Archipel Art Contemporain

The artistic residencies take place in the Maison forte de Hautetour, located in the heart of the village of Saint-Gervais, in the middle of the mountains. Every year since 2013, two visual artists have been welcomed for 30 days, during the spring-summer or autumn-winter periods, to develop a creative project, involving the area and/or its population in the creative process. Each residency gives rise to a public presentation of the research carried out and the works produced, in the form of an exhibition integrated into the museographic tour of the Maison forte de Hautetour. The artists are invited to draw on the museum themes developed on this site: mountain activities, the profession of a guide, natural hazards, ecological issues in the Alps, museum collections and, more broadly, the history of the municipality and the valley. The research and creative residency project must therefore be rooted in the area and offer a fresh perspective on it.

Maison forte de Hautetour, Saint-Gervais © Service culturel de Saint-Gervais

WHAT’S INCLUDED

- Artists are provided with a studio and accommodation for the duration of the residency at the Maison forte de Hautetour. The studio doubles as the exhibition space where the results of the residency will be presented;
- A research grant of €2,000;
- €2,700 to cover production costs has been allocated for the project and the exhibition;
- Up to €800 in per diems to cover food and travel expenses during the residency;
- Support will be provided for the setting up and taking down of the exhibition, as well as for the making of furnishings for the final exhibition. The taking down of the exhibition can be carried out by the technical teams on site in consultation with the artist;
- The written agreement also accounts for a maximum of 5 hours devoted to public meetings as part of the residency. If the artist wishes to develop a workshop project or a more extensive meeting, particularly with schoolchildren, this will be the subject of a separate agreement and separate remuneration (€70/hour as part of the Chemins de la culture programme).

DURATION

30 days spread across April and July (spring-summer residency) or October and February (autumn-winter residency). These 30 days are divided into three ten-day periods. We remain flexible in terms of the distribution of days; the periods can be negotiated before the residency, in consultation with the artist and the curator.

SELECTION PROCESS 

Artists are chosen through a call for applications, which is published once a year, in the spring of the previous year. The call is open to French visual artists with a SIRET (a unique identification number issued when an artist registers their business), as well as to foreign artists (who can invoice their services).
Applicants must provide a letter of intent explaining their project, a CV or biography and an up-to-date portfolio.
Once the applications have been received, a jury will make a shortlist of 4 to 6 artists. The jury is made up of the exhibition curator, individuals from the cultural department and a guest visual arts professional. The shortlist is then submitted to the Saint-Gervais Cultural Commission, during which the curator presents the shortlisted artists to the elected representatives. The two artists who will take part in the residency are chosen at this meeting.

CONSIDERATION FOR RESIDENTS' FAMILY LIFE

The residency programme does not involve the accommodation of families. However, up to five people can be accommodated in the flat. There is no provision for childcare in crèches or schools, but the family can visit the artist during the residency.
The flexible timetable also makes it possible for Archipel Art Contemporain to adapt to the needs of the residents. The 30 days are non-consecutive and can be broken up across a period of time, and the dates are flexible.

RESIDENTS' COMMITMENTS

The artist undertakes to be present during the residency and to take part in several outreach activities, developed in consultation with the cultural outreach department, aimed at school groups and/or individuals. These activities represent a maximum of 5 hours, as outlined in the residency agreement. If the artist wishes to develop a more ambitious project, this will be the subject of an additional clause or a separate agreement, depending on the project. Specific projects aimed at school groups as part of the Chemins de la culture programme may be the subject of a separate contract.
At the end of each residency, an exhibition will be held in the dedicated space at the Maison forte de Hautetour. The artist must be present at the opening.
In addition, in order to produce a publication presenting the work carried out, the Saint-Gervais municipality has set up a partnership with Analogues, which publishes an issue of the contemporary art magazine Semaine, devoted to the residency and the exhibition. The municipality covers part of the costs of this edition, while the artist is responsible for paying the author of the published text. (To find out more, please visit: www.analogues.fr)
A partnership with the Altitudes network, dedicated to contemporary art in the Alps, may also be set up to promote the residencies, through a presence on social networks. (For more information, please visit: http://www.reseau-altitudes.fr/) These residencies are subject to a specific agreement and can take place after the one in Saint-Gervais.

ACTIONS AIMED AT THE PUBLIC

The artist undertakes to be present during the residency and to take part in several outreach activities, conceived in advance with the cultural outreach department, with school groups and/or individuals, for a maximum of 5 hours, as outlined in the agreement.
If the artist wishes to develop a workshop or meeting project on a larger scale, particularly with schoolchildren, this will be the subject of another agreement and separate remuneration (€70/hour as part of the Chemins de la culture programme).