Directory — arts organizations, residencies and publishers

Designers in Residence Kortrijk

DESIGNREGIO Kortrijk and Design Fest Gent join forces and invite you to participate in Designers in Residence Kortrijk 2024, with the theme "All the Small Things." Design Fest Gent (°2022) is a new biennial festival in Ghent that provides space for designers to present groundbreaking ideas. The festival acts as a matchmaker for new collaborations between designers, knowledge institutions, organizations and industry, and above all, shows what sustainable design solutions can look like. Designers in Residence Kortrijk has been organized since 2014 by Designregio Kortrijk, platform for creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship for the Kortrijk region. A region that is part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) that breathes design thinking, visible through its design schools, creative manufacturing industry, international events and inspiring public space. The edition of Design Fest Gent 2025 wants to specifically focus on the "little things" and their importance in creating a sustainable future. These little things can relate, for example, to material use, energy consumption, efficiency, recycling, user-friendliness and social responsibility. By paying attention to these small details and integrating them into the design process, the designer not only gains the capacity and creativity to respond quickly to current questions and problems but can also make a positive contribution to the bigger picture of sustainability and a future-oriented perspective. In the search for sustainable design solutions for the future, this edition will explore the possible relationships and synergies between low-tech and high-tech design. Low-tech and high-tech are not opposites, but rather a spectrum where different technologies complement each other; in terms of scale, focusing on the size and scope of a technological system but also in terms of their rapport. By combining low-tech and high-tech, synergies can emerge that leverage the strengths of both approaches.

Artist Residency

Despina

Despina Residency Programme is designed for artists and curators wishing to immerse themselves in their work and/or research. They provide the space to explore practices, concepts, new ideas and materials, and to develop a project while receiving feedback and support. The selected artists/curators have the chance to live and work in Rio de Janeiro and to participate in a range of activities such as talks, meetings, studio visits and exhibition tours. Participants are also encouraged to propose talks and workshops, and to learn about the socio-cultural and political scenario in Brazil. The support, network and creative environment offered by Despina Residency Programme encourages professional/ artistic development and international contacts. Despina is an independent space committed to develop platforms for research, production and exchange in the fields of art and cultural activism. Active since January 2013, it has been established as a non-profit association in 2015. The space – a 400 m² historical building located in the city centre of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – comprises several art studios. Despina runs an international art residency programme alongside a dynamic agenda of exhibitions, workshops, courses, performances, talks, film screenings, among other activities. The projects developed by Despina are based around the following proposals: create a lively and supportive environment for the development and exhibition of contemporary art, instigating critical thinking facilitate experimentation and innovation in contemporary art practices by stimulating dialogue between artists and across cultures support and strengthen connections between art and activism widen access to contemporary art, fostering the participation and visibility of historically marginalized agents contribute to the urban and cultural revitalization of the area where the space is located Despina has developed collaborations with several organizations and institutions across the globe, such as Central Saint Martins – University of the Arts London, Diagonale Arts and the Arts Council of Montreal, Fruitmarket Gallery and the British Council. Despina is also a member of the Network Partnership of the Prince Claus Fund.

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