workshop
OpenCall: Out of Balance

November 24 – December 4, 2024

The French-German project "Out of Balance" offers a unique opportunity to participate in the creation of a BioArt Lab during a 10-day series of workshops.The German and French cultural institutes (Goethe-Institut Saudi-Arabien/Alliance Française of Saudi Arabia) are bringing to life Riyadh's first BioArt Laboratory in cooperation with Gharem studio: techniques of artistic work with biological organisms are taught in workshops, lectures and seminars.

• Dates: November 24 – December 4, 2024
• Location: Gharem Studio, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Application Deadline: November 20

Program Highlights

• 3 Workshops
• 5 Seminars
• Lectures and artistic discussions
• 4 artists and 2 curators

This project is supported by the German-French Cultural Fund.

Featured Curators
Art Laboratory Berlin


Christian de Lutz, co-founder and co-director of Art Laboratory Berlin, has curated over 50 exhibitions, talks, and workshops and has established networks connecting Berlin with cities across Europe and Asia. His seminar will explore BioArt as an international movement, covering its history, artist-scientist collaborations, DIY (Do It Yourself) Bio Labs, and the creation of community-driven art-science initiatives.

Regine Rapp, art historian and curator, co-director of Art Laboratory Berlin, and guest professor at Art Academy Muenster, will present BioArt within the frameworks of ecology, the climate crisis, and technoscience. Her seminar will examine artistic approaches to understanding the biological, technological, and ecological interconnections shaping our planet

Seminars:

• Seminar 1 (Day 1): Introduction to ALB (Art Laboratory Berlin)—art and science research, production, exhibition, and public engagement. A retrospective on 40 years of BioArt, spanning major international scenes from SE Asia, East Asia, and Latin America.
• Seminar 2 (Day 2): Exploration of BioArt and Open Bio Labs in Europe, Asia, and the Americas; guidance on artist-scientist collaboration; insights on artistic research in scientific settings.
• Seminar 3 (Day 3): DIY approaches for creating labs; types of DIY and community-driven (DIWO, Do It With Others) labs; an overview of active DIY/DIWO networks.

• Ecosophy artist, Based in central France, Karine’s transdisciplinary practice explores alternative ecologies for breathing, moving, and listening with the plant world.
• Session Title: Our Palms: Weaving Crafts and Technology
  This workshop invites participants to create an immersive bioacoustic carpet that celebrates palm trees. Karine Bonneval blends craft with technology, fostering a sensory exploration of our shared ecological heritage. Together, participants will weave an indoor oasis of sound, connecting human and plant worlds through touch, sight, and sound.

• Bio-artist and researcher, Based in Berlin and affiliated with the Karlsruhe University of Art and Design, Fara’s speculative research connects humans with living organisms and biological processes, with a special focus on algae.
• Session Title: Algature: DIY Bioreactors and Bioplastic Sculpting
  Peluso’s workshop introduces participants to the potential of algae-based design. Through hands-on sessions, participants will build DIY photobioreactors and experiment with bioplastics, exploring sustainable material practices in art and design. This session emphasizes circular economy principles and speculative design.

• New media artist and curator, Currently working between Berlin and Istanbul, Helena’s work spans hybrid art, bio-semiotics, and Artificial Intelligence. She explores utopian post-human futures and critically examines today’s technological dystopias.
• Session Title: Speculative Species Evolution
  Helena Nikonole combines DIY-bio with AI tools to imagine future species adapted to the Anthropocene. Participants will use DIY microscopes and AI software to create speculative evolutionary pathways, culminating in a collective art project that visualizes these imagined species.

Apply Now
 

This program is open to artists and scientists based in Saudi Arabia. To apply, please fill in your details here!

For further inquiries and information, please send your questions to:
Goethe-Institut Saudi Arabia:
Info-riad@goethe.de
Alliance Francaise Ksa:
info.safarat@af-ksa.org
Gharem Studio:
info@gharemstudio.com


OUT OF BALANCE EVALUATION CRITERIA:
Participants will be selected by Goethe- Institute, Alliance Française of Saudi Arabia, Abdulnasser Gharem and Art Laboratory Berlin.

Successful submissions will be evaluated on the following:

1. Artistic Skills: The work will be evaluated on the level of technical skill executed based on the previous work submitted in the artist's portfolio.
2. Applicant's interest in addressing environmental issues, the climate crisis, ecology, and art-science collaboration.

OUT OF BALANCE APPLICANT CRITERIA:

• This application is for individuals considering artand scienceas their career path