Open Call: Residency in Vega de Agua Gran Canaria

The International Center for Contemporary Art MeetFactory, together with Vega de Agua, are opening a new call for applications for a three-week residency for an artist from the Czech Republic at Vega de Agua. This artist residency will take place in a villa surrounded by a garden, located in the town of Ingenio on the island of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands).

Vega de Agua

Vega de Agua promotes art residencies and other projects that enhance collective practices and favor shared life experiences between both local and international residents of different artistic disciplines. Although the projects usually include a final exhibition or action, Vega de Agua focuses mainly on research and creation processes. The team of Vega de Agua accompanies the group of residents throughout the whole process by counseling and organizing parallel activities, such as guided tours, workshops and meetings with diverse cultural associations and other agents.

The residency takes place in a Casa Rural located in the middle of a valley in the rural area of ​​Ingenio, just a 5-minute walk from the center and a 5-10-minute bus ride to the neighboring town of Agüimes. It is housed in a renovated 19th-century house in the style of traditional local architecture. It has several bedrooms, a kitchen and a living room, as well as two terraces and a 3,000 m² garden with fruit trees, which provides an ideal space for creation and discussion.

The artistic community in Gran Canaria has created a growing, resilient scene that combines contemporary approaches with a deep connection to the island’s history, geography and identity. The residency encourages interaction with local creators and communities and, thanks to the support of the Vega de Agua team, offers opportunities for research, experimentation, and creation.

The project MeetFactory x Vega de Agua is supported by Instituto Cervantes and Czech Centres. 

We are looking for:

One Czech artist who would like to broaden their artistic practice in the Canary Islands. Artists of all disciplines, ages and identities are welcomed to apply. Applicants should have a good level of English. The theme is open, however, we encourage artists to submit proposals for hybrid practices that critically engage with local issues and aim for collective co-creation or interaction with local communities and other agents, such as cultural associations, artists, or activists. Although a final presentation is expected, the art residency focuses more on the development of concepts and creative experimentation than on the creation of a final work. The final presentation is flexible and can take diverse forms, shaped by the preferences of the artists and in collaboration with Vega de Agua.

This residency is expected to be a space that fosters connections between the artist and the organization, enabling the development of future collaborative projects, as has already been the case with many of the previous residents.

The residency includes:
 

• Individual bedroom in shared accommodation in a rural house located in Ingenio, Gran Canaria.

• Financial compensation: 700€ per month 

• Round-trip transportation from the Czech Republic to Gran Canaria.

• Support and guidance during the project period.

• Promotion of the project and associated events related to the residency.

Vega de Agua does not provide residents with a separate studio. The projects created during the residency are carried out directly in the Casa Rural.

Residency dates:

• The residency will take place from June 9 to June 30, 2025

• The residency cannot be completed in multiple parts.

Note: Depending on the development and needs of the project, there may be minor changes to the residency dates.

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• be a citizen of the Czech Republic;

• have a proven professional career of at least 2 years (including realized solo and group exhibitions and project proposals);

• have completed their studies, or be free from school for the duration of the residency;

• have a good level of English;

• have freed themselves from their professional commitments for the duration of the residency;

The call is not limited in age.

The application, written in English, must include:

• CV;

• a portfolio of maximum 10 pages;

• a motivation letter of no more than 500 words with a motivation for the residency and a project proposal

Selection procedure:

Applications will be reviewed by a board composed of members of the MeetFactory residency curators and the members of Vega de Agua. The selection board reserves the right to reject any project without giving reasons for the decision. The decision is final, it is not possible to appeal against it.

Applications should be sent to the curators of the MeetFactory residency program, Tereza Havelková and Kateřina Pencová, with an email in English to opencall@meetfactory.cz. Please put "OPENCALL Vega de Agua 2025" in the subject line.

Application deadline:

Applications will be accepted upto and including February 28, 2025. Applications sent after this date will not be accepted for the selection process. Applicants will be informed of the results of the selection process by email. The results of the call will be published no later than 15 March 2025 on the MeetFactory website: www.meetfactory.cz and Vega de Agua social media.