As part of the Remote Closeness project, we are pleased to announce a new art residency program which invites creatives from various artistic backgrounds (performing arts, music and audio productions, visual and fine arts,
poetry, video, film, design) to explore the future of art practices, specifically in the Jordanian context.There are no limits to the interpretation of the other normal. You are given here the opportunity to reinvent our
world, while keeping it somehow connected and informed by the Jordanian reality. Feel free to imagine physical, psychic, spatial, emotional or any other (un)imaginable alternative dimension of the other normal in which you would prosper as an art practitioner. The objective is to dream, research, recreate, reinvent, rectify our present and imagine a context and conditions that would be supportive of your art practices, while also responding to some of the challenges posed by the reality we are facing… You can choose to do so in any form, whether with a work of art, or with research on a specific subject.

The residency will take place in Jordan in November and December 2021 as part of the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts (JNGFA)’s Public Art Program at Factory. This residency will comprise an initial meeting (Nov 6), a one-month residency (Nov 7 – Dec 5), and a one-day event of workshops with the participants as well as a public discussion panel (Dec 11) at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts in Amman.

This program is an extension of the Remote Closeness event, which took place in July 2021 and welcomed This program is an extension of the Remote Closeness event, which took place in July 2021 and welcomed creatives to develop new approaches to remotely connect to, and interact with, each other and the world. It inspired artists and cultural organisations to think of new adaptations of how art is shared and exhibited. The residency had to be postponed because of Covid-19, which is the reason why it is now realized as an extension to the main event
in July 2021.

* Remote Closeness is an interdisciplinary cultural research and experimentation project with the purpose of
from various backgrounds in Jordan and organized and supported by Factory’s Public Art Program / the JNGFA, the Goethe-Institut in Jordan, the Institut Français de Jordanie, and funded by the Franco-German Cultural Fund.

Residency dates:
Nov 6 – introductory meeting
Nov 7 – start of residency
Dec 5 – end of residency & submission of documentation and final results
Dec 11 – workshops and panel – final event

Application requirements:
Application is open to creative practitioners based in Jordan
Applications should be submitted in English or Arabic
Applications must be submitted by October 22nd by completing the online application form.

Participation requirements:
The residency will take place remotely, in the resident’s own space, but the introductory meeting and closing event will occur in person, at the JNGFA. Attendance at both meetings is mandatory.
2-3 check-in short meetings with the Remote Closeness team will occur over the course of the residency
Residents need to document their work process in any form they choose (images, research, sketches, final artwork, etc…)
Residents need to submit their documentation and final results by the fifth of December
Residents should be ready to present and discuss their process and findings during the closing event.
The outcome of the individual residencies and parts of the closing events will be shared on the Remote Closeness Instagram account.

Applicants will be notified by November 2nd.

Selection criteria:
8 residents will be selected, based on curatorial decisions, with a jury composed of the members of the Remote Closeness team and representatives from the organizing institutions (the JNGFA, the Goethe-Institut in Jordan and the Institut Français de Jordanie). Criteria that will be considered in the selection process are:
Originality, innovation, and creativity of the concept/idea for production or research
Relevance of the concept to the overall theme
A balanced representation of different artistic disciplines or research subjects

Fees:
The residents will receive a stipend of 500 euros for their participation in the residency.