2020 marked a pivotal shift for the Chinese diaspora around the world. The world’s watchful eye on the People’s Republic of China, where the COVID-19 pandemic started, and subsequent travel restrictions, communication bans, and algorithmic biases only exacerbated echo chambers. In some places, the lack of government support devastated Chinatowns and drove poor and working class immigrants into further precarity. Racial tensions drove a horrific rise in violence directed at people thought to be of Chinese descent, or from any of the places we now call ‘Asia’. All of this has brought into focus pre-existing dynamics that have simmered in the background for centuries.
Yet at a time when we are the most separated and divided in recent history, solidarities emerged to end all forms of supremacy and imagine a better world. Building person to person connections across borders is more important than ever. In this open call, China Residencies want to hear from artists, collectives, and curators who self-identify and find it useful to gather under a ‘Chinese and Chinese diaspora’ cohort. This is a time for research, exploration and learning. The organisers are looking for openness to collective, intercultural and cross-border development and research.
Experimental, digital, and/or research-based practices are welcomed. The organisers are especially interested in ideas that explore diasporic cultures and spaces, flows of people, goods and capital, alternative community and kin-making, digital cultures, media arts, philosophies of technology and place-making – and any intersections of these.
Digital Diasporas will host:
- One person or collective who self-identifies as Chinese diaspora in or from Australia (citizen or permanent resident)/
- One person or collective who self-identifies as Chinese diaspora in or from Canada (citizen or permanent resident).
- One person or collective who self-identifies as Chinese, regardless of what passport they hold or where they reside.
The remote, online residency will be facilitated by three host organisations between mid-October to mid-December 2021. Each resident or collective will primarily work with one host organisation in Canada, Australia, or China and all residents as a cohort will be in dialogue with one another through convenings. Each resident or collective will be awarded an unrestricted stipend of AUD $10,000 for their participation. Each host organisation will design a programme of remote/online mentoring, networking, research and development for the resident they host. The host organisations are: 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art (Sydney, Australia); Chronus Art Center (Shanghai, China); Gendai (Toronto, Canada).
While all disciplines of creative practice are eligible, this opportunity is most suitable for artists/collectives/curators who are comfortable working online. Applicants should be comfortable communicating in English. Chronus Arts Center can also work with applicants in Mandarin Chinese.
