Set Up! The Artist as Curator is a workshop addressed to visual artists who are interested in curatorial collaborative practices. The aim of the workshop is to bring together the artworks, minds and research interests of the participants to co-curate an exhibition. Guided by Benedetta Casagrande and Elena Vaninetti, participants will be encouraged to explore site-specific approaches, engaging in curatorial criticism whilst planning collaboratively the installation of their own work alongside that of their peers, learning how to develop an exhibition plan based on a real space.

If you are interested in exploring hybrid practices at the intersection between art-making, criticism and curating, this workshop is for you.

The 2024 edition has been developed in collaboration with Adiacenze, Bologna, where the final exhibition will take place.

NOTHING GOES TO WASTE

For the theme of 2024, Nothing Goes To Waste, we are looking for works that stand at the intersection between arts and ecology, exploring the ways in which ecological practices can become incorporated and embedded within artmaking, giving shape to new ways of living within the climate crisis and interacting with our surroundings. Artists can submit works that deal with themes of sustainability and ecology, and/or artworks that are physically made of sustainable materials, reusing, recycling and transforming ‘waste’, giving it new life.

Overall, we are looking to work collaboratively with practitioners who are trying to ‘stay with the trouble’ (Donna J. Haraway, 2016) and who are open to ongoing processes of learning. We welcome both practitioners who are starting to question how to make their practice more sustainable, as well as experienced practitioners who have incorporated sustainable thinking within their practice.

During the workshop we will collectively question what a sustainable curatorial practice looks like, discussing approaches and possible solutions.

Artists of any age and nationality with an interest in curatorial practices, with or without previous curatorial experience. Artists must apply with a finalised project or series of artworks, as participants will not be making new work during the workshop.

Knowledge of the English language is required.

Participants have to be available to participate in person both during the workshop week and during the mounting and opening of the exhibition.

To apply, please send to showandtell.milano@gmail.com the following material:

• a portfolio of the work/series you would like to participate with
• your CV
• a brief motivation letter (max. half a side of A4) stating your research interests and why you would like to take part.

Selected participants will have to pay a 400 euros fee.
The fee includes the workshop and the exhibition production. The fee does not include travel costs, food or accommodation. Selected participants are encouraged to independently apply to the European funding scheme Culture Moves Europe, that could cover travel and living costs during their stay. Culture Moves Europe allocates additional funding for participants to travel via land, where possible, so the grant can also help you make your travel more sustainable.

Benedetta Casagrande is a photographer, writer and curator based in Milan. Her artistic, curatorial and writing practice unfolds through slow research (term coined by Carolyn F. Strauss); slowness as a principle of observation, of attunement, of deceleration and of constant repositioning, in an attempt to situate the human experience of the world within wider webs of relations, times and spaces. Since 2021 she has been curating the archives and working as project manager for the Daniele Tamagni Foundation. Her writing has been published in various photobooks, photography magazines and catalogs, and she reviews photobooks for American Suburb X. Her work has been exhibited in national and international exhibitions, including Photo Brussels Festival (2024), ADI Design Museum (Milano, 2023),  副本 INSTANCE (Shanghai, 2021) and Photo Ireland Festival (2019). She is co-founder and co-director of Ardersia Projects since 2016. 

Elena Vaninetti is an art curator, writer and consultant based in Milano. After studying Sciences and Conservation of Cultural Heritage at Milano Statale University, she embarked on a photography career, first as a photographer and later as an independent curator. She has been managing editor for YET magazine from 2012 to 2020. She is part of Twenty14 cultural organization and curator duo active in Milano since 2014, with whom currently directs Pananti Atelier art space. She works as consultant and educator holding workshops, lectures and portfolio reviews. She writes for international magazines and art publications.

Adiacenze is a curatorial space dedicated to the exploration of contemporary art. Established in Bologna in 2010, its mission is to foster the development of emerging artists through innovative, site-specific projects. Quickly gaining recognition as a pivotal player in the national contemporary art landscape, Adiacenze has been showcasing the works of emerging and mid-career artists from both national and international spheres.

Guided by a distinctive curatorial approach, Adiacenze collaborates closely with artists, supporting them throughout their creative journey from conceptualization to exhibition setup. By nurturing an environment of research and experimentation, Adiacenze empowers artists to push boundaries and explore new artistic territories. Furthermore, the curators of Adiacenze actively cultivate a network of interdisciplinary professionals, fostering connections and collaborations that enrich the artistic process.

Adiacenze's diverse range of activities includes an exhibition program and a series of public events such as talks, performances, lectures, workshops, and presentations hosted in its space in Bologna. Additionally, Adiacenze has partnered with renowned national and international institutions, including the Italian Institues of Culture in Madrid and Oslo, MAMbo - Museum of Modern Art of Bologna, National Gallery of Rome, Fondazione Rocca dei Bentivoglio, AMaC Unibo, Dep. Visual Arts Bologna, CRICC - Research center for the cultural and creative industry, DHMoRe - Research center on digital humanities, Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna and in Milan, Robot Festival, Digicult, DEMO Moving Image Festival (UK), KOMA Gallery (Belgium), Hordaland Kunstsenter (Bergen) CUBO Unipol.

Since 2018, Adiacenze has also curated the exhibition program at Casa della Cultura "Italo Calvino" in Calderara di Reno, and in 2020, it launched Prospettive, a network of artist residencies sponsored by Regione Emilia-Romagna across various cities. In 2022, Adiacenze initiated SWAP, an exchange art residency project in collaboration with the city of Bergen, Norway, supported by the European Union, the Italian Cultural Institute of Oslo, and the City of Bergen.