts.

3) Sound Monitoring

Guandu Nature Park and the Soundscape Association of Taiwan have worked together from 2016 to 2018 to organize a series of soundscape activities with elements of sensory experiences and art creations. We observed, listened, and produced creativeworks based on different themes, listening carefully to “The Sound of wetland.”

  • The long-term monitoring and recording of the Core Reserve Area work as valuable data for wetland research with a view to understanding the influence of sounds on ecology better. Invited artists can use the soundscape research data as material integrate into the art creation (there is not limitation in the form of artwork), results of soundscape activities to help the public know Guandu Wetlands better through different senses.

Venue

Guandu Nature Park   https://gd-park.org.tw/

Located at the junction of Tamsui River and Jilong River, Guandu Nature Park is a nature park of wetland preservation with landscape consisting of an integrated wetland environment of swamp and pond. It is a great inhabitation for a rich variety of organisms, as well as an important pass-by stop for migratory birds in their annual migration route. Hence, it has been recognized by BirdLife International as an “Important Bird Area” (IBA). The park, authorized by Taipei City Government, is currently administered under the Wild Bird Society of Taipei (WBST) and devotes care to wetland and wild birds’ conservation.

We will select 3 artists to create his/her artwork in the Main Area of Guandu Nature Park. Main Area is the region of the Park which opens for the public with admission hours and fees. It includes the Nature Center, bird watching cabins, ponds, trails, and other educational facilities.

Other areas of the Park are preserved for birds and other wildlife which are restricted for public access. Visitors can observe these wildlife via telescope or attend the guided tour arranged by the Park in order to visit the restricted areas. In addition, the Park has designed many environmental education programs that give opportunities to people to interact with nature and acknowledge the importance of environmental preservation.

Timetable

Field Study Period

  • Aug. 15 Artists arrive in Taipei; Hotel check-in
  • Aug. 16 Venue tour / Welcome party
  • Aug. 17 - Aug. 22 Field study (Transect Bird Survey, Brackish Water Reintroduction Project,  Benthic sampling)
  • Aug. 23 Artist depart

Residence Period

  • Oct. 7 Artists arrive in Taipei; Hotel check-in
  • Oct. 8 - Oct. 31 Period of installation
  • Nov. 1 - Nov. 3 Opening / Conference
  • Nov. 4 Artist depart

Exhibition Period 

  • Dec. 31 End of the artwork exhibition

★  Off days (Mondays): Oct. 14, Oct. 21, Oct. 28

★  Any change to the current timetable will be made in accordance with notifications from the organizer, and will be announced on the official website of Guandu Nature Park and Guandu International Nature Art Festival.

Qualification

  • Artists should be interested in the relationship between nature, human, and environment and committed not to harm the environment during artwork creation.
  • Artists should have experiences in working with volunteers, local residents, or students. While working on their artworks, they should be able to spark interest of general public to participate in the process of such artistic creation.
  • For the foreign applicants, it is required to have basic English conversation skills to communicate with the staff of Guandu Nature Park and the ability to mingle with other artists, local residents, and students.
  • Artists as a group is eligible to apply. However, the organizer will offer only one funding (see below) for the group. Artists should agree to share all the funding & support without dispute.

​Funding

 

Field Study Period  

  • A round-trip airfare (economy class). From artist’s residency country to Taiwan. The reimbursement does not include the costs associated with passport & visa expenses. Artist will have to book the ticket and pay the fee in advance by him/herself. The organizer will pay the reimbursement by New Taiwan Dollars in cash after artist’s arrival in Taiwan. We will support multi-destination flight only for work purpose. Artists need to provide official documents (an invitation letter, poster etc.) as proof.
  • Airport pick-up/drop-off service will be provided. However, artists who plan to have personal trips in Taiwan after the residency will have to take care of the transportation to the airport oneself.
  • Accommodation. From August 15, 2019 (check-in) to August 23, 2019 (check-out). Each artist will receive accommodation in a single room with individual bathroom. For anyone accompany the artist, an additional bed and meal will be charged by the hotel accordingly.
  • Local transport. Artist can use the public transport system such as the metro, bus, or public bike to shuttle between the hotel and the Park and travel around Taipei. The organizer will provide an EasyCard with pre-stored value to the participant.

Residence Period

  • Artist’s fee NTD$ 80,000.According to the income tax rule in Taiwan, the organizer will deduct tax from the payment based on the applicable rate (e.g. 20% for non-resident) stipulated in the law.  Therefore the actual amount the artists receive will be less than NTD$ 80,000. The organizer will pay this fee by New Taiwan Dollars in cash.
  • A round-trip airfare (economy class). From artist’s residency country to Taiwan. The reimbursement does not include the costs associated with passport & visa expenses. Artist will have to book the ticket and pay the fee in advance by him/herself. The organizer will pay the reimbursement by New Taiwan Dollars in cash after artist’s arrival in Taiwan. We will support multi-destination flight only for work purpose. Artists need to provide official documents (an invitation letter, poster etc.) as proof.
  • Airport pick-up/drop-off service will be provided. However, artists who plan to have personal trips in Taiwan after the residency will have to take care of the transportation to the airport oneself.
  • Accommodation. From October 07, 2019 (check-in) to November 04, 2019 (check-out). Each artist will receive accommodation in a single room with individual bathroom. For anyone accompany the artist, an additional bed and meal will be charged by the hotel accordingly.
  • Materials support. The organizer will assist to collect on-site natural materials (e.g. reed, wood, stone, bamboo, leaf etc.) or recycled objects. The organizer has a shared budget for all artists for purchasing materials like hemp ropes, eco-paints, bamboo etc. Artists who need to purchase materials must consult with the curator first.
  • Meals. Buffet breakfast will be served at the hotel. Lunch will be provided by Guandu Nature Park every working day. Dinners are not included. The average cost for a meal in Taiwan is between NTD$ 80- 300.
  • Local transport. Artist can use the public transport system such as the metro, bus, or public bike to shuttle between the hotel and the Park and travel around Taipei. The organizer will provide an EasyCard with pre-stored value to the participant.

 

How To Apply

  •  E-mail the following files to: festival@gd-park.org.tw
  • Personal CV. Include your background and experience, awards, and past exhibitions. Be sure to include your full name, current mailing address, phone number, and nationality.
  • Your motivations. Explain why you want to apply for our event and the specific environment issues that you care about. (max. 1 page)
  • Subtopics Selection. Please be sure to participate in the research topics, including “Transect Bird Survey”, “Brackish Water Reintroduction Project” and “Sound Monitoring”. You are able multiple choice the topic to create artworks based on three selected research projects.
  • An artwork proposal. Include a brief description and a simple sketch. Artists can refine or modify their proposal to fit the space after the field study and site observation.
  • A portfolio of your previous artworks. Please introduce 6 of your previous related works with details of title, date of completion, the material used, and venue where they were exhibited.
  • We will only accept doc. or pdf. files for document and jpg. or jpeg. files for images. The size of each images file should be between 500KB to 1MB.

★ Welcome to apply before the deadline on July 20th, 2019.

 

Guidelines & Requirements

  • Use only environmental friendly materials.
  • Use local materials first.
  • Stability and secureness: Safety is our first priority. The artwork should be made to last at least 3 months or more. It should also be designed to weather gracefully over time and reveal the different stages as it decays. For safety concerns, the Park retains the authority to dispose or dismantle the artwork.
  • Community involvement: Artists will work with volunteers and local residents to create their artworks. Public participation is one of the key elements of this event.
  • Artist should prepare a public presentation to share their experience and previous artworks to local residents during the residency.
  • Artists should design a public interactivity (workshop, performance, or any type of activity) to be implemented during the opening day.
  • Artists should be involved in any related event such as opening and conference.

​Contact

  • Email festival@gd-park.org.tw
  • Phone +886-2-28587417 ext. 230 (Ms. Ms. Hang, Sheau Shyan)

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