Exciting new art residency opportunity in Beijing

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Exciting new art residency opportunity in Beijing

The Wellington Asia Residency Exchange (WARE), an arts exchange programme run by Wellington City Council and Asia New Zealand Foundation, is now accepting applications for this year’s round.

In 2011 the WARE programme has partnered with Red Gate Gallery in Beijing, which offers an international residency programme and a community for artists to live and work in China.

One Wellington-based visual artist will be selected in late June for a two-month residency period beginning in August 2011.

The WARE programme has thrived since its inception in 2007, helping establish ongoing relationships with cultural centres in Asia and raising the profile of Asian arts in Wellington through the variety of Asian artists Wellington City Council and Asia:NZ have hosted in the capital.

“Our new partnership with Red Gate this year means a second New Zealander will have the opportunity to live and work in Asia since this exchange programme began,” says Asia:NZ culture director Jennifer King.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for a Wellington artist to showcase a New Zealand creative identity in Asia, become fully immersed in an Asian art scene for a while and develop professional networks with Asian and international artists on the ground in China.”

Red Gate Gallery and its residency programme have had a successful run over the past 10 years and the gallery has established extensive contacts within the arts community in Beijing.

WARE applicants are required to have a proven track record of group or solo exhibition experience and to work full-time on art projects while at Red Gate.

Participation in an open studio exhibition is expected at the end of the residency as well as readiness to share residency outcomes with the Wellington arts community and audiences upon return.

“Having hosted a number of Asian artists in our city so far, we welcome the opportunity for a Wellington artist to visit Beijing. What we want to achieve through this exchange are international collaborations that continue long after the residency,” said Wellington City Council’s arts and culture portfolio leader Councillor Ray Ahipene-Mercer.

Asia:NZ and the Council will provide:

• one return economy airfare between New Zealand and Beijing
• daily allowance to cover living costs
• a budget of NZ$500 for exhibition materials
• Beijing mobile phone, Wi-Fi internet and local phone connection
• self-contained accommodation and studio space at Red Gate’s Bei Gao studio and lofts.

Beijing has an extremely dynamic and prolific art scene which has exploded in recent years, with an unprecedented boom in new galleries opening, new art produced and exhibited, and an increasing number of international artists visiting.

The first Wellington artist to work in Asia under the WARE programme was mixed media artist Kerry-Ann Lee, who is currently exhibiting some of her work produced during the residency at Toi Poneke Gallery in Wellington.

Applications for the WARE residency close at noon on 30 May 2011.
The application form and details are available here: http://www.asianz.org.nz/our-work/arts-and-community/artist-residence-exchanges/ware

• To find out more about WARE and other Asia:NZ residency exchanges in Asia, visit http://www.asianz.org.nz/our-work/arts-and-community/artist-residence-exchanges

• To read about Kerry Ann Lee’s exhibition, visit http://www.asianz.org.nz/our-work/arts-and-community/limelight/kerryann-lee-exhibition

(ENDS)

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