2020 winner - Julian Wild PVPRSS

Thread Residency 2020 Winner

We are pleased to announce the winner of Thread residency, Senegal, in partnership with the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation. Julian Wild PVPRSS was chosen from a pool of high quality applications and the Society is proud to have once again showcased the talents of our members.

Judge Sokari Douglas Camp said:

"Julian Wild is a ‘ Master of Materials’. I loved the magnitude and playfulness of his work. The way he worked steel to its maximum strengths celebrating its thickness and thinness / tensile strength. What will he do with out this material in Senegal? Will he use wood, fabric or  straw with the same expertise? I believe he might and I am excited to see what comes from this residency."

Judge Matthias Persson said:

"I'm delighted that Julian Wild will be going to Thread, and it'll be exciting to see how his work will develop in the specific context, and in an environment that is so different from his usual setting."

Thread Residency

Thread’s socio-cultural role is most pronounced in its function as an agricultural hub for Sinthian and the surrounding villages. Its staff provides the community with sustained agricultural and organizational training, while the physical site offers several gardens that locals cultivate for sustenance and as an income source. In addition to being served by a bore well, the building’s roof collects and retains rainwater, creating an ongoing water supply for these agricultural projects, which is crucial during the eight-month dry season.

Thread was designed to be a flexible and evolving public space, and the local population uses it in a variety of ways. It hosts celebrations, school performances, classes in language and health, village meetings, and an annual soccer tournament that draws thousands of people to Sinthian each fall.

The team behind Thread speaks to its collaborative nature. This is a project about connection and linkage. Between two distinct points, persons, places, or perspectives. To be like thread by forming connections that run through us, and not around us. Together we are using art to develop connections between rural Senegal and other parts of the globe.

This residency is an opportunity for artists to focus on their own work while being artistically flexible in adapting to the unique creative environment at Thread. It is entirely possible to work alone in a studio based manner but great flexibility is needed with regard to materials. Collaborations with the local community can happen but usually evolve in an organic manner. Artists are not expected to create a certain kind of project or have a certain kind of impact.

How to apply

Applications for the 2023 Thread Residence are now open.

To find out more and apply go to https://opportunityformembers.artopps.co.uk/

Deadline: 20 March 2023, 5pm (UK time)

Eligibility

This opportunity is open to Royal Society of Sculptors members and fellows only