call: Decolonial Memorial in Berlin
Deadline: 7 May 2023
Call for entries
Open Call
Realisation of a decolonial memorial in the outdoor area of Berlin Global Village within the framework of an open, anonymous, worldwide, two-phase art contest.
https://www.berlin-global-village.de/en/new-project-decolonial-monument/
Contest procedure
The art contest is a worldwide, open, two-phase art contest for professional artists and groups of artists. The art contest is conducted in accordance with the applicable
guidelines (RPW 2013). The contest languages are German and English. The contest documents will be made available in German and English. All documents submitted by the participating artists and groups of artists must also be submitted in German or English.
Only freelance professional artists or groups of artists are eligible. All members of a group of artists must be professional visual artists. Proof of professionalism consists of a
curriculum vitae with a list of exhibitions or projects, no more than two A4 pages, no photos. If there has been no training at an art academy or a comparable institution, the exhibition or project list must demonstrate continuous visual artistic practice meeting professional standards. Membership of an artists’ association will also be considered proof of professionalism. Eligibility will be verified upon receipt of the application.
All participants shall be treated equally in terms of access to the contest and contest procedures. The same conditions and deadlines apply to all participants, who will be provided with the same information at the same time. The anonymity of the participants will only be lifted at the end of the contest, following the jury’s decision.
Occasion and aim
German colonialism and its consequences have long been sidelined in Germany. There have, however, been ongoing interventions from civil society, especially on how to engage appropriately with the genocide in Namibia and the unresolved provenance both of human remains in medical and academic archives and of cultural objects in ethnological museums. These interventions have set in motion a process that has now reached parliament. To address the connection between colonialism and development cooperation, Berlin Global Village gGmbH, the body responsible for the central Berlin
location where development organisations encounter migrant and diasporic organisations, is launching an international, two-phase open art contest for a decolonial memorial.
The aim of the contest is to realise a memorial that has been developed independently and for this specific purpose.
The memorial will mark the Berlin Global Village as a place of reflection for both Berliners and international actors. Moreover, the character of the former Kindl-Areal, a place used
by various Neukölln-based civil society initiatives whose work extends beyond development cooperation and has a tangible impact, will be confirmed as that of a place oriented towards decoloniality.
The art contest, the accompanying programme and the associated educational work are financed by the Federal Government through the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. The realisation of the memorial is financed by the State of Berlin through the Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Europe.
Location and workspace
In March of 2021, the non-profit organisation Berlin Global Village gGmbH (BGV) chose the site of the former Kindl brewery in Neukölln as the location for a space of diversity, encounter, dialogue, and commitment to global justice and sustainability: the Berlin Global Village.
Address:
Berlin Global Village gGmbH
Am Sudhaus 2
D-12053 Berlin
Germany
Berlin Global Village provides office space for about fifty development and migrant/diasporic associations and initiatives – from small voluntary associations and larger non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to state and national umbrella organisations. With event and seminar rooms, a games library, a digital “World Space,” a Public Art contest Decolonial Memorial
media library, a gallery, and a fair-trade café, the space provides a wide range of services for development-oriented and migrant/diasporic civil society.
To this end, Berlin Global Village has acquired the two former administrative buildings of the Kindl brewery on a leasehold basis. The dilapidated building was demolished and replaced by a new one, which opened in March 2021. The architectural firm Anne Lampen designed the new building in addition to coordinating the renovation of the old building. In both the new and the adjacent old brick building, the ground floor is used as an event space that can also be rented out. The office space of the NGOs renting on a long-term basis is located on the floors above.
A memorial shall be installed between or in front of the two BGV buildings. This memorial shall engage artistically and from a decolonial perspective with colonialism as an essential
element of the North-South relationship. The prospective memorial area is open to the public all day and is clearly visible from the town square in front of it.
The outdoor areas of the Berlin Global Village site are available as a workspace for artistic interventions. The highly visible and accessible main access area in front of and between
the old and new buildings is particularly noteworthy. It includes the roof area above the one-storey connecting building where the main entrance is located. Interventions could
create material connections between the exterior and the interior of the buildings.
Installations designed exclusively for the interior are not being sought. All contemporary art forms are eligible. Works using water as a medium will not be considered. A permanent memorial on site is sought.
The aim of the art contest is to obtain convincing artistic ideas (first phase) and designs (second phase) for the workspace. These ideas and designs should meet the requirements of the site and the theme. All contemporary art forms are eligible. The awarding authority BGV intends to proceed with realising the memorial in accordance with the recommendation of the jury.
Registration and admission
Professional visual artists and groups of artists can apply until Sunday, 7 May 2023, 23:59 CET. Applications must be submitted in the form of a pdf document no longer than
three pages using the following upload link:
https://hidrive.ionos.com/upl/2dHIvi08
Applications shall consist of the following parts, in pdf format (A4, no more than 5 MB):
• completed form with names (artists, groups of artists), valid postal address, email address and a telephone number (form below);
• an artistic curriculum vitae including proof of professionalism of all participants (no
more than two A4 pages, no photos, in pdf format).
Name of the pdf: surname.pdf (example: schumacher.pdf)
Eligibility for participation will be verified upon registration. Prerequisites for a successful application are a relevant degree from an art academy or comparable institution and/or demonstration of professional artistic practice in the form of a curriculum vitae and exhibition list and/or membership in an artists’ association. All members of a group of artists must be professional visual artists. Proof of professionalism consists of a curriculum vitae with a list of exhibitions or projects (no more than two A4 pages, no photos). If there has been no training at an art academy or comparable institution, the exhibition or project list must demonstrate continuous visual artistic practice meeting professional standards. Membership in an artists’ association will also be considered proof of professionalism.
The results of the contest will be announced digitally to eligible applicants on 15 May 2023.
Applications from non-natural persons will not be considered. No multiple applications, no membership in multiple groups of artists.
Requirements
During the first phase, participants are asked to submit an artistic idea in the form of a sketch, along with conceptual considerations. No elaboration of design or technical details is expected at this stage.
The jury will select up to twenty participants for the second phase, in which a detailed elaboration of the design and its intended realisation is expected, in addition to an outline of the basic approach.
The participating artists and groups of artists undertake to submit a work that is specifically conceived for this art contest and the contest task.
Compensation
Participants in the first contest phase shall not receive any compensation. Participants in the second phase shall receive an expense allowance of € 4,000.00 before taxes, covering all incidental costs, provided a work has been submitted that complies with the conditions of the contest. No prize money shall be awarded.
Realisation budget
A total of up to € 750,000.00 before taxes, including all ancillary costs, is available for the realisation of the art project on site. This shall cover artists’ fees as well as material and
production costs.
Prize jury
Expert judges:
• Kristina Leko (Universität der Künste Berlin, visual artist)
• Prof. Dr. Chika Okeke-Agulo (Princeton University, visual artist)
• MarÃa Linares (visual artist)
• t.b.a.
Subject judges:
• Michael Küppers-Adebisi (Berlin Global Village gGmbH, representative of the
awarding body)
• Prof. Dr. Walter Mignolo (Duke University) TBC
• t.b.a.
Permanent representation
• t.b.a.
Deadlines and dates
7 May 2023 Registration deadline
15 May 2023 Contest documents made available to applicants
14 June 2023 Deadline for written queries (first phase)
23 June 2023 Response to queries (first phase)
13 August 2023 Digital submission of designs (first phase)
16/17 September 23 Jury meeting (first phase)
18 September 2023 Notification of participants in the second phase
30 October 2023 Enquiry colloqium (second phase)
31 October 2023 Symposium
12 November 2023 Deadline for written queries (second phase)
24 November 23 Response to queries (second phase)
07 January 2024 Deadline for submission of designs (second phase)
27 January 2024 Prize jury meeting (second phase)
28 February 2024 Exhibition of submitted designs from the second phase
Contact
artcontest@berlin-global-village.de
More information:
https://www.berlin-global-village.de
Podcast: https://youtu.be/x8jJCVP6xus
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BerlinGlobalVillage
Instagram: @berlinglobalvillage
Please complete the following form.
Please attach an artistic CV including proof of professionalism of all applicants (no more
than two A4 pages, no photos, in pdf format).
Upload your application no later than Sunday, 7 May 2023, 23:59 CET, using the
following link: https://hidrive.ionos.com/upl/2dHIvi08
