Grezina Open call: Wanderings Inside A Waiting Room

Anyone can turn into a migrant. Pushed by circumstances, running in search of a safe place and themselves. However after stepping on the quiet solid shore, the rocking state does not go away. What is the cause of this dizziness and nausea? The indigestibility of endless news, a loss stuck in the throat or a toxicosis caused by unfulfilled hopes?

Anyone can turn into a medium. Seeking to explain and justify the present, new arrivals flock to a spiritual seance. In the circle formed, everyone connects to their own channels, entering their own cozy trance to talk to ghosts. More and more often in this wandering through the past, they can meet the ghost of the future, answering their uncomfortable questions to questions.

Anyone can turn into a stranger. In this space, riddled with changes, one ceases to recognise one’s former self. The ‘seasickness’ makes it hard for a migrant to focus, ghosts rattle riddles and set up their moral traps for a medium, and a stranger constantly falls between two, three, multiple realities and opinions. Is it a side-effect of traveling through space, or is it simply because any space becomes shaken, alienated, regardless of who is in the waiting room?

The exhibition offers an opportunity to reflect on the three states (migrant, medium, stranger) in different aspects related to contemporary political and social events and changes, or to designate a metaphorical waiting room.

Female and queer artists of different backgrounds with migration history are invited to participate in the open call. There is no age limit. 

No application fee.

The exhibition will take place in September 2024 at Szczur Gallery (Poznan, Poland).

Artworks requirements: 

1. Artworks related to the topic of migration in the time of political turbulence and reflecting the concept of the open call will be considered for participation.
2. One artwork or a project in any kind of medium (sculpture, photography, drawing, painting, textile art, digital art, performance, video, etc.). Unfinished artworks or projects are also accepted.
3. The postal expenses are the responsibility of the artist.

Application requirements: 

1. Filled Application form (below)
2. Motivation letter including your migration story and description of your artistic practice (max. 1 A4)
3. CV (max. 2 A4)
4. Images of the artworks (max. 5 photos)
5. Description of artwork/project (concept, technique, year of production, technical requirements, dimensions, estimated weight, sketches, max. 1 A4)

Collect all the above-mentioned documents in a single PDF file (max. 5 MB) and attach it to the application form.

Deadline is 1st July 2024 (00:00 CET)

Curators: (bio, social media)

Agnieszka Topolska

Based In Poznań, Poland, visual artist and curator. She works mainly with sculptures and objects. Her inspirations come from cultural contexts and observations of social constructs and phenomena. She is interested in postfeminist discourses, ecological studies and feminist contr-catastrophe visions. She is currently affiliated with the Intermedia Department at the University of Arts in Poznan. She is a co-founder of the Szczur Gallery in Poznań.

Liza Veselova

Poznań-based mixed-media artist, originally from Moscow, Russia. In her artistic practice, Liza explores the concepts of beauty, gender, sexuality and body politics in modern society. Based on her experience in the beauty industry through feminist optics, she refers to patriarchal stereotypes and superstitions. Mostly, she works with sculpture and objects, but she also does performances and video as well. She often uses materials referring to the beauty industry (glitter, cosmetic masks, false nails), and pink, referring to gender stereotypes.

Natalia Grezina

Rotterdam-based mixed-media artist, originally from Crimea, Ukraine. Natalia creates soft sculptures, objects, and installations, using embroidery, sewing, and various artificial and natural materials. Her main topics are post-memory, the relationships between human culture and the natural environment, historical heritage and personality. In her works, Natalia often refers to the allegorical language of fairy tales and myths, as well as to archetypal cultural images.

After the application:

1. You will receive a confirmation letter within 2 days. If for some reason it didn’t happen, please reach out to us. 
2. All submitted applications will be considered after the end of the open call. We will announce the results of the open call at the end of June 2024 on the website.
3. Selected artists will be contacted by email.

If you have any questions please reach out to us via email insideawaitingroom@gmail.com

LINK TO APPLY – https://www.grezina.art/opencall