Spier Light Art opens call for 2021 proposals

Submissions should involve expressions of interest for projects and video-based artworks that are engaging to all age groups.

Covid-19 has made both the present and future far more uncertain and unpredictable than before; toppling long-held assumptions and radically altering routines and rhythms. How do artists help us to make sense of what we are experiencing? More specifically, how do light artists envision works that illuminate the present moment and help us to imagine where we might be headed next? How can we play and dream?

Spier Light Art - a unique way to usher in the festive season

Ruth Cooper  10 Dec 2019

Thematic directions

1. The whimsical/ethereal: works can reflect a light-hearted engagement with one of multiple sites.

2. The conceptual: works can reflect and integrate more topical conceptual interests that frame our current socio-political landscape as well as Covid-19 directly.

3. Works could also reflect on our shifting relationship to technology and its disruptive influence.

4. There is a specific call for existing video-based artworks produced during lockdown which reflect and integrate more topical conceptual interests that frame our current socio-political landscape.

Audience’s safety is paramount, and interactive works need to follow COVID-19 safety protocols around touch and social distancing. The works will be curated so that audiences will be able to move from one work to another while observing these protocols as well.

Fire Snake - David Brits

Expressions of interest must include a short response to either of the themes (no more than a page), concept sketches and provisional budget indicating whether this is to be funded in part or total by the Spier Arts Trust. Submission of video-based artworks must include a short conceptual outline with web links to the work or examples of previous work. These can be emailed to the Project Manager at az.oc.reips@trathgil before 20 November 2020. A more thorough proposal may be requested after the initial shortlist is announced.

The Spier Arts Trust will fund or part-fund the installations chosen by the Selection Committee headed by curator Jay Pather.