Open Call ARCOmadrid 2021
Open call for the selection of a curator project at the contemporary art fair ARCOmadrid 2021
1. Object of the call
The Institute of Balearic Studies (IEB), together with the organizers of the ARCOmadrid 2021 international contemporary art fair, launches an open call for the selection of a curatorial project for the IEB stand at ARCOmadrid 2021, which will be held from 7 to July 11, 2021 at IFEMA Feria de Madrid, Spain.
2. Description and objective of the project
The Institute of Balearic Studies (IEB) is an organism of the Government of the Balearic Islands, dedicated to the promotion of the language and the culture of the Balearic Islands. Through its culture area, its strategic objectives are to consolidate the Balearic Islands as a structured cultural market, as well as to promote the international promotion of music, the performing arts, literature and the visual arts of the Balearic Islands.
In order to promote and give visibility to artistic creation in the visual arts of the Balearic Islands, the IEB participates with an institutional stand in the ARCO Espacios Culturales section, where an exhibition project of Balearic artists is shown.
The project is accompanied by a small promotional publication, with a short curatorial text and information on the trajectory of the participants.
The IEB exhibition project at the ARCOmadrid 2021 fair is conceived as a project to promote Balearic artistic creation, without any commercial activity or aim.
In the 2020 edition, a curatorial project by the Allellón collective was shown, with the artists Ian Waelder, Lara Fluxà and Gabriel Pericàs.
3. Conditions of participation in the 2021 edition
To participate in the 2021 call, the curatorial proposal must be for a "solo project" by an artist from the Balearic Islands.
The project's exhibition concept is free and can encompass any of the artistic practices related to the visual arts.
Regarding the selection of the artist, it must be taken into account that the ARCO fair is one of the main contemporary art fairs on the international circuit. With the aim of spreading and consolidating the recognition of the latest artistic trends, it pays special attention to the works that best reflect their time and position in the world.
The works included in the exhibition must be produced. If necessary, a budgetary item is foreseen for the framing of the works or similar.
The project proposal must adapt to the dimensions of the stand hired by the IEB at the fair.
In the 2021 edition, the curators or artists selected in 2020 cannot participate.
4. The booth
The stand of the IEB will be 24 m² and will be located in the ARCO Espacios Culturales section.
The configuration will be 8 x 3 meters or 6 x 4 meters (to be determined by the fair).
5. Budget and technical coordination
The forecast for the general budget of the exhibition project is € 25,000.00 (see Annex I) and includes the concepts of renting the stand; shipment; nail-to-nail insurance; curator’s and artist’s fees; diffusion material, framing and travel.
The final exhibition proposal must comply with the technical and budgetary specifications provided by the IEB.
The IEB is in charge of the organization and management of the project, which includes contracting suppliers and budget control and supervision. The curator must coordinate closely with the IEB for the correct and timely fulfillment of all the curatorial tasks stipulated for the project (see point 9, curatorial tasks).
In the event that the curator is not a resident of the Balearic Islands, the IEB will cover the travel and accommodation expenses of a maximum of two days of the curator to the islands to facilitate the preparation of the final exhibition proposal. Only the expenses of a round trip airline ticket in economy class with origin and destination to an airport of the European Union will be covered.
6. Recipients
This call is aimed at art curators who have led relevant projects in the field of curatorial programming at fairs, festivals and spaces for the dissemination of contemporary art in Spain and abroad.
Taking into account that ARCOmadrid 2021 is defined as one of the main contemporary art fairs on the international circuit, those profiles that demonstrate experience with projects and initiatives focused on the professionalization and international promotion of artists will be especially valued.
Interested professionals can be natural or legal persons and attend the call individually or collectively (in the latter case they must appoint a representative of the authors of the curatorial project).
7. Project selection criteria
The selection criteria will take into account:
• The adaptation of the project to the conceptual framework of the ARCOmadrid 2021 fair and ARCO Espacios Culturales
• The excellence, quality and rigor of the project
• The potential for international promotion of the participating artist
• The suitability of the professional profile of the curator
• The technical and economic viability of the project
8. Selection of the winning project
The selection of the winning project corresponds to a selection committee made up of Martí Manen, director of the Index Foundation; Julia Morandeira Arrizabalaga, researcher and art curator; Antonio Ortega, artist and teacher at Massana, University of Barcelona; Violant Porcel, gallerist; Marta Rincón, head of visual arts, architecture and design at Acción Cultural Española (AC / E); as well as an IEB technician with voice and without vote.
The jury's decision is final.
9. Fees
The curator's fees are stipulated at € 2,500.00 (including taxes) and include the performance of the tasks described in point 9. The fees do not include travel expenses and the stay of the curator at the fair, which will be managed and covered by the IEB. The payment of the fees will be made against invoice at the end of the ARCOmadrid 2021 edition.
10. Tasks of the curator
The tasks of the curator include:
• Elaboration of the concept and the exhibition proposal
• Selection of the artist and works
• Preparation of the list of works in the exhibition, indicating the technical sheet and all relevant information for contracting suppliers
• Preparation of the final project, agreed with the IEB in terms of technical and budgetary feasibility • Drafting of a curatorial text (maximum 500 words) and the artist's biographical note for inclusion in the publication that accompanies the exhibition and its use as dissemination material
• Provision of images in low and high resolution of the selected works
• Support to the IEB in supervising the design, layout and printing of the promotional publication
• Design of the stand assembly, with assembly instructions
• Support to the IEB in supervising the assembly of the exhibition
• Attendance at the opening of the exhibition and availability for a two-day stay at the fair
• Media attention
To carry out these tasks, the commissioner must coordinate closely with the IEB regarding compliance with the proposed schedule (Annex II).
11. Presentation of projects
Those interested in participating in this call must submit the following documentation:
• Email with a short introductory text
• DNI or scanned passport
• The project proposal in a single low resolution PDF file (identified with the name and surname of the curator), as an attachment to the email.
The proposal can be presented in Catalan, Spanish or English and must include:
- cover page with the full name and contact details of the commissioner presenting the application
- a descriptive dossier and the proposal of the participating artist (maximum 2 pages of text, not including photos)
- Professional career of the curator
- Professional career of the participating artist
- Low resolution images of the proposed works
- Instructions regarding assembly or any technical specificity to take into account
Only one candidate project proposal will be accepted.
12. Deadline for receipt of projects
The deadline for receiving projects ends on June 6, 2021, at 11:00 p.m.
13. Project submission
Projects should be sent to the IEB email address opencall@iebalearics.org, indicating in the message "Open call registration: Curatorial project for ARCOmadrid 2021". The IEB will confirm receipt of the registration for the call.
14. Resolution
The curator of the selected project will receive an email confirming selection from the IEB (maximum until June 13, 2021), to which he/she must respond by accepting the commission as curator. Once this procedure has been resolved, the IEB will inform all participants of the final result by email and will publish the result of the final selection on its web page.
In view of the special circumstances caused by Covid-19, the IEB reserves the right to modify the conditions of participation of the selected project or, if necessary, cancel the event.
More information
In case of questions or inquiries, you can contact Karen Müller, IEB visual arts technician, at kmueller@iebalearics.org or 971 178 996.
Annex I
Budget forecast (amounts include taxes)
Booth rent: € 10,000.00
Shipment: € 4,000.00
Nail-to-nail insurance: € 350.00
Signage (vinyl, posters): € 150.00
Curator fees: € 2,500.00
Fees of the artist for the preparation of the exhibition and transfer of the rights of reproduction and public communication: € 2,500.00
Framing of works or similar: € 1,000.00
Assembly and disassembly: € 1,500.00
Dissemination material (publication): € 1,500.00
Travel, accommodation: € 1,500.00
Total € 25,000.00
Annex II
Indicative schedule for the curatorship
Reception of applications: until 06/06/2021
Selection of the winning project until 06/13/2021
Preparation of the final proposal of the exhibition project, with the delivery of the list of works with technical sheet, photos of the works, assembly instructions: until 06/17/2021
Delivery of the curatorial text and bio of the artist: until 06/22/2021
Delivery of the publication to the printer: 06/24/2021
Stand assembly design: until 07/01/2020
Collection of works: week from 06/28 to 07/04/2021
Stand assembly: 07/06/2021
Opening of ARCOmadrid 2021: 07/07/2021
Official opening: 07/07/2021
ARCOmadrid closing, dismantling: 07/11/2021
Return of the works: week of 07/12/2021
