Gdańsk | Curator residency call - critical look on contemporary tourism

Photograph of heritage site in Gdansk, Poland

Curator in Residence programme offers curators from around the world a residency in LAZNIA Center for Contemporary Art in Gdańsk and the opportunity to work in collaboration with local curatorial team on the theme of the project: Critical look into contemporary tourism.

During the residency, the selected curator will conduct research on the above mentioned topic, both in Gdańsk and through travel to other destinations in Poland if needed.

Duration, dates of the residency and travel schedule throughout Poland are to be arranged individually with the selected candidate. It should be conducted however until the end of the year 2019 and the stay should last from 2 to 4 weeks.

City of Gdańsk is currently undergoing rapid, dynamic and aggressive changes. Due to different economic and social factors in terms of capital flow, labour conditions, the financialization of space, they all effect on how the public space of Gdańsk changes and is being reshaped.

One of LAZNIA CCA branches is located in a currently revitalised district of Dolne Miasto (Lower Town), which is in a walking distance from the city centre. A large number of new housing developments has been established in the near vicinity and it has suddenly become the tourist hub of the city. 2nd branch of LAZNIA CCA is on the other hand located in a distant district of Nowy Port (New Port) where changes are about to happen. Revitalisation programme is taking place there since 2013.

Project which we would like to develop would be aimed at fostering interdisciplinary research on the notion of a newcomer: changes that are triggered by tourism and disjunctions in the social structure as a result of gentrification. How can local communities and newcomers be bridged, if at all.

What changes does the presence of tourists stimulate, what is their role and impact on the contemporary cities and its inhabitants? Cities affected by tourists change, this is an obvious fact. Flow of people changes and shapes from anew city centres and its districts. Attractive places for the tourists become ghost zones for the locals. Apartments become hotels. It brings to question the notion of who is the owner of the place, inhabitants? or the newcomers?

Candidates interested in the topic are invited to apply and complete the open call submission form found on laznia.pl and send it to rezydencje@laznia.pl no later than March 25th 2019. Selected candidate will be asked to write a text (approx. 4-5 pages A4) based on the conducted research.

We offer:

Accommodation in our residency centre
A grant of 4500 PLN brutto / approx. 1000 EUR gross
Reimbursement of travel costs up to 2200 PLN / approx. 500 Euro
Organisation of meetings and study visits in Gdansk and in the region
Institutional support of LAZNIA CCA’s team
Costs connected to visa applications or insurance should be covered by the candidate