Artist Project 2022
Details
RECIPIENT
We're excited to announce Kasra Goodarznezhad as the recipient of the Artist Project 2022 Career Launcher. Kasra will be presenting a version of his work, Evolving Maps, for the 2022 fair.
Kasra Goodarznezhad (cassraa) is a new media artist based in Toronto. His main focus is Performanceand Installation. After studying Graphic Design in Tehran, Iran, he came to Toronto to continue his studies at OCAD University and graduated from the Integrated Media program. Throughout his career as a new media artist,Kasra has participated in various research and results based residencies,and has managed to secure grants for his solo and collective projects.
Kasra isthe co-founder of 2 Ontario based QTBIPOC collectives, Komite andDisplaced collective. Reflecting on growing up in Iran andimmigrating to Canada in 2015, Kasra’s work deals with concepts of displacement, repression, memory and censorship. In his work, Kasra looks to explore the subjective complexities of being an individual living in a society thatforces you to behave in ways sanctioned by those who hold power.
Kasra (cassraa) Goodarznezhad’s installation, “Evolving Maps: A Collective Memory” aims to explore methodologies and new ways of recording information about physical space. The first iteration of this work used the artist’s hand-drawn maps as inputs into an AI system. Using GANs, the AI model gets trained to generate new maps based on those inputs. This iteration of the work uses submitted maps by the QTBIPOC community that were collected through a call for submissions as inputs into the AI system. These hand-drawn maps were from places that they could not pass through anymore (due to displacement, exile, barriers, destruction, border mobility, etc.), an imagined future for the oppressed, or a map of a place or a memory where they feel safe. The AI generated maps were then turned into 3D landscapes with the help of 3D artist, Fezz Stenton. This project was funded by the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council.
Website: www.cassraa.com
Instagram/Twitter/Vimeo: @cassraa
OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION
The Artist Project Contemporary Art Fair and The Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers are excited to announce the return of the Artist Project Career Launcher for an upper year student or recent graduate of the Integrated Media, Digital Futures or Sculpture/Installation programs. Students and recent alum are invited to apply for this paid opportunity which provides a professional venue and large public audience for their work. The successful applicant will participate in the 14th annual Artist Project Contemporary Art Fair; held at the Queen Elizabeth Building, April 21 - 24, 2022.
Dimensions of the project space are roughly 15 x 15 square feet in size. The Show Director will select a successful applicant and The Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers will provide a $2,000 production grant towards the realization of this outstanding opportunity.
Tips for a successful application:
- The space provided at the fair is located among other exhibiting artists, as such it is important to keep the sound levels of the proposed project minimal.
- The fair hall is lit with overhead lighting and high ceilings. Creating an enclosed dark space would be difficult.
- The suspension of materials from overhead is not possible in the fair hall.
- The fair is family friendly. Therefore project content should not include nudity or profanity.
- A changing and/or staging area will be provided as needed.
VIRTUAL INFO SESSION
January 26, 2022
1:00 - 2:30 PM ET
Join our upcoming info session to learn more about the program, the Artist Project, hear from past recipient and artist James Knott, and resources for putting together a strong application.APPLICATION SUPPORT
The OCAD U RBC CEAD is committed to promoting substantive equality for equity-seeking groups that are under-represented in the creative sector. We encourage applications from first-time applicants to the program and graduates of equity-seeking communities including racialized and Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities / expressions. Applicants are welcome to advise the CEAD of any accommodations needed to ensure you have access to a fair and equitable process. Applicants who need assistance with their submissions are invited to connect with the RBC CEAD for Advising support. Click here to learn more about how to book an advising appointment.ACCESSIBILITY
Applicants who have concerns about meeting a Career Launcher application deadline are invited to connect with the CEAD in order to discuss possible alternatives. We encourage all who might require assistance with the application process to reach out to determine available support. Outreach of this nature should be undertaken at least one week prior to the published application deadline.
PARTNER
The Artist Project
Date: April 21 - 24, 2022
Location: Queen Elizabeth Building, Exhibition Place, Toronto
QUALIFICATIONS
- Student or recent graduate of Integrated Media, Digital Futures or Sculpture/Installation programs (2020 and 2021)
- Priority will be given to performance based proposals, over more static sculptural installations. A consideration of the successful application tips mentioned
- Priority will be given to applicants who have not previously received a Career Launcher opportunity
DEADLINE
Thursday, February 10, 2022 at 11:59pm (midnight)
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
- Full contact information (Name, phone, and email)
- A current creative CV
- A brief artist statement/bio that contextualizes your overall practice (150 words max)
- A short proposal which communicates your interest in the opportunity and a very clear expression of your project proposal (500 words max)
- A link to your online portfolio and/or (if relevant) direct links to recorded portfolio material on a host page(Vimeo, YouTube etc.). Do not include video files in your application; only links
- A short statement outlining the potential significance of the opportunity to your practice and/or development (100 words max)
Contact
Shellie Zhang
Special Projects Coordinator
E: szhang@ocadu.ca