Open Call for Baupalast Residency for Artistic Research

Aug. 3, 2021

The Baupalast residency for artistic research is aimed at Berlin-based artists whose work deals with lived urban space in a cooperative, interdisciplinary, experimental and site-specific way. A Baupalast Residency includes a working studio, a monthly stipend of €1000 gross per participant or group, material costs of €500 gross and use of the Baupalast workshops (under construction) and the Baupalast network. Each artist agrees to present their work to the public at least once during or at the end of the project.

The Kreuzberg Rathausblock (City Hall Block) is considered a model project for urban policy processes from within civil society. For almost ten years, people from civil society have been working there for a common welfare-orientated usage and development of the five-hectare site at the intersection of Obentrautstr and Mehringdamm. Since 2018, the various initiatives have been organizing in the networking meeting Vernetzungstreffen Rathausblock (VTR) in order to realize the idea of a self-managed and communal city for all together and in dialogue with politics and administration.

Since 2019, the BAUPALAST initiative has been campaigning for the implementation of a site accompanying the construction area. This growing infrastructure is intended to accompany the redevelopment process “Model Project Rathausblock” the implementation of the initiatives’ ideas and networking with the neighbourhood, for example through open workshops or discourse formats.

Baupalast am Dragoner // © Guerilla Architects

Baupalast is looking for artistic research projects that will be carried out during the first residency period in or with the neighborhood of the Kreuzberg Rathausblock. The projects can be of different kinds: research, exhibition, performance, video art, installations, city tours, games, participatory formats, etc.

The Guerilla Architects’ trailer, converted into a mobile office, will serve as the workspace, which can be placed in public space through creatively used parking rights. The project should be carried out independently and the residents need to show a continuous presence on site and contact with the local community. The network of the Baupalast initiative will continuously support the project and provide the resources of the network: spaces, available materials, the network to the other initiatives on site and the use of the workshops under construction.

The jury is going to meet in week 33 and we will invite a pre-selection of applicants to the City Hall block this week to meet in person. The jury consists of one person from the Vernetzungstreffen Rathausblock (VTR), two persons from the BAUPALAST initiative, and one each of the neighborhood and of the working field Urban Practice.