Open Call Curator in Residence - Dec 2024

Mouhit is launching its Curator-in-Residence Program to promote collaboration and exchange between artists and curators. This residency is designed for individuals in the fields of curation, art criticism, and cultural research. The selected curator will have the opportunity to conduct independent research while closely engaging with the resident artist.

The residency offers space for the curator to experiment with new curatorial methods, develop projects, and facilitate dynamic collaborations.

In parallel with the artist-in-residence, the curator will be encouraged to lead or co-organize a project that aligns with the setting of Mouhit space, the broader Tunisian context, and the residency’s ethos of reflection, experimentation, and dialogue.

Key Responsibilities and Opportunities

• Curatorial Research & Development:
  The curator is invited to explore themes aligned with their curatorial-research interests while considering the local environment and the specificities of the residency space. There will be ample opportunity for independent research and project development, focusing on different creative fields, disciplines, art theory and history.
• Mentorship & Guidance:The curator will receive bi-weekly support and guidance from established curators, artists, writers, and other professionals who can offer critical feedback and mentoring throughout the residency. These sessions aim to deepen curatorial thinking, help develop new frameworks, and provide critical reflections on curatorial methodologies. Facilitating contact with spaces, artists, or practitioners they aim to see
• Collaborative Project:
  Working closely with the artist-in-residence, the curator will help shape a collaborative project that could take diverse forms (e.g., a talk, experimental event, workshop, dinner, performance, or interview as a podcast or written format, publishing  (fanzine, fiction, ..etc). The project is intended to bridge the curator's and artist's practices while being informed by the feedback of mentors and Mouhit team.

Public Engagement:

The curator will be encouraged to host or participate in public events, such as discussions, presentations, or workshops, and organize studio visits that engage the local art scene. These events serve as an opportunity for the curator to test ideas in real-time and initiate dialogues with Tunisian artists and audiences.

Duration of the residency:

3 months - December 01 2024 - February 28, 2025

Program Support Package for the Curator

• Accommodation:
  Private furnished bedroom with access to shared workspace, outdoor garden, and sound studio (on demand).
• Mentorship:
  Bi-weekly one-on-one mentoring sessions with curators, writers, and cultural practitioners from diverse backgrounds, offering tailored feedback on research and project development.
• Project Development Support:
  Assistance in developing a project budget (up to 1500 TND) to realize curatorial or collaborative projects during the residency.
• Networking & Exchange:
  Integration into Mouhit’s broader community of local and international creatives, providing opportunities for collaboration, discussion, and exchange.
• Event Coordination & Space:
  Support with organizing public events, utilizing Mouhit’s indoor and outdoor spaces for curatorial projects and public engagement initiatives with a coordination of the mouhit team
• Social Media Activation:
  Support in activating Mouhit’s social media :Curators are encouraged to collaborate on at least two Instagram posts.

Eligibility Criteria

• Open to Tunisian curators, researchers with a demonstrated genuine interest in the Tunisian art scene and context, showing a consistent curatorial practice.
• Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
• Must have a minimum of two years of curatorial, exhibition making or researching experience, although emerging curators are encouraged to apply.
• Demonstrates interest in collaboration and curatorial experimentation.
• Ability to dedicate significant time to the residency without other full-time commitments.

Selection Criteria 

Curators will be evaluated based on their ability to demonstrate:

• Relevance of their research according to the Tunisian context and their interest
• Engagement with the Local Context: A desire to engage meaningfully with Tunisian artists and audiences, and reflect critically on the residency environment.
• Openness to working alongside artist-in-residence and engaging in interdisciplinary collaborations.
• Experimentation: A willingness to explore new curatorial frameworks and practices

Expected Outcomes for Curators

• Curatorial Project:
  The curator will develop and present a project. They can host one public event (to be defined with the mentor and Mouhit team) in which they will present their curatorial research, facilitate discussions about their curatorial practice, and contextualize it in the Tunisian scene.
• Collaborative engagement: The curator will present a project in collaboration with the artist-in-residence. The format is open-ended but could include a curated event, experimental open studio, or other creative formats (article, interview,  critical text, fanzine, fiction, lecture -performance, dinner -discussion..)
• Collaborative Instagram Presence:
  At least three Instagram posts documenting the residency and curatorial activities.

Applications are accepted in English, Arabic and French