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Opportunity: 2022 AER Residency at Mahler & LeWitt Studios, Italy

the Ponte delle Torri, a medieval aqueduct spanning from the old town of Spoleto to Monteluco

Written byPost-Grad Community
Published date 12 January 2022

Applications accepted from UAL postgraduates (MA and PhD) and recent postgraduate alumni (within 24 months from graduation) only. Unless stated otherwise, only individuals can apply.

Applications deadline: Friday 22 April 2022 (midnight GMT)

Apply at: UAL Residencies Slideroom

The Mahler & LeWitt Studios, sited in the old town of Spoleto, Italy, makes use of the former studios of stone sculptor Anna Mahler and conceptual artist Sol LeWitt, as well as a medieval tower known as the Torre Bonomo. The residency programme provides a focussed and stimulating environment for artists, curators and writers to develop new ways of working in dialogue with peers and the unique cultural heritage of the region. Spoleto is an ancient hilltop town situated on the foothills of the Appenines, at the head of the Valle del Umbria in central Italy. Starting in the 1950s, Spoleto became known as a centre for contemporary art owing to the influential Festival dei Due Mondi, which is still held annually.

Programme overview:

The 2022 AER / Mahler & LeWitt Studios resident will participate in the MATERIA programme. MATERIA is a multi-disciplinary programme bringing together artists, writers, scientists, geographers, material designers, architects, and theorists. With a macro lens scanning pre-history to futures studies, it aims to map, across time and diverse local geographies, the industrial, agricultural and cultural production of the Valle del Umbria, with particular reference to histories of materials and their extraction. Using the region as a case study, the programme will ask how these material histories have affected production in art, fashion, design, and architecture – key to this will be a study of the migration of peoples across the land through the centuries, understanding how different communities turned materials into resources with the help of a variety of technologies. MATERIA asks how we might reconsider our relationship to the environment by changing the materials we use and our attitudes to production and consumption.

This is a self-directed programme. Mahler & LeWitt Studios residencies value personal space for creative reflection whilst also encouraging in-depth and dynamic working relationships to evolve between peers, and an engagement with the region and their active programming. There are ceramics facilities as well as access to a range of tools for production. At the end of the session each resident can present their work-in-progress and is asked to develop a contribution to an end-of-year Mahler & LeWitt Studios publication, made available online and in print.

For further information, visit http://www.mahler-lewitt.org

The residency package includes:

4-week residency
Use of studio space and other facilities
Curator mentoring and feedback
Participation in an open studio event
Accommodation and personal kitchenette
Living expenses (cap £400)
Rail travel to Perugia, Italy (cap £400)*
Production budget (cap £500)
UAL grant of £500 on completion of residency and final report

* We strongly encourage rail travel to reduce carbon emission when possible. Youth Hostels provide affordable accommodations on the way if need be.

Residency dates

Monday 22 August - Sunday 18 September 2022

How to apply

Apply at: UAL Residencies Slideroom

Curriculum Vitae (up to 1 page)
Letter of Motivation (up to 1000 word)
Digital Portfolio (up to 5MB)

Deadline is TBC

Applicant Criteria

Applications accepted from UAL postgraduates (MA and PhD) and recent postgraduate alumni (within 24 months* from graduation) only. Unless stated otherwise, only individuals can apply.

*IMPORTANT UPDATE: Due to COVID-19 AER residencies suspension last year, we are accepting applications from postgraduate alumni within 2 years from graduation alongside current UAL postgraduates.

Important Information

Please Note: Successful applicants will be responsible for (i) arranging and booking their own travel to and from the place of Residency in accordance with guidance provided in the application call-outs or by AER administration team and (ii) arranging visas or other travel documentation as may be necessary as well as health and travel insurance. Successful applicants will be responsible for arranging and paying (if applicable) for any Covid-19 testing and/or complying with other travel and non-travel requirements as might be imposed by the local government at the Location or in the UK from time to time. Successful applicants will be required to sign an appropriate UAL AER Residency agreement which governs applicant’s participation on the Residency prior to the commencement of the Residency. All successful applicants shall receive a copy of the UAL AER Residency agreement following a formal confirmation on the grant of Residency.

AER Team:

Professor Lucy Orta: AER Founder, UAL Chair of Art and the Environment, Centre for Sustainable Fashion
Camilla Palestra: AER Curator, Centre for Sustainable Fashion
UAL Post-Grad Community
International jury comprised of representatives from each of the hosting partners.

About the Art for the Environment Residency Programme (AER)

The Art for the Environment Residency Programme (AER) provides UAL graduates with the opportunity to apply for a 2 to 4 week fully funded residency at one of our internationally renowned host institutions, to explore concerns that define the 21st century – biodiversity, environmental sustainability, social economy and human rights.

Founded in 2015, internationally acclaimed artist Professor Lucy Orta, UAL Chair of Art for the Environment – Centre for Sustainable Fashion, launched the programme in partnership with international residency programmes and UAL Post-Grad Community. Find out more about AER

About UAL Post-Grad Community

UAL is home to more than 2,400 postgraduate students working across the fields of art, design, screen, communication, fashion, media and performance. Within our six world-renowned colleges, we aim to form a creative network of artists, designers and innovators.

Post-Grad Community is an inclusive platform for UAL postgraduate students to share work, find opportunities and connect with other creatives within the University and beyond.