"Impossible Sites" Artist Relief Award Seeks Entries

Website: https://blackcube.art/event/impossible-sites-artist-relief-award

 Englewood, CO, Unknown

Impossible Sites invites American artists to submit sketches or renderings of impossible site-specific artworks for a cash award and inclusion in an online zine. This open call is intended to support artists living and working in the United States who have been financially impacted by COVID-19.

BUDGET: Five $650 prizes awarded; plus appearance in an online zine

ELIGIBILITY:  Artists living in the United States

DEADLINE: June 5, 2020

***Note: This opportunity requires up-front design work as part of the application process.  Applicant artists are not compensated for their work.***

About Black Cube

By operating outside of traditional museum confines, Black Cube endeavors to reach diverse audiences across the globe while supporting artists’ sustainability. Our key program is a year-long fellowship for contemporary artists, in which we work closely with artists to realize a site-specific artwork—anywhere in the world. At our core, we stimulate the public realm with ambitious, experimental, and engaging contemporary art that seeks to inspire.

Since our inception, we have produced nomadic exhibitions in small Colorado mining towns, along the U.S.–Mexico border, the world stage of the Venice Biennale, and more. Read more about Black Cube here.

Project Description

While the pandemic has created many new limitations to daily life, this award asks artists to turn inward through exploring the creative space of ideas for nonviable (site-specific) artworks.

Throughout our past, artists have often veered towards the imaginary or nonsensical during extreme times. This project endeavors to encourage dreaming of unfeasible or impractical possibilities as a way to open the door to bold ideas and new visions of our world. Impossible Sites provides an opportunity for artists to experiment, imagine, and create, as well as viewers a chance to experience art during an extreme time of social isolation.

The awarded sketch submissions will be received and disseminated digitally, as well as included in an online zine.

Artwork Goals

The project seeks sketches or renderings that depict an impossible artwork situated within a real, existing location (i.e. the Moon, the Grand Canyon, a grocery store). The artwork can be deemed impossible for any number of reasons identified by the artist. For example, the artwork could be impossible due to gravity or other natural phenomenon, cost, scale, materials, timeframe, etc. The site or location the artwork is depicted within must somehow physically exist in reality at the current moment.

Any medium is acceptable, including drawing, video, performance, animation, painting, collage, digital, photography, etc.

Submission Guidelines

  • no submission fee
  • artist must be based in the United States
  • the site must physically exist in 2020
  • any medium format is acceptable
  • must be a new, original artwork
  • only 1 submission per artist
  • 2D submissions must be a high resolution JPG or PNG (1 MB min, 300 dpi)
  • video submissions must be no longer than 5 minutes

What to Submit

  1. Artist contact information
  2. Information about the submitted artwork design (date, materials of artwork depicted, site/location, description of artwork)
  3. Information about the real-world location of the design (narrative description)
  4. Artist bio
  5. Answer to this question:  Why do you feel this artwork is impossible?
  6. Answer to this question:  How has your art practice been financially impacted by COVID-19?
  7. JPG or PNG image of design (1 only)
  8. Link to video of design–e.g. YouTube, Vimeo, etc. (1 only)

How to Submit

Submit via online form.

QUESTIONS? Email hello@blackcube.art