Nocation

A thematic project at Kunsthuis SYB Friesland by Bernd Krauß (May-June 2011)

As one of the basic support structures in the art world, residency programmes primarily seem to offer vacations for the stressed cultural producer. Secondly, invitations to residencies are often linked with the hope that the guest will find an interest in the circumstances and conditions of the place of the residency. Specific qualities which can be found at its location such as fauna and flora, the specific historic traditions rooted in the region, or even the host institution as such can become a specificity with which the guest is asked to deal and work with.

At this point, location comes in as a parameter of production, compromising the autonomy of the cultural producer who has to allow for environmental elements to influence or even constitute his or her process of creativity.

In dealing with this situation it can be helpful to have tools or methods at hand to scan an area or record information on the specific location. Approaching the site that we are put into with suitable tools is very important. But also, finding adequate forms of creating knowledge which needs to be transported to a local audience or to the people back home is a crucial part of this process. For residencies not to result in simple escapism, we need to develop our own strategies to deal with the touristy freedom of residencies and to connect our work process back to an economy of own means of production.

View images on http://nocationsyb.blogspot.com/ and participants texts here