This public competition is for a creative residency aimed at creating an urban installation that enhances and diversifies the city center of Narva. The winner of the competition will be invited to live at the Narva Art Residency for one and a half months during the upcoming spring and summer. The selected artist will receive a creative grant of €2000 and production costs for the installation will be covered.
The competition is organized in collaboration between the Narva Art Residency and Narva’s department of architecture and urban planning, with the support of Tallinn Architecture Biennale 2024. The competition call is inspired by the theme of this year’s TAB – “Resources for the Future”. It encourages the authors of the installation to create with existing, local, and available resources. Examples could include recycled materials and materials found in the vicinity of Narva.
The deadline for the competition is 12 April, after which a jury will select the best proposal. The artist will live at NART from mid-May to the end of June, and the installation must be completed no later than the end of July. The urban installation in Narva city center will be part of the 2024 TAB satellite program.
Competition assignment
Urban installations contribute to a better living environment, transform and enrich the spaces where people live daily. However, there are currently few such interventions in the cities of Ida-Virumaa. Meanwhile, Narva’s public space has been a topic of discussion in recent years. Soviet-era monuments have become a hot topic in light of the war in Ukraine, but their numbers have decreased. Questions were raised about whether and what kind of new landmarks could be created. The new installation will have a positive message and will contribute to the urban space of Narva, potentially serving as a new monument.
Installations are a great way to exhibit the work of artists in public spaces and bring it closer to the audience. We hope this will attract curious visitors and stimulate discussions about the role of art in public spaces, encourage passers-by to engage with and use the installation. Installatsion with use light, play with sound or other technical elements are also welcome.
The competition draws from the theme of the Tallinn Architecture Biennale – “Resources for the Future”. How can existing resources be used to avoid them running out? How can space be created when resources are scarce? What happens when anyone starts creating space, not just trained designers? How to create space that withstands crises and environmental changes? It is preferred that the submitted work, its concept, and/or its creation process reflect questions of resource conservation.
Examples of urban installations
The competition is inspired by those installations that were created for the Tallinn Architecture Biennale in front of the architecture museum. Other good examples include Kaisa Eiche and Urmo Metsa’s installation “Swing” in Tartu Town Hall Square in 2014 and shelters created by students from the Estonian Academy of Arts faculty of architecture. International examples include the silouettes of houses created near the San Antonio Museum of Art and Adham el Ghatit’s vertical garden project. Noteworthy light installations are Elo Liiv, Alyona Movko, and Taavi Suisalu’s pyramid-shaped work “PEAL(T)KIRI” which was also exhibited in Narva and Nathaniel Rackowe’s geometric shapes.
Schedule
12.04 – Deadline for submitting applications to the competition
15.04 – Announcement of the winner
Mid-April until mid-May – preparations for building the installation
13.05 – 30.06 – Residency at NART, construction and installation of the installation
31.07 – Deadline for completion of the installation
Locations
Three locations have been proposed for the installation. Applicants must choose one of them. The installation concept must be submitted with the chosen location in mind.
You can read descriptions of the locations here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YyRd35ijvrly3ppix5jQ6hFNA1pHsEyC/view?usp=sharing
Layout plans and photos of the locations can be found here:
https://NarvaLK.quickconnect.to/d/s/xcbwKxeuT4OZMURwiFRlP4YtYd5eIFqi/xR2fE5xqq9iP6CoHa6j6bmozrEW4RfVo-97SgZzJ8Mws
Important Information
Artists, sculptors, architects, and other creative individuals from Estonia and from abroad are invited to submit applications. While multiple participants may apply, only one author or an artistic duo can come in the NART residency as there will be one bedroom. Larger teams can also stay for a short period. The residency includes a creative grant of €2000, paid at the beginning of the residency period.
Each applicant selects one of the proposed locations and presents their idea for it. The lifespan of the installation should be at least 5 years, enduring weather conditions and possible vandalism. Therefore, considerations regarding the choice of materials and construction during the installation process should be made. Also, the changing environment (visibility varies between winter and summer) and how and from where the installation can be viewed should be taken into account. Maintenance of the installation is essential, and it should not be resource-intensive.
The installation can incorporate lighting and other technical elements, but the exact execution plan will be developed in collaboration with the city of Narva and the artists. The jury reserves the right to make suggestions to the selected artists regarding modifications to the design, clarification of the location, and technical issues.
The author gives away all proprietary rights related to the artwork, as well as ownership rights to documents and materials produced during the process. However, personal copyright remains with the author.
The selected author must be prepared to conduct workshops (the exact number and content will be decided together with the selected author). The workshops will be aimed at local youth and anyone else interested in participating in the creation of the spatial installation and willing to contribute. The workshops can be part of the installation creation process, with participants playing a greater or lesser role in the completion of the installation. NART will assist in organizing the workshops. The cost of materials for the workshops must fit within the installation production budget.
Jury
Peeter Tambu, chief architect of Narva
Denis Girenko, Narva city artist
Johanna Rannula, Narva Art Residency
Andrea Tamm, Estonian Architecture Center
Ra Martin Puhkan, Stuudio TÄNA architecture bureau
Budget and Support
A minimum of €9000 (updated 26.03.24!) is allocated for the production of the installation, with support from the city of Narva and the Cultural Endowment. However, additional sponsors and supporters may join before the start of the residency. In that case, the budget will be reviewed jointly by the authors and organizers, determining if and how it affects the form of the installation.
From the budget allocated for the production of the installation, the author-artist must cover all associated costs such as materials, construction, drawings, transportation, services, installation costs, labor, and other directly related expenses. However, the authors’ own transportation costs must be covered either from the creative grant or personal funds.
Narva Art Residency has a limited selection of tools, and other necessary equipment for creating the installation must be procured or rented by the authors, and should be accounted for in the production budget.
The winning entry must align with the TAB theme, thus creative ways of involving existing resources are encouraged. If residual and/or recyclable materials are planned to be used, it should be indicated in the budget and description.
The Narva Art Residency team will assist the author during the installation creation process, but within reasonable limits, such as facilitating contact with local institutions and organizing workshops.
The Narva city government’s office of architecture and urban planning may provide advice on urban and engineering issues, providing feedback on drawings, and assisting with other issues related to the technical implementation of the installation. Additionally, they will assist in the preparation and processing of necessary permits.
Larger spaces nearby may be found for the creation of the installation, or it can be done outdoors within the NART property. Alternatively, local partners can be found to use alternative spaces, workshops, or tools, and NART can assist in finding such partners.
Application
The application must include a design for the spatial installation or sculpture, including descriptive drawings and a layout plan, as well as a description of the materials, tools to be used. A production timeline and a detailed budget are also required.
The application must be submitted by 12.04 at 23.59 Estonian time. The file must be uploaded at this link: https://forms.gle/NEuHSuWXwmKafefaA
The application must include the following:
– Applicant(s) information such as name, country, age, contact details
– Applicant(s) CV(s) and a short biography
– Brief portfolio containing up to 5 relevant creative projects
– Description of the installation concept and form, including location selection (800 words)
– Production budget calculation (at the time of application, the budget limit is €9000 (updated on 26.03.24), but it may increase later with the addition of sponsors and supporters)
– Production timeline
– Drawings of the installation concept, including at least three views and a layout plan for one of the three proposed locations.
You can read descriptions of the locations here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YyRd35ijvrly3ppix5jQ6hFNA1pHsEyC/view?usp=sharing
Necessary layout plans and photos of the locations can be found here: https://narvalk.quickconnect.to/d/s/xcbwKxeuT4OZMURwiFRlP4YtYd5eIFqi/xR2fE5xqq9iP6CoHa6j6bmozrEW4RfVo-97SgZzJ8Mws
Applications submitted in English or Estonian will be accepted. All required parts of the application must be submitted in a single PDF file.
The competition is organized by Narva Art Residency.
Questions are welcome at residentuur@artun.ee.