In the second Career Development Series, I want to talk about an art residency in the Netherlands that I am currently interested in. 1646 Experimental Art Space is an art residency and gallery located in The Hague. Each year, they run a two-month residency programme. Up to 500 applicants apply, and those selected are provided with accommodation and a studio for two months, during which they develop their work and regularly present exhibitions or performances at the space.
The residency offers €2000 for living expenses and €1000 as a production grant. Additionally, there is an opportunity to give guest lectures to students at Leiden University, which is located nearby.
Since I will be moving to The Hague later this year to pursue my Master’s degree, this residency presents a particularly valuable opportunity for me. However, one limitation is that the selection for this year has already been completed, meaning that my next opportunity to apply will be next year. Because of this, I believe it is necessary to start preparing from now.
The selection process consists of two stages. The first is the application materials—CV, portfolio, artist statement, and website. The second stage involves an interview based on a project proposal and time availability. In that sense, the process is quite similar to applying for a Master’s programme.
This residency places particular emphasis on humour, complicating, and fictioning as artistic values. These are not necessarily central methodologies in my current practice. However, I believe they are not entirely outside of my approach either. With a slight shift in direction, they could be integrated into my work, and in some ways, elements of these already exist within what I do. In particular, “complicating” is something I already engage with quite extensively.
Reflecting on my recent performance, which included a certain degree of humour, I have come to realise that humour is neither difficult to use nor something that necessarily trivialises a work. On the contrary, it may encourage deeper engagement. Humour and playfulness can draw people into the work. This attraction can lead audiences to spend more time with it and to think more deeply about what they are experiencing—at least, that is my hypothesis.
One of my ongoing concerns has been how to make audiences stay longer in front of a work. While there may be multiple strategies and reasons for this, humour could be one effective approach among them.
With this in mind, I want to explore how humour can function within my work, as well as how narrative—almost like fiction—can be constructed within a piece. Through this, I aim to create situations in which audiences are encouraged to actively perceive, interpret, and deconstruct the work themselves.