On Tuesday, April 1st, from 6 PM, Kai Art Center will host an evening of discussions on art residency programs, alongside the launch of Residencies Reflected, a book by Irmeli Kokko. The event coincides with a reunion of Baltic alumni from the New York International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP) and will feature engaging conversations on the evolving landscape of artist residencies. This gathering also marks a decade of collaboration between the Estonian Contemporary Art Development Center (ECADC) and ISCP.
Program:
6-7 pm Panel
Irmeli Kokko, Kari Conte and Karin Laansoo will be in conversation about Kokko’s new Residencies Reflected book, and on the transformation of residency practices, the artist experience, and residencies as experimental communities.
7-8 pm Roundtable
Hear from Susan Hapgood, Executive Director of the International Studio & Curatorial Program, and artists Laura Põld (Estonia), Krišs Salmanis (Latvia), and Taavi Suisalu(Estonia), three Baltic alumni of ISCP, as they share insights about the New York visual arts residency program. This event will provide first-hand insight into the artists’ practices, as they reflect on the impact of their residencies and share their immersive experiences in New York City. The round table discussion will include information about the program benefits and multiple opportunities it provides for artists and curators.
8-9 pm Book Launch and Reception
The programme will conclude with a reception and the launch of Residencies Reflected (2024) edited by Irmeli Kokko and published by Mousse. Residencies Reflected looks at international artist residencies with a societal and ecological mind shift, treating both the productive experimentation and artistic freedom they enable and the information about places, environments, and communities that they produce as well as their artistic, poetic, psychological, social roles in the ecological crisis. The nine essays and one interview in the book examine the potentials of residencies as communities and environments for artistic work.
