Eindhoven (NL) * 2016 * Van Abbemuseum * 5 weeks

On invitation of the Van Abbemuseum WochenKlausur has been part of the exhibition Arte Util. Therefore the group created and realized a new Artist in Residence Program for the Museum and the local Centre for Psychiatric Health – GGzE.

As with every other WochenKlausur project too the project started with an intense research conducted from Vienna and over a 2-week long on-site visit. All in all over 70 organizations were contacted and invited for a talk. According to the research results the following project was designed and implemented:
Increasing numbers of psychiatric diseases and their causes have become a matter of public debate but until today are mentally ill people strongly stigmatized partly because of a problematic history of treatment. Over the last years psychiatry has developed a new understanding how to face their challenges and now focus more on interdisciplinary cooperation.

To support this trend WochenKlausur decided to create a new Artist in Residence Program together with the Van Abbemuseum and a huge local centre for psychiatric health, the GGzE:
Artists who are not incorporated in the hierarchy and rules of the health system should use their outsider position to identify deficiencies and develop strategies to reduce prejudice and thereby improve the situation for patients and relatives.

Once a year an open call will be announced for artists and collectives coming from the field of socially engaged, participatory or community art, art & science, social design or other related fields. The implementation includes two phases:

Research -
The participant appointed by a jury gets the opportunity to spend a couple of days at the GGzE to get to know the facility, to talk with concerned patients and to review and substantiate the project idea.

Residency -
The chosen artist or collective can use a studio on the GGzE premises for a period of two months. The project will be realized in close cooperation with a GGzE team that includes patients, staff and relatives. The Vanabbemuseum accompanies the artist and the project in all curatorial matters and organizes a final presentation of the realized work.
The Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam as well as the Fontys University of Applied Siencies in Eindhoven agreed to become official partners of the program supporting each participant with knowhow, facilities and resources.

Funding -
In order to create best possible conditions it was one of the most important tasks for WochenKlausur to provide a fair payment for the participant. It was possible to provide each Artist in Residence with an on-site studio, accommodation, a grant of Euro 7.000,- as well as a production budget of Euro 5.000,- plus travel costs up to Euros 2.000,-.

Detail about the program can be found on the homepage of the
Van Abbemuseum.