For the first time in 2024 PICA is embarking on an international photo exchange residency with La Friche la Belle de Mai in the picturesque city of Marseille, France. This initiative will see a West Australian photo artist undertake an artistic journey with the support of independent photo book publisher Le Bec en l’air in a six-week residency at La Friche. Scheduled for February 2024, La Friche is located in former tobacco factory that has been radically transformed into a hub for art, community engagement and environmental stewardship. Completing this cultural exchange, a French photographer will embark on a reciprocal six-week residency at PICA in September 2024, exploring new connections and cultural experiences in a vibrant cultural setting on the other side of the world.
Applications close on 23 October 2023 at 5pm, with successful applicants notified by mid-November.
City and Country
Marseille, France
About La Friche la Belle de Mai
Born in 1992 as a prototype for what are now known as ‘third places’ (new cultural and urban models), La Friche brings together urban transformation, artistic continuity, local ties and active cooperation in the public interest in a single, reinvented location.
La Friche la Belle de Mai grew out of the former Seita tobacco factory and is now a place of creation and innovation. It is both a workspace for its 70 resident structures (350 artists, producers and employees work there every day) and a venue for public performances (600 events a year from workshops for young audiences to major festivals). With almost 450,000 visitors a year, Friche la Belle de Mai is a large-scale, multi-purpose public space featuring 5 performance and concert halls, shared gardens, a playground, a restaurant, a bookshop, a crèche, 2,400 m2 of exhibition space, an 8,000 m2 roof terrace and a training center.
Website
https://www.lafriche.org/la-friche-in-english/
About Le Bec en l’air
Le Bec en l’air is an independent photobook publisher founded in 1999. Based at La Friche La Belle de Mai since 2010, their catalogue is circulated and distributed in France and Belgium by Harmonia Mundi, in Switzerland by Servidis and in Québec by Dimédia. The size of Le Bec en l’air allows the organisation to design and develop reasonably scaled projects with strong editorial oversight. Self-described as ‘an independent Mediterranean publisher open to the world’, they have undertaken many international co-publishing initiatives and participate in book fairs in France and abroad.
Residency Dates
Eight weeks between 13 February – 14 April 2024
Residency Focus
Like Perth, Marseille is undergoing a significant diversification of its demographic, welcoming newly settled communities from Africa and the Middle East. The resulting cultural mix lends the city a rich cultural fabric for engagement and exploration. Artists with a photographic practice will be prioritised for this residency and will have the opportunity to work with Le Bec en l’Air, a photobook publishing house based at La Friche. The project should take into account the specific context of Marseille and have a connection to the city, its territories, history, and geographical and cultural crossroads.
Type of Studio
Shared workspace.
Accommodation
Shared villa with private bedroom, shared bathrooms, kitchenette and dining room.
Facilities
Each artist benefits from a production space adapted to their project. Personalised support is provided through the involvement of an accompanist/producer throughout the residency, allowing for moments of discussion and critique that will open up spaces for reflection.
Resources
Personalised support from staff, facilitated connections with local arts professionals, promotion of open studio event.
Opportunities to Present Work
Open studio event
Expectation of Artists
Participation in open studio event
Nearest International Airport
Marseille-Provence Airport
This exchange residency is made possible with the support of the French Embassy in Australia and is supported by North Metropolitan TAFE & Department of Local Government, Sport & Cultural Industries through a Sector Development Grant.
