ARTIST IN RESIDENCY PROGRAM                ARTIST IN RESIDENCY PROGRAM               ARTIST IN RESIDENCY PROGRAM              ARTIST IN RESIDENCY PROGRAM

ABOUT

Artist in Residency program onboard sailing vessel Light Observatory #7. Led by interdisciplinary artist and skipper Natali Blugerman. July 2024 will be the official launching of the full program, which will be organised over several weeks and different thematics. The aim is to create an experience where artists can immerse themselves into the maritime environment and experiment with it. The different programs will be learning catalysts through hands-on exploration and the sharing of discoveries.
Every week there will be a different residency with up to four different participants. At different times there will be special guests that will teach specifics about that week program’s topic. The sailing locations will also be related to the theme.
At the end of each season we will host a presentation at a location in The Hague where the AiR participants will be able to share their developed results.

LOCATION & TIME

The 2024 sessions will take place in the month of July during which we will be sailing to different locations in South-Holland and Zeeland.  We have chosen this specific region in The Netherlands because it is a nature and sailing haven. The delta is in the border with Belgium, and is the mouth of important European rivers: the Rhine, the Meuse and the Scheldt. It houses impressive national parks such as De Biesbosch, and countless trekking paths throughout the islands. In the water there is enough space to safely anchor for the night and jump for a fresh swim after a day of sailing.

This location has an interesting history too. It is actually below sea level, and came into being firstly by individuals and then populations trying to claim land from the sea. In the past it was also an important port that connected inland waters in Europe with the North sea, and believers would  pray and give offerings to the pagan goddess Nehalennia for protection upon entering the salty waters.

We are  thrilled about exploring these locations together with the residents, and are very curious about the results that might emerge during the program.

PROGRAM

Mini two day residency in Scheveningen: 6th - 7th July

Gravitational bodies

Lead by artist Judit van der Made - Mensen, we will explore the implications of gravity upon our bodies while floating on the boat at sea. How does being in a constantly moving object change our notions of our own bodies? Judit combines her own artistic practice with the practice of the Feldenkrais method and will guide us through a series of experiments in the waters of Scheveningen where we will be invited to dive deeper into the understanding of our own gravitational body.  

The asked contribution per participant per week is of €270.


Week one :  13th - 19th July

Celestial Navigation - Reading the elements - Foraging

During this week we will focus on opening and fine tuning our senses in order to be able to read our natural surroundings to help us in the navigation of the sailboat. We will learn how to set a course of our sailing by the position of the stars and planets. We will also dive deep into how to read the weather through the movements of water, wind and clouds.

We will also be exploring the lands with the focus on foraging plants and seaweed that we can use in preparing some of our meals. We will be guided through all of these topics by experts that will join us onboard or on land for a bit.

The residents will also have plenty of time to focus on their own experiments when we won’t be sailing or following a specific planned activity.

The asked contribution per participant per week is of €750.
Week two:  22nd - 28th July

(Un)knotting

This week will be all about creating, sharing and giving feedback to each other. Each participant will bring one existing project they want to continue developing during the time onboard. Through the practice of nautical knots making we will create a safe platform where thoughts can entangle, develop and disentangle.

Twice a day, in the morning and evening, we will meet up as group and go through the evolution of each project. There will be plenty of time during the day to experiment with the surroundings in the moments when we won’t be sailing.

The asked contribution per participant per week is of €750.



In October we will held a presentation at a location in The Hague, The Netherlands in which the participating artists will be invited to share the findings gathered during the residency. This presentation will be during an evening in the form of a lecture or lecture performance.

Artists who want to participate are welcome to apply with a motivation letter stating their drive and the project that they would like to develop while aboard to  lightobservatory7@gmail.com . The selection will be based on how closely each applicant's artistic profile relates to the week’s theme and how they plan to develop their projects while onboard. It will also be important to select the participants in a way that a diverse, interesting and harmonic group of people is created. Please take into consideration the limited space aboard when you prepare the research and development plan of your project. Some options would be to collect samples, make sketches, and work on experiments while we are ashore.  

The contribution includes the program, three plant based meals a day and simple shared accommodation aboard.

The deadline for applications is on June 13th.

THE SKIPPER

Natali Blugerman is an Argentinian-Dutch multidisciplinary artist based in The Hague, The Netherlands. Her practice is based on the research and experimentation of the senses, vision in particular. Her main interest is the combination of light and the process of how images create in the brain. A big part of her works are contemplated in her Light Observatory series, and her sailboat is a part of it as well.

A few years ago she immersed herself into the nautical world to follow a dream she has had since she was a young child: to cross the ocean by sailboat. She has been since then refitting her ship and learning as much as she can about it, to prepare herself for the big seas.

Making her vessel into and Artist in Residency program to be able to share her fascination about sailing and the marine environment has been also a motivation to acquire the boat. She hopes that these residencies will become a source of inspiration and experimentation for its participants, and a resource for learning from nature and from each other in a communal setting.

THE VESSEL

Light Observatory #7 is a Beneteau Oceanis 321 sailing yacht built in 1996. This Oceanis is a well-balanced cruiser that is appreciated for its conduct, sailing performance and general comfort. It counts with three double berths (bedrooms) and two sofas in the saloon which can also be used as beds. It has a galley (kitchen) and a head (bathroom). Although the sitting areas are quite spacious, the narrow corridors ask for a little boat dance, as we call it. An experience in itself!

Each participant will be asked to bring their own sleeping bag, and be open to share a berth with another person if necessary. Life in a boat is a communal activity in itself, and the magic will happen when we will have to coordinate and collaborate to do every day activities such as sailing and cooking.

Fresh water and electricity onboard are a scarce resource, so everyone will be asked to be mindful of their usages, the water tank will be filled up every time we will be staying at a marina. This is also when everyone should take the chance to take a shower. On the other days participants will be welcomed to take a “wild” open air shower in the swimming platform at the back of the boat, with the surrounding water.