Call for Proposals: Site-Specific Commission / Grytviken Whaling Station, South Georgia
A once in a lifetime opportunity to create a site-specific commission on the sub-Antarctic Island of South Georgia. This commission by the South Georgia Heritage Trust (SGHT) will celebrate the whale through a reinterpretation of the former Flensing Plan, offering a message of hope for future generations by demonstrating how humankind can move from exploitation to conservation.
At first glance, industrial heritage on the sub-Antarctic UK Overseas Territory of South Georgia seems remote and impenetrable. Artists however find South Georgia and all of its human associations inspirational. At the furthest edge of the world, the island evokes a deep sense of spirituality, and as evidenced by SGHT’s previous artist residency programmes, spurs creativity. At Grytviken Whaling Station, the scale of destruction of whale species sowed the seeds of a paradigm shift in our view of nature and its exploitation in modern times. With a mandate (through its contract to manage the Grytviken Museum on behalf of GSGSSI) to bring the cultural heritage of South Georgia to an international audience SGHT seeks to bring the message of hope for the future of the whale to the 15,000 international visitors now arriving by ship at South Georgia each year.
Central to the commercialisation of the whale on South Georgia is the Flensing Plan. It was here that whales were landed and processed on an industrial scale. Rather than simply restoring the early 20th century historic fabric of this site, SGHT and FOSGI, in partnership with GSGSSI, are inviting individuals, collaborative practices and organisations from varying artistic disciplines to submit ideas for a commission to celebrate the whale through a reinterpretation of the former Flensing Plan, the area at the heart of Grytviken Whaling Station.
Artist Commission Fee:
£50,000.00 (incl. of VAT if applicable)
Eligibility:
- Open to individuals, collaborative partnerships or organisations from varying artistic disciplines.
- Open to mid-career or established practitioners with a proven interest in one or more of the following areas – cultural heritage, the natural environment, ecological issues or conservation.
- 5+ years’ experience practicing in your chosen artform.
- Track record of delivering large-scale projects on time and on budget.
For further information and to download the creative brief please click on the link
