Synopsis:

Residency 2018: WANDERINGS: UNSEEN PATHS, VERNACULAR LANDSCAPES
Developed with Chua Ai Lin, Lead Resident

The Substation is seeking to assemble a group of approximately 3-4 creative people working on individual projects, who also wish to participate actively in discussion and creative exchange.

The residency group should comprise of individuals with unique perspectives on space/ the environment/ the landscape, with an interest in:
- Vernacular landscapes, including traditional knowledge of nature and the environment
- Psychogeography
- Selfhood and identity
- Plurality of historical consciousness

Other than this Open Call, candidates may also be selected through specific nominations sought from the following, or related, fields of: Geography, Sociology, Environmental Studies, Architecture, Urban Space.

About the residency theme

The Singapore landscape is constantly being reshaped by successive waves of development. However, the traces of what existed before often remain, perhaps in the form of unexplained empty grass patches, steps that lead nowhere, edible plants or cash crops subsumed into the forest, or as place names -- official or even less tangibly as unofficial vernacular names. The current landscape also includes many informal footpaths that have developed and are used in parallel to the explicit design of the built environment. Where do they lead? Who uses them and for what purpose? How do the Past and the Present intersect in the form of these unseen paths?

This residency will take the form of a series of on-site experiments or explorations in specific locations, with all participants contributing and gaining from each other. Over the course of the residency, Chua and the residency group will examine different ways of mapping and re/presenting not only the visible and the historical, but also sensory, imaginative, emotional and spiritual landscapes. Explorations can approach the city and history on different scales of distance and time, and from different perspectives.

This residency is multidisciplinary: applications are welcomed from anyone with relevant experience and interests. Practitioners of differing ages, experience levels and nationalities are welcome to apply, but should have a demonstrated level of competency (inc. non-formal experience) in a relevant field. Each member of the group is welcome to lead an action/inquiry that offers insight into their background, interests or methodologies.

Commitment

Period of commitment: January 2018—May 2018

The Group will be expected to come together at least once a week for the duration of the residency for focused peer-to-peer research. At the start of the residency, participants will be invited to make a presentation, informally introducing themselves and their practice to the rest of the group.

Other key milestones include:
3 walking explorations -- each at a different site, to be decided by the Resident Group
3 public seminars -- sharing the personal reflections of Residents following each walk and to discuss how the different perspectives speak to each other
1 public lecture -- presenting closing reflections of the Residency
Applicants who are unable to commit to the full six months are still welcome to apply. Each application will be judged on a case-by-case basis.

How to apply

Email the following to: residency@substation.org
1. An application form (Downloadable here)
2. CV
3. Portfolio*
* The work that is submitted should be representative of the applicant's interests. It can take the form of an essay, a piece of artwork (any medium), a blog, description & photos of a project etc.

Shortlisted participants will be asked for an interview at The Substation in the week of 20—24 November 2017.

We will be selecting participants based on their ability to commit to this project as well as the nature of their interest in being a part of a community of inquiry. We are keen on having a diverse mix of participants and this will also inform the selection process.

The deadline for submissions is Friday, 10 November 2017.

For more information about the residency model and our Lead Resident, see:
http://www.substation.org/residency-2018