ARNIS RESIDENCY 2017

Urban Hinterland

ARNIS RESIDENCYUrban Hinterland

ramoslübbert is delighted to offer a ten-day residency to three international artists. The residency takes place from 4 August to 14 August 2017 in Arnis, a small half-island located in the rural North-Eastern part of Germany. Culminating in a public event on Saturday 12 August, and coinciding with a local Jazz Festival, the artists will be given the opportunity to present works to its inhabitants and a visiting audience.

ContextArnis lies close to the Baltic Sea, in a fjord called Schlei. It is the smallest town of Germany with only 279 habitants and a total area of 0.45 km2 and was founded in 1667 by families from the nearby town Kappeln to avoid a peonage. Coincidently, Arnis celebrates this summer its 300-year commemoration from this subjugation.

On the occasion of the 300th anniversary, the first Arnis Residency launches with ‘Urban Hinterland’ – a term describing a transition zone where urban and rural spaces mix, drawing from the site’s background as both town and country-side, while conflating this transition within one place. Considering that Arnis’ ancestors did not solely move into the country-side but took the an entire community of their town on the half-island at once, the residency aims to bring back aspects of urban life to the site once again. A particular focus, shall lie on ideas around our perception of time and how we might consider its movement differently in the rural realm.

Artists are invited to submit a brief description of a site-specific and time related work they would like to finalise and present during the period of their residency. Due to their short stay, we encourage to propose existing projects that can be somewhat related to the site, however, we also welcome feasible new engagements. This open call is specific to live art and film based works with a focus on spoken word, dance, drama, sound and video.

Resources Depending on the nature of the works and the weather conditions, we will be able to facilitate the following exhibition sites: a local beach; boats; a boat wharf; a floating raft that can function as a stage, the residency’s back garden as well as the small car ferry that can transport people and cars over the fjord.

Local facilities include a Danish school, a church and a cementery, an old football field, a beach, a harbour, several boat wharfs, a sea-map maker, a sail maker, a bakery, some artists studios, an old mill, a pottery, three restaurants and a few shops.

The three selected artists will receive full-time accommodation in a shared apartment, or by request, one can stay in a sailing boat; food and beverage will be provided during the time of the accommodation. Duos and couples can apply on request. The artists will have access to one shared studio including a workshop. They can take part in a one-day sailing excursion with an experienced skipper and have access to bicycles to explore the area.

Transport to the site is not supported, however, we will pick up successful applicants from the nearest trainstation, which is Schleswig. The closest airport is Hamburg. Further options are Hannover, Bremen and Billund in Denmark. Train tickets are slightely more expensive from the latter.

ramoslübbert offer personal council, mentoring and will facilitate exchange and access to tools. The setting of a backyard winter garden functions as a working station with internet access and offers space for independent research. A workshop located in the garden’s shed can be used for manual work. Liaison with any local source such as metal workshops, boat builders, sail makers and the map maker, is available upon specification in your application.

ramoslübbert is a curatorial collective based in London and Berlin. Founded in 2017 by Cristina Ramos & Christian Lübbert, it aims to investigate and exhibit contextual practices, with a focus on live art and ephemeral practices.

ApplicationThe deadline to send your application is 7th July, the successful artists will be announced during the following week. Please send us a single PDF with a 250 words text stating your idea for a work to be developed during the residency, a 100 word text explaining the logistics of your project, a short CV and A4 with images and a short CV. Please state in your application if you would like to stay on a boat. Applications should be send to ramosluebbert@gmail.com.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Arnis Today

One of the biggest boat wharfs in Arnis. It has been recently sold to be soon demolished and replaced by luxury flats causing big controversy within the small community of Arnis.

Most of Arnis’ houses are traditional half-timbered constructions.

Ornamented doors from a period of prosperity due to Maritime commerce.

A map from 1659 showing Arnis as an island before it was transformed by its residents. The map shows herring fences used to fish big masses ‘Hering’. Today there is only one 600 year old ‘Heringszaun’ left in the nearby Kappeln. It is supposed to be the last one of its kind in Germany or even Europe.

The fjord ‘Schlei’ and the Baltic Sea in a map from 1665.

Litography of the Arnis born artist Johann Martin Graak from 1836.

Archival Material

Aerial photo c. 1940.

At the beach in front of the changing cubicles around 1927. Arnis has the self-proclaimed prefix ‘Bad’ (meaning ‘bath’). Added to its name it was meant to signyfy the area as a popular spa and health resort during a time increasingly popular to escape rising contaminations in cities in the 1920s.

Flag of a swastika, Arnis, 1940.

House transport on the fjord Schlei.

Post Cards

(All images are taken from the new publication ‘Arnis - Die kleinste Stadt Deutschlands’ Copyright: Nicolaus Schmidt.)