Sarah Contis Expressive Ceramic Birds Migrate Through Social and Environmental Issues

Detail of “(Im)Migration.” Photo by Rio Chantel. All images © Sarah Conti, shared with permission

In Latin, memento mori translates roughly to “remember you will die” and has been used as a visual trope employed in art for centuries, often in the form of a skull. In 17th-century Vanitas still-life paintings, other symbols like hour glasses, clocks, extinguished candles, fruit, flowers, or game animals were added as a constant reminder of the fleetingness of life. For artist Sarah Conti, the nature of existence is as much a subject as the avians she sculpts. Existing in delicate balance within their increasingly imperiled habitats, she says, “[Birds] can’t evolve at the rate we are changing the world.”

Surrounded by family members who were avid birders, the artist traces her interest in the feathered creatures to childhood. The more she learned, the more she admired how birds have captured humankind’s imagination. Later on while enrolled at the University of Montana in Missoula, the onset of the pandemic made the school’s studio spaces inaccessible, prompting her to be outdoors more often. She says, “All the time I used to spend in the studio transitioned into time spent in wetlands and woods looking for birds. I had the time and access to see many new species, and it ignited so much interest and wonder in me.”

 

“(Im)Migration.” Photo by Rio Chantel

In 2020, Conti began to think about more about the human impact on the environment, as well as political and social issues, finding that the ubiquity of birds—and our endless fascination with the avian world—presented an apt way to express critical concerns. She hones in on the relationship between beauty and discomfort, highlighting dualities of presence and absence or the seen and unseen. For example, “Lost History of Women” illustrates how ornithological study has generally focused on males, paralleling the way women have been omitted from human record.

Conti shapes distinctive birds from clay, often making dozens at a time for large-scale installations. For “(Im)Migration,” she made 75 pieces in about 75 days, which were then given a surface treatment before being fired in the kiln. While each individual component can stand on its own as an independent work, Conti says, “I am very interested in making installation sculpture as a way to tell a larger story, to talk about the massiveness of these issues, and to make the viewer feel enveloped in the work. I want viewers to think about how it relates to their presence and their role in these issues.”

Audubon recently commissioned a piece that will be featured soon in the quarterly’s ongoing series called The Aviary, and next March, Conti will be a part of Radius Gallery’s 9th Annual Ceramics Invitational. Find more on her website and Instagram.

 

Detail of “(Im)Migration.” Photo by Rio Chantel

Black-necked Stilt, detail of “(Im)Migration.” Photo by Rio Chantel

“A(n Extinction) Fable for Tomorrow”

Detail of “A(n Extinction) Fable for Tomorrow”

Detail of “A(n Extinction) Fable for Tomorrow”

Two details of “A(n Extinction) Fable for Tomorrow.” Left: Common Nighthawk and extinct Eskimo Curlew. Right: Extinct Carolina Parakeets

“Lost History of Women”

Ring-necked Pheasant, detail of “Lost History of Women”

Red-naped Sapsucker, detail of “Lost History of Women”

Redhead Duck, detail of “Lost History of Women”

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In Surreal Collages Julie Liger-Belair Explores Home Interiority and the Terrain of Dreams

“The Nowhere Plan.” All images © Julia Liger-Belair, shared with permission

“The house can be a symbol of comfort and refuge from the harsh world. A house, in other words, can be a reflection of everything we hold dear,” says Toronto-based artist Julie Liger-Belair, whose mixed-media collages often center on depictions of home. “But a house can also be a place of fear, oppression, and powerlessness,” she adds. “I’m really obsessed by this duality.”

Liger-Belair augments found photographs, historical portraits, botanicals, and patterned papers with a range of drawing media. During the pandemic, when quarantines enforced boundaries between interior spaces and the outside world, she started to consider what it means to do or show something “on the inside.” This led to incorporating motifs related to living spaces and enigmatic dwellers. Bodies merge with architecture, botanicals bloom from torsos and limbs, and otherworldly landscapes extend into the distance.

 

“Lost with the Dolls”

Drawing on an interest in dreams and surreal worlds, Liger-Belair taps into the realm of the unfamiliar. Each composition is founded on a sense of wonder, examining what we perceive as reality or fiction. She says:

I think that humans have always been drawn to the realm of the implausible, since it’s such a common theme in books, films, and artwork from many different cultures and times in history. I’d even argue that we can understand science as an attempt to discover or glimpse the implausible hidden or embedded in the real. I’m thinking here of microscopic views of cells or even photographs of distant stars. These strange worlds are tangible and are not just to be found in dreams.

Liger-Belair gravitates toward the accessibility of collage and the endless potential to imagine, arrange, and recontextualize new narratives. She often works in series, allowing themes to emerge intuitively. “While the overall storyline may not be totally obvious in any one piece, it’s important to understand that with every work, I’m telling a story to myself,” she says. “In some sense, unfolding that narrative is just as important for me—and perhaps more gratifying—than finishing individual pieces.”

Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

 

“Blue Vase”

“Headdress 2”

“When Two Mountains Meet”

“I Am Winter”

“Headdress 4”

“Sometimes to the Left”

“Beasts of Burden”

“Headdress 3” 

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Rough-Hewn Deities Rise from the Streets of Vietnam in Kumkum Fernandos Growing World of Futuristic Figures

“Koha, Manike the Maniac, and Lomba.”All images © Kumkum Fernando, shared with permission

At once totemic and automaton-like, the deities built in Studio REBORN in Saigon are bound by mystique. The characters are scions of the Vietnamese city, emerging from doors, windows, tabletops, and abandoned architecture that Kumkum Fernando collects, cleans, and repurposes as figurative sculptures. While the found materials may have lost their original paint or patterns, the artist faithfully honors this history, often recreating motifs and color palettes reflected on the final forms.

Born in Sri Lanka to an antique collector, Fernando incorporates this background into his pieces, both through the act of scouring construction sites, resale shops, and streetside trash bins for wood and other items used in his practice and through adornment. Many of his sculptures include elements of folkloric tales and temple paintings that infuse the pieces with a spiritual, mythical quality and reference Sri Lankan culture.

Fernando’s latest body of work abandons the sleek, boldly vibrant forms of recent years to instead focus on a gritty, post-apocalyptic narrative. “I started out by making notebooks and toy cars using old Vietnamese building parts before transitioning to glossy figurative pieces,” he tells Colossal of his evolution. “I began to miss the textures and colors I used to work with. That’s when I decided to go back and incorporate aspects I loved from the beginning into this series.”

On view now at Jonathan Levine Projects, the characters of Post Colonial Rainbow Punks “are intergalactic swashbucklers—part gangsters, part mythical beings.” Like his earlier works, they invoke East Asian history and mythology through the lens of structural debris like French shutters and window frames, although their geometric bodies are embellished with mottled, worn paint and what appears like rusted metals. Hailing from a distant future while constructed with materials of the past, these figures recontextualize time and space and are said to have reached Earth in search of Princess Izzah 281, their most difficult mission yet.

For more of Fernando’s fantastic sculptures, visit his site and Instagram.

 

“Koha”

“Weeping Orchid”

Detail of “Weeping Orchid”

“Soft Boss”

“Ilo Galaxy”

“Jackfruit Jenny”

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Rough-Hewn Deities Rise from the Streets of Vietnam in Kumkum Fernando’s Growing World of Futuristic Figures appeared first on Colossal.

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July 2023 Opportunities: Open Calls Residencies and Grants for Artists

Image © Chris Wood

Every month, Colossal shares a selection of opportunities for artists and designers, including open calls, grants, fellowships, and residencies. If you’d like to list an opportunity here, please get in touch at hello@colossal.art. You can also join our monthly Opportunities Newsletter.

 

Open Calls

Franklin Furnace 2023 XENO Prize for Artists’ Books (International)
This prize offers $5,000 to one artist to publish an artist’s book centered around book banning/burning in an edition of at least 120 copies. Franklin Furnace will make three copies of the book freely available to the public via its Artists’ Books Collection and will give one copy to the Library of Congress, each of the 50 State Libraries in the United States of America, and the Pratt Institute Libraries.
Deadline: July 4, 2023.

1708 Gallery’s InLight 2023 Call for Proposals (International)
For this year’s exhibition, 1708 invites regional, national, and international artists working in all media and disciplines to submit entries that engage with and respond to Reflection and Refraction for the InLIght festival. Artists are invited to propose projects that engage with and expand upon the histories and activities that comprise InLight, as well as Broad Street’s past, present, and future. Chosen applicants receive a $1,000 stipend.
Deadline: Midnight ET on July 5, 2023. 

Mophradat Orbitals Open Call (International)
This open call will take four curators and art researchers to Dakar, Senegal. During the one-week guided research trip, the participants will meet and share experiences with peers from the art scenes they are visiting. Mophradat will provide flights, travel insurance, accommodation, and per diems, and reimburse visa costs. Applicants must be from or living in the Arab world.
Deadline: July 10, 2023.

In Translation at Glen Arbor Arts Center (International)
Applications are being accepted for In Translation, the Glen Arbor Arts Center’s juried exhibition that runs from August 18 to October 26. In Translation explores this question: What is the role of the artist, the visual maker, in the 21st century? Visionary? Commentator? Taker of dictation? Aesthete? Four artists will receive awards ranging from $150 to $500. There is a $35 application fee.
Deadline: July 13, 2023.

USC-SJTU Institute of Cultural and Creative Industry Art Valley Program Open Call (International)
This open call will accept five international artists and scholars who use comprehensive media materials. From November 1 to December 15, selected artists will hold exhibitions with Shanghai organizations and receive RMB 10,000. Applicants can be at all career stages and working in drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, new media, installation, interdisciplinary, and architecture.
Deadline: July 14, 2023.

Memento Mori Juried Group Exhibition (International)
The Chateau Gallery is hosting Memento Mori, an international juried group exhibition centered around life and death. All forms of two-dimensional, traditional, and non-conventional art media are eligible for the online show.
Deadline: July 15, 2023.

Art For Change Prize 2023 (International)
From M&C Saatchi Group and Saatchi Gallery, this year’s prize asks emerging artists to creatively respond to the theme of Regeneration. £20,000 will be split between six winners, who will exhibit their work at Saatchi Gallery in London.
Deadline: July 17, 2023.

14th Epson International Pano Awards (International)
The Epson panoramic photography awards are open for submissions with prizes totaling $40,000, including $14,000 in cash. Entry fees range from $20 to $22.
Deadline: July 17, 2023.

The Nueva Luz Study Center Commissioning Fund 2024 (New York State)
En Foco is launching a new program that will commission three artists to create new work using the archives of the Nueva Luz Study Center. Proposals should inspire and re-contextualize artworks, themes, and issues contained or referenced within the archives, and each project will receive a $1,000 budget.
Deadline: 11:59 p.m. ET on July 19, 2023.

El Paso Museum of Art–2024 Border Biennial/Bienal Fronteriza 2024 (U.S.)
This exhibition will explore how “the border” has shaped the practices and identities of artists who live and work within 200 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Deadline: 11:59 p.m. MT on July 30, 2023.

Boynes Artist Award (International)
The 9th edition of the Boynes Artist Award will accept artists of all career stages. Winning artists have access to a $3,500 cash prize pool, $250 in art supplies, the creation of a professional artist website, publication, newsletter features, and long-term support and guidance. There is a $25 to $35 submission fee.
Deadline: July 30, 2023.

SculptureCenter In Practice 2024 Open Call (International)
In Practice 2024 invites artists who have not yet had an institutional solo exhibition in New York City to submit proposals for solo shows in designated gallery spaces at SculptureCenter. Proposals for off-site projects, publishing initiatives, performances, and nontraditional formats are also accepted. Up to seven applicants will be chosen and receive $6,000 project budgets and $1,000 honorariums.
Deadline: 11:59 p.m. ET on August 6, 2023.

Passepartout Photo Prize (International)
Open to photographers at any stage of their careers, the Passepartout Photo Prize is accepting submissions for its seventh edition. Winners receive exhibition and publication opportunities, with one 500 Euro award. There is a 25 Euro entry fee.
Deadline: October 10, 2023.

 

Grants

Prospect Art Open Call for Visual Artists (International)
Visual artists are eligible for the NEW WORK program, which offers a $1,000 project grant. There is a $10 application fee.
Deadline: July 3, 2023.

Illuminations Grant for Black Trans Women Visual Artists (U.S.)
Now in its fourth year, this annual $10,000 grant draws attention to early-career Black trans women visual artists, highlighting an existing body of work and providing critical support for their practice. The winning artist will complete a studio visit with our rotating panel of judges, and four distinguished finalists will receive $1,250 awards.
Deadline: July 12, 2023.

Project Mesquite: 2023 Organization Grants (Arizona)
Cultural organizations in Tucson and southern Arizona are eligible for $5,000 to $10,000 grants for projects that will impact a broad group of people.
Deadline: July 13, 2023.

AXS Film Fund (International)
This program is for disabled creators of color in documentary filmmaking or nonfiction new media. Five artists receive grants of up to $10,000 each to assist in finishing projects at any stage of production.
Deadline: 11:59 p.m. ET on July 31, 2023.

2024 Joyce Awards (Great Lakes region)
The final 2024 funding cycle for the Joyce Awards is now open to cultural workers and organizations working toward racial equity and economic mobility.
Deadline: September 11, 2023.

Adobe Creative Residency Community Fund (Ukraine or refugee)
Adobe’s Creative Residency Community Fund commissions visual artists to create company projects on a rolling basis. Awardees will receive between $500 and $5,000.
Deadline: Rolling.

 

Residencies, Fellowships, & More

The Studios at MASS MoCA Residency (International)
Fully funded fellowships at MASS MoCA are available for two or four-week residencies. Selected artists receive private studio space, housing, access to workshops, and member benefits.
Deadline: July 8, 2023.

UNIDEE and Cittadellarte–Fondazione Pistoletto Residency Program (International)
Artists, curators, writers, theorists, and activists are eligible for this residency centered around the theme of Neither on Land nor at Sea. Residents will expand their ongoing research and practice exploring Mediterranean complexities and geographical thinking in the arts and beyond, within a group of peers and guests. Housing is provided.
Deadline: July 9, 2023.

Penland’s Resident Artist Program (International)
Artists working in contemporary craft are eligible for four Penland residencies, either the one-year project-based program or the three-year track for career transition. Chosen applicants receive housing and studio space.
Deadline: July 12, 2023.

Creative Corps Initiative (California)
This program makes available $2.85 million to artists working at the intersection of arts and issues of civic engagement, climate justice, community health and wellness, and social justice. Each awardee will work with a nonprofit and receive a stipend of $70,000 to $72,000.
Deadline: 5 p.m. PT on July 14, 2023.

ICCI Art Valley Program (International)
The USC-SJTU Institute of Cultural and Creative of Shanghai Jiao Tong University is recruiting five international artists and scholars to participate in the ICCI ART VALLEY PROGRAM from November 1 to December 15. Visiting artists will hold exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and/or other public programs and will receive accommodations, airfare, and a stipend of at least $1,300.
Deadline: July 15, 2023.

Loghaven Artist Residency (International)
Loghaven invites artists working in architecture, dance, music composition, theater, visual arts, writing, and interdisciplinary practices to apply for residencies occurring in 2024 and 2025. Both emerging and established artists are eligible, and residents receive a living stipend of $850 per week in addition to travel and freight reimbursement. There is a $20 application fee.
Deadline: July 15, 2023.

Crosstown Arts Residency Program (International)
Open to artists working in visual arts, music, filmmaking, and writing, this program offers private studio space and lodging. There is a $10 application fee.
Deadline: July 15, 2023.

Quinn Emanuel Los Angeles Artists-in-Residence Program (Greater Los Angeles)
Open to emerging and mid-career artists working in all disciplines, this four-month program offers a studio in the Quinn Emanuel Los Angeles office. The chosen applicant will receive $5,000 per month, $1,500 for materials, and an exhibition.
Deadline: July 15, 2023.

UCross Residency Program (U.S.)
Open to visual artists, writers, composers, choreographers, interdisciplinary artists, and performance artists, as well as collaborative teams, this residency offers housing, a workspace, and a $1,000 stipend.
Deadline: 1 a.m. on July 16, 2023.

UCross Fellowship for Native American Visual Artists (U.S.)
This four-week residency is open to artists working in any visual discipline who are members of a state-recognized or federally-recognized native group. Selected artists receive $2,000 and a featured gallery exhibition at Ucross the following year.
Deadline: 1 a.m. on July 16, 2023.

National Public Housing Museum Artist as Instigator Residency (International)
This year-long program leverages arts and culture to make creative public policy interventions around housing and related social justice issues. One resident will receive $10,000 and a $10,000 budget for expenses. Projects must take place anywhere within the United States, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Deadline: 11:59 p.m. on July 21, 2023.

Adobe Creative Residency (U.K.)
Adobe x Museums is a new initiative to fund year-long residencies at the Victoria and Albert Museum and Museum of Modern Art in New York. The first round of applications for the V&A is open now in illustration, ceramics, and costume design.
Deadline: 10 a.m. British Summer Time on July 28, 2023.

Monira Foundation and Jonas Mekas Studio Research and Production Residency (International)
Curators, artists, practitioners, and theorists interested in the intersection of art and media are eligible for this six-month program in Jersey City. Applicants should propose a project that utilizes the Jonas Mekas Studio to produce a new work, research presentation, or curate an exhibition or screening. Residents receive a $750 monthly stipend. There is a $15 application fee.
Deadline: Midnight ET on July 28, 2023.

Grand Canyon Conservancy 2024 Grand Canyon Artist in Residence (International)
This program supports artists in any discipline who are interested in conservation, cultural identity, or community. Residents receive free lodging, workspace, and a stipend for up to eight weeks. There is a $45 application fee.
Deadline: July 31, 2023.

National Parks Arts Foundation: Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park October 2024 Artist in Residence (International)
Artists in all media are eligible for this residency at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, which offers a $4,000 stipend, housing, and artist events.
Deadline: July 31, 2023.

The Farm Margaret River (International)
Open to all disciplines, individuals, and collectives, this residency focuses on site-specific projects created during eight weeks at The Farm Margaret River in Australia. Chosen applicant(s) will receive lodging, studio space, and a $7,500 grant.
Deadline: August 1, 2023.

Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts Residencies (International)
The Bemis Center has two residencies open, one 18-month program for curators and another for artists. One chosen curator will receive private living and workspace, a $40,750 stipend, a research budget, a curatorial honorarium, and a $750 travel stipend. Artists receive private live and work studios, a $1,250 monthly stipend, and a $750 travel stipend. There are $40 application fees for both programs.
Deadline: August 1, 2023.

Peters Valley School of Craft (International)
Artists working in blacksmithing, ceramics, fibers, fine metals, wood, drawing, painting, collage, or printmaking are eligible for this two-week to one-month program. Residents receive a private room in a shared house, studio access, and stipends ranging from $500 to $1,000. Chosen applicants must have access to a car.
Deadline: August 1, 2023.

Centrum Residency Programs (International)
Centrum has several residencies open for artists, writers, and curators. All are funded, last one to four weeks, and come with honorariums.
Deadline: August 15, 2023.

Willapa Bay AiR: 2024 Residencies (International)
These month-long residencies are open to emerging and established artists, filmmakers, writers, playwrights, scholars, singer/songwriters, and musical composers. Each month, six chosen applicants receive lodging, meals, and workspace at no cost. There is a $30 application fee.
Deadline: August 31, 2023.

Bryn Du’s Artist in Residence Program (International)
Artists working in visual arts, literature, music, theater, fashion, dance, storytelling, and audiovisual studies are eligible for this eight or 12-week residency. Stipends range from $2,000 to $3,000, and lodging and studio space are provided. There is a $15 application fee.
Deadline: August 31, 2023.

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The Flower of Tujia Weaves History and Culture Through 150000 Meters of Red Brocade Thread

All images © YI+MU, shared with permission

Intricate geometric patterns and rich hues distinguish the  woven textiles of China’s Tujia people, who call the Wuling Mountains home in western Hunan. In the nearby city of Zhangjiajie, the new China Tu­jia Bro­cade Mu­seum will be dedicated to the art of Xi­lan Kapu, or Tujia brocade, to celebrate the culture’s distinctive creativity and preserve an endangered craft. In a remarkable architectonic installation called “The Flower of Tujia,” 150,000 meters of red brocade thread creates an awe-inspiring centerpiece for the main space.

Designed by Yi Chen and Muchen Zhang of Beijing-based design studio YI+MU, the artwork spans more than 1,000 square meters along a grid of 20 beams, allowing the fiber to alternately reveal and conceal the geometry of stairwells and windows as one moves around. “The di­a­mond-shape struc­ture in­spired by the iconic pat­tern of the Tu­jia bro­cade is clearly vis­i­ble from all an­gles,” the studio says. Symbolically interpreting the 30-step process of Xi­lan Kapu into a three-dimensional piece, the design unifies and highlights the museum’s interior and sparks a sense of wonder that verges on the spiritual, a key aspect of YI+MU’s philosophy.

The museum building was completed in 2022 and an opening date is yet to be announced. Find more of YI+MU’s projects on the studio’s website. (via designboom)

 

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Daniel Rueda and Anna Devís New Book Happytecture Finds Beauty and Whimsy in Architectural Details

“Window Shopping.” All images © Daniel Rueda and Anna Devís, shared with permission

Whether interacting with architecture or crafting their own sets, photography duo Daniel Rueda and Anna Devís (previously) find endless inspiration in the built environment. Grounded in their training as architects, the Valencia-based pair conceive of visual puns and whimsical ways to augment existing structures and spaces by adding new design elements and donning garments that blend in with the scenery.

Happytecture, a new book published by Counterprint, celebrates the last several years of their joy-filled practice of transforming ordinary locations into eye-catching, witty works of art. Saturated hues and exquisitely produced props characterize Devís and Rueda’s compositions, the result of scouting unique locations and finding imaginative ways to incorporate new shapes, palettes, and clothing. By precisely matching patterns or embellishing with bows, they add new meaning to existing designs and challenge us to see our surroundings differently.

Follow both Devís and Rueda’s Instagrams for updates, and on their website, you can purchase a signed copy of the book with the option to include a print. You can also find the book in Counterprint’s shop.

 

“I Light What I See”

“Weight For It”

“Strong HER”

“Sandtasy”

“Verti-go or Verti-stay?”

“Pink-a-boo”

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