WHAT IS A RESIDENCY IN KRA.LAND?
More than 10 years ago and out of a series of international projects, the idea grew to counter city ecology with rural environments to produce new creative/artistic ideas and forms that would benefit transition projects in general. The basis could be to build up a permanent longterm work and living space for eco-technological artists, against the short sighted tendencies to impose strict project organigrams and economics on artists. Thirdly, the need to engage in wider social and cultural, educational and agricultural collaborations to realize fundamental changes, against exclusive top-down decisions, can only be realized from a collaborative and regional point of view, within a multiperspective and diverse attitude from within local communities (and build up further from there, keeping the local level committed). Kra wants to bring into the picture the creativity we all have in us, supported by a will to collaborate and develop ecological and resilient sollutions for everyone. And in the meantime: relax and entertain with good green art, whether nano, digital, analog or differently imagined!
KRA is located in the Vysočina region of the Czech Republic, a hilly area of Železné hory (Iron mountains), in a small village with about 50 inhabitants (can be 25 as well we don’t know). The residents stay in the historical manor from the 17th century in a newly renovated attic space. Kravín, a vaulted cowshed, has a small wood/metal workshop and is providing basic tools for media artists, gardeners, scientists and other artisans. An ideal place for self-reliant artists and researchers looking for a quiet and inspiring place to develop their long-term projects. But mostly, it is better to leave the idea of a ‘project’ behind and develop new structures and content, based on what is to be learned from the natural surroundings.
KRA (kravin rural arts, https://kra.land) is installed in a historical building, or old neglected farm, or simply: a ruin. We invite artists to work experimentally with ecology and technology, from within the countryside, in a natural environment. Apart from these residencies, we host an alternative music festival (on/off) and organize presentations, performances, participations. During the corona years, we set up ButtuLab.Space as an incubator for introducing new digital skills (3D design/print, audiovisual, radio, networks, DIY electronics and programming, …) as a creative collaboration between the local social and artisanal, media and co-working, biofarming, leisure and learning places. KRA participates in international art-science and media art festivals/initiatives throughout the year (Réveil, Nextfestival, World Listening Day, Cultural EU Capital Esch art radio, Art’s Birthday, …). We also have contacts with sister-initiatives throughout Europe through the PAN and CENSE networks. KRA’s overal mission is to establish a shared infrastructure and contribute to the development of a liveable, critical and creative, environmental 21st century countryside. Sustained nearby, and connected elsewhere around.
Over the last decade KRA invested in the partial restoration of the early 18th century buildings both as a permanent living space and an artistic accomodation, including digital studio and work places. We believe in a permanent care for heritage through functional contemporary actualization in the context of a new rural development with innovating ecological approaches, presumably in collaboration with people and alternative organizations around. Obviously, the most urgent 21st century’s problem is how to deal with climate change now, and on all levels. A necessary change of attitudes and sensibilities, new skills and knowledge, can open new possibilities for social living more qualitatively on expressively.
KRA is working hard on bringing a local and alternative socio-cultural, educational, biofarming, media community together. New Rural Development is driving on a creative approach to create a better environment for people living in the countryside. New approaches in realizing a green world can only be done efficiently by working multidisciplinary with people of all kinds and skills, artists and scientists, artisans and farmers, experts and dreamers included, from anywhere (we don’t like fences, imaginary or real, we don’t like borders).
RESIDENCY CALL 2023-24 – WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR
Artists, and everyone to whom it may concern:
As you might have seen already, the Visegrad Fund call for Visual and Sound Artists Residencies are open.
The Deadline to apply is 15 October 2023. You have to apply personally as an artist for this, and come from PL, SK, HU.
If you are interested in coming to KRA Vysočina (Kravín Rural Arts), please send a proposal and we can provide you with the necessary documents, like a letter of acceptance etc…
We usually accept residencies for summer (June till October)
More information on our activities you can find on the website.
For 2024 we are looking for artists who are interested in bioacoustics of water soundscapes (ponds, rives, ditches, rains, etc) and species monitoring via ultrasonics (bats, crickets, mice, etc). We are setting up a program combining citizen science and creative performances. Those are big words but let’s keep it simple and if you like to expand your field recordings in those areas, feel welcome and join in with or contribute to the Summer of the KRA program 2024. It is a nice depopulated area around here, in between protected natural and agricultural areas.
Something general:
KRA (kravin rural arts, https://kra.land) is installed in a historical building, or old neglected farm, or simply: a ruin. We invite artists to work experimentally with ecology and technology, from within the countryside, in a natural environment. Apart from these residencies, we host an alternative music festival (on/off) and organize presentations, performances, participations. During the korona years, we set up ButtuLab.Space as an incubator for introducing new digital skills (3D design/print, audiovisual, radio, networks, …) as a creative collaboration between the local social and artisanal, media and co-working, biofarming, leisure and learning places. KRA participated in international art-science and media art festivals/initiatives throughout the year (Réveil, Nextfestival, World Listening Day, Cultural EU Capital Esch art radio, Art’s Birthday, and more things you know better). We also have contacts with sister-initiatives throughout Europe through the PAN network, and of course: CENSE! KRA’s overal mission is to establish a shared infrastructure and contribute to the development of a liveable, critical and creative, environmental 21st century countryside. Sustained nearby, and connected elsewhere around. The New Rural Development: Let’s make it (DIY)!
Location and activities:
https://kra.land/?page_id=74
http://maps.google.com/?ll=49.763753,15.69198&spn=0.000968,0.002207&t=h&z=19&vpsrc=6
http://www.openstreetmap.org/note/157043#map=17/49.76400/15.69060&layers=N
IVF CALL information:
https://www.visegradfund.org/apply/mobilities/visual-and-sound-arts-residency/
KRA contact:
hinterland@kra.land
COMMON SCHEDULES
Apart from specific calls there are no regular deadlines. The length of the residencies will be scheduled individually, based on the planned activities. We accept longer (up to 3 months) and shorter (for instance 1 week) residencies, also residencies consisting of multiple shorter visits. An informal visit preceding the residency application is strongly recommended.
V4 RESIDENCY PROGRAM AND OTHERS
Residencies by artists from V4 countries (Poland, Hungary, Slovakia) can be supported by grants from the International Visegrad Fund. Please check your own country’s possibilities for obtaining support as a resident. We can provide assistance for completing the applications. Czech artists can apply though their Ministry of Culture grants. Others otherwise.
ACCOMODATION
KRA visitors are residing on the attic, restored and renovated, insulated and wired. The electronic and audiovisual studio is housed under the same roof. In the city (Chotěboř, 7kms from here, 9000 inhabitants) we are collaborating with Zastavka94, where ButtuLab.Space, a makers lab, is based.
KRA workshops are in an old 300 year vaulted cowshed (kravín).
FINANCING
Applicants are encouraged to look for the financing resources themselves. The residency space is provided to a limited amount of applicants every year. Additional support depends on grants and subsidies we manage to receive.
Please contact hinterland@kra.land for further information.
KRAvín before renovation of the roof on witches day, April 2015
KRAvín without roof and Železné hory (Iron Mountains)