LUMINOUS BODIES art residency
Artscape Gibraltar Point, Toronto Island
Facilitator: Teresa Ascencao
Program Dates: July 18 – August 2, 2022
Deadline: Feb 24, 2022
Luminous Bodies is a two-week residency to create artworks that shed new light on the human body. Its objective is to challenge “normativity” and Otherness. Its goal is to reinvent and re-present the body in most inclusive and diverse ways.
Resident artist talks, gallery tours, visual and textual references, guest artist talks, and regular critiques (individual with Facilitator and group critiques) help uncover how our bodies are culturally and aesthetically constructed, displayed and controlled.
Residents work individually or collaboratively to create artworks that reinvent the body through media of their choice, such as photography, video, installation, drawing, painting, performance, installation, sound art, movement art, media art, etc. There will be a closing exhibition of artworks created during the residency (if preferred, artists may show in open studio fashion).
The essence of Luminous Bodies is about bringing to light heterogeneous bodies. It welcomes people in all walks of life into a creative journey of critical innovation and self-discovery. People with disabilities, BIPOC, and people of diverse genders and ages are encouraged to apply.
More details can be found here.
Artscape Gibraltar Point is an artist retreat centre nestled against the magnificent natural backdrop of Toronto Island. It offers a distraction-free environment to focus on art creation, and a rich potential for the creation of corporeal artworks amongst its blue-flag beaches (one of them being clothing optional) and natural surroundings of Lake Ontario, forests and gardens filled with flowers, fruit and vegetables. On the island, there are tiny quaint homes, a historic lighthouse, a hobby farm and antique carnival grounds.
Cozy up in a furnished studio and bedroom, and enjoy amenities such as a fully equipped common kitchen, shared bathrooms, laundry facilities and wireless Internet. AGP aims to have as minimal barriers as possible and promotes an inclusive environment. The Toronto city core is just a 15-minute ferry ride away.
Arrivals are on July 18 at 1pm, and departures on August 2 before 11am. You and responsible for getting yourself and your gear to Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and onto the ferry. Once on the Island, Artscape Staff will provide transportation to the centre. For more information contact Teresa Ascencao at info@ArtsUnfold.com.
A private or shared bedroom is available for all artists, depending on their expressed preferences. Artists will have access to a communal kitchen to cook their own meals in. Shared, furnished, large studio space is provided.
Luminous Bodies is open to artists working in all disciplines. Although there is a dark room (chemistry not provided) and carpentry shop, artists must bring all materials relevant to their practice and creation/presentation process, including projectors, adapters, speakers etc..
Regretfully, we are unable to provide honoraria or stipends to cover travel or the fees associated with attending this residency. However, we are happy to provide letters of support to any funding programs to which artists wish to apply. We encourage applicants to pursue funding opportunities afforded them by their national, regional, local and departmental funding agencies. Please visit ArtsUnite (a project of Artscape) for some resources on funding and applying for grants. ArtsReach also has a useful calendar to explore grants. More sources of funding can be found here by international region.
Artists are expected to create work as well as contribute to the ongoing dialogue surrounding the residency. Artists must be fully vaccinated (two+ doses) or provide a doctors note for a medical exemption. Artists coming from abroad must comply with Government of Canada rules for travel to Canada. See: https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid
Facilitator, Teresa Ascencao, is a multimedia artist whose work toys with social forces that shape gender, seduction, consumption, and class. She was born to Azorean parents in Sao Paulo, Brazil and immigrated to Canada at a young age. Ascencao holds a Graphic Design Diploma from Humber College and graduated with distinction from the University of Toronto’s Honours Fine Art Studio program. She holds an MFA specializing in Media Art and Sex-Positive Feminism from OCAD University. Ascencao’s work has been exhibited across Canada and internationally. She lives and works in Toronto and teaches at OCADU and University of Toronto.
Submit your Application via email to Teresa Ascencao at info@ArtsUnfold.com as follows: write “Luminous Bodies / First_&_Last_name” in the subject line; include a 200-word statement about your overall practice, a 200-word proposal describing the work you intend to explore during the residency, your bio; up to 5 images or video/sound clips that are most related to the work you propose during the residency, and a link to your website or portfolio; your CV, your sleeping accommodation preference (if you’re open to both shared and private please indicate), any accessibility needs you have, and finally any lived experiences related to class, race, gender, etc. that you’d like to be considered in your application 100 words max.