Artwork ©2001 Danza Mexica Cuauhtemoc
CALL FOR EXHIBITION ARTISTS:
The Peoples Cook & Intermedia Arts present
Feed & Be Fed
Alimenta & Alimentaran
DEADLINE TO APPLY:
Monday, August 13, 2012
The Peoples Cook & Intermedia Arts’ present Alimenta & Alimentaran (Feed & Be Fed), a cross-cultural exploration of Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.
We seek interactive works of art that invite direct audience response. Examples of this might include an artwork that incorporates a recipe from an ancestor’s favorite food that the audience can take OR an artwork that requests the audience to add a recipe from their own ancestor. We welcome 3D & 2D pieces that remain consistent with Dia de los Muertos and the Alimenta & Alimentaran (Feed & Be Fed) theme.
Alimenta & Alimentaran (Feed & Be Fed) will be exhibited for 3 weeks in the Intermedia Arts main gallery from October 22, 2012 – November 10, 2012. This exhibit is part of a larger project presented by The Peoples Cook & Intermedia Arts; the gallery exhibit will serve as an interactive environment for the PopUp performance restaurant, ¡Viva Soul Power! which features live cooking & performance by Mero Cocinero Karimi & The Peoples Cook crew.
About Dia de los Muertos
For more than 3,500 years the people of Mexico have held on to a cultural practice known today as Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead. When the Spanish Conquistadors landed almost 500 years ago in what is now Mexico, they encountered natives practicing a ritual that seemed to mock death. The Spaniards would try unsuccessfully to eradicate this celebration only to embrace it on the days known today as All Saint Day and All Hallows Eve.
Today Dia de los Muertos is expressed in many ways and can be found all around the world as a cultural, political and artist expression. It is a powerful time of year and we can see this through the *ofrendas that are prepared for this celebration. This holiday focuses on food, culture & rituals of the dead, and utilizes humor and the idea of laughing at death. It is a universal concept and cultures across Latin America and the world also had similar practices. We strongly encourage you to do additional research to learn more about Dia de los Muertos before submitting a proposal.
*An ofrenda or alter is created as an invitation to celebrate and honor the dead. If you are not familiar with an ofrenda, please research. One site to help get you started is
www.inside-mexico.com/ofrenda.htm.
TIMELINE
AUGUST 13, 2012: submission due (written concept, sketches, plans)
SEPTEMBER 4, 2012: selected artists are notified
OCTOBER 15, 2012: final artwork due @ Intermedia Arts
OCTOBER 15-21: Exhibit installed
OCTOBER 22: Exhibit open to the public
OCTOBER 25: Alimenta & Alimentaran (Feed & Be Fed) public reception
NOVEMBER 1-4; 7-10: ¡Viva Soul Power! PopUp Performances in gallery
NOVEMBER 11, 2011: exhibition closed; all artwork must be picked up
SELECTION CRITERIA
- Artwork must be consistent with the cultural, artistic and political expressions of Dia de los Muertos; works may be ofrendas, but are not required to be ofrendas
- That said, we are seeking a cross-cultural perspective to this holiday; we will give more consideration to artists who provide work that is also influenced by their own culture (however the artist chooses to define their culture)
- Preference will be given to pieces that are satirical or humorous in nature
- Art must have an interactive component where the audience is invited to respond
- 3-D art must fit within a 3’ W x 5’ L space or less. Please contact the Intermedia Arts staff before proposing work that is unusually heavy or fragile for the exhibition or if you have questions about space restrictions.
- Intermedia Arts & The Peoples Cook will not be able to maintain perishable food items on ofrendas/artworks; please consider this & plan accordingly.
SELECTION PROCESS
Artists for the exhibition will be selected through this open call for submissions. The Peoples Cook curators & Intermedia Arts’ Director will review applications & work samples and select exhibition artists.
Selected artists will be notified via email by September 4, 2012. If selected, you will have 6 weeks to complete your artwork before it is due to Intermedia Arts on October 15.
Artists are responsible for the costs of shipping work to and from Intermedia Arts. The Peoples Cook/Intermedia Arts will not be able pay for shipping costs to return work to the artists after the show. Please consider shipping costs when proposing artwork for exhibit. Artwork will be insured through Intermedia Arts while onsite. *INTERMEDIA ARTS WILL INSURE WORK VALUED UP TO $1,000 during the designated exhibit dates. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING THE INSURANCE OF YOUR WORK, PLEASE CALL INTERMEDIA ARTS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT.
COMPENSATION:
Chosen artists will receive an honorarium for their work.
ABOUT THE PEOPLES COOK
The Peoples Cook invites participants take an active role in an exchange of food, stories & recipes, reconnecting culture and art. Based in Minneapolis/St. Paul, The Peoples Cook is a touring company that brings the funny to foodie nationwide. We incorporate local artists and community members into our residencies to sustain dynamic community engagement wherever we go.
We work in diverse communities, and create cross-cultural, interdisciplinary, participatory arts activities. We have created & curated work for Dia de los Muertos celebrations in cities across the US, including San Francisco, San Antonio, Chicago, and Minneapolis.
The Peoples Cook unites cross-cultural cooking & interdisciplinary art to promote well-being.
ABOUT INTERMEDIA ARTS
As Minnesota’s premier multidisciplinary, multicultural arts center, Intermedia Arts builds understanding among people by catalyzing and inspiring artists and audiences to make changes in their lives and communities. We are a nationally recognized leader in empowering artists and community leaders to use arts-based approaches to solve community issues. From graffiti art to digital technology to performance art to spoken word, we work from the community up to unearth and enliven new and emerging artists and art forms while challenging and exploring the role of art in our lives. By stimulating civic dialogue and giving voice to the issues and experiences of underrepresented communities locally, nationally and internationally, we contribute to a stronger, healthier society.
Intermedia Arts is a catalyst that builds understanding among people through art.
QUESTIONS:
If you have questions about the submission process or the Alimenta & Alimentaran (Feed & Be Fed) exhibit, please contact:
Erin Lavelle
Producer, The Peoples Cook
612.618.2822
zenzero@thepeoplescook.org
The Revolution Starts in the Kitchen 