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Description
Placed within the international art context, the project GARDENING OF SOUL: IN FIVE CHAPTERS focuses on establishing connectivity between current artistic expression and the various social activities that have begun to emerge from the desire to cultivate and nurture one’s surroundings, which can be symbolically described as a tendency manifesting itself through various forms of collective gardening.
The garden – and the work associated with developing and maintaining it – are without a doubt metaphorically linked to the determination of an individual to enhance and share a specific space and, at the same time, use this space to ensure both material and existential needs. Although the phenomenon of gardening does naturally change in different communities and under different climatic conditions, it always has enormous potential to generate cooperation, communication, and shared production that is vitally linked with the surrounding natural environment and the common purposeful activity of a specific community.
Through the realisation of 17 artworks installed in public space, the project will bring together participating art institutions and invited artists from ten countries on four continents with community representatives from these countries. It will provide them with the opportunity to work together in an effort to construct symbolic places growing out of a dialogue between various forms of artistic projects and the act of improving forgotten or otherwise neglected locations. These may include localities scarred by economic exploitation, dilapidated post-industrial areas and socially excluded communities, but they could also be diverse spaces where there is a rich interaction between specific social groups and community activism. The selection of artists will stem from the locations in which the artistic institutions participating in the project operate, thus strengthening the emphasis placed on working with a specific place and a specific community.
Summary of project results
The project contributed to the development of art production realized in the context of actual environmental and social changes, especially in the structurally affected Ústí region, with the involvement of representatives of the international art scene, including the Skaftfell Art Center from the donor country, as well as local partner institutions and communities with whom they have been working for a long time.
The project was focused on artistic and scientific research into the phenomenon of gardens in the context of contemporary art, current environmental and social changes and active collaboration with communities. The project contributed to the development of partner institutions that participated intensively on it, both internationally and locally. The project was focused on supporting the creation of artworks reflecting the issues under study, the implementation of artist residencies at the Ústí nad Labem House of Arts and Skaftfell Art Center, which included artistic research and the production of artworks, the presentation of two large-scale exhibitions focused on garden issues at the Ústí nad Labem House of Arts, the realisation of six artworks in public space in the Ústí Region in cooperation with four local non-profit institutions and the organisation of a two-day international conference.
Within the project were produced 13 artworks reflecting the theme of the garden in the metaphorical level and 6 artworks in public space realized in cooperation with 4 local non-profit institutions. 11 artists participated in the residencies (9 in the Czech Republic and 2 in Iceland). Two international exhibitions presenting the artistic outputs of the project were held at the Ústí nad Labem House of Arts. An international conference was held at UJEP with the participation of 30 speakers.
The project has contributed to the development of authentic art creation focused on the committed theme of the garden. The project has developed an international institutional cooperation. The project strengthened the potential of the partner institutions and contributed to their professional growth and improved production facilities. The project has developed the cooperation between artists and the communities and contributed to the strengthening of local identity and quality of life
Summary of bilateral results
The bilateral partnership established within the project between UJEP and Skaftfell Art Center from the donor country has become a long-term benefit for the development of both institutions involved. Both institutions cooperated very intensively and productively during the project period in the realization of its partial outputs - mainly 3 residencies, the realization of 3 complex artworks that became the result of the residencies and the preparation of two international exhibitions focused on the theme of gardening in the contemporary environmental and social context, in which 2 other artists representing the Icelandic artistic context participated in addition to the artists in residence. At the same time, there was a stimulating exchange of information about the professional and production functioning of both institutions, and this exchange of experience was enhanced by the internships of 2 staff members from both institutions in the partner Translated with DeepL.com (free version)