OPEN CALL: Applications for VISIO Production Fund

Lo Schermo dell’Arte announces the open call for the 12th edition of VISIO—European Programme on Artists’ Moving Images, a research, residency and production programme dedicated to young artists who use moving images in their artistic practice.

The project, curated by Leonardo Bigazzi, will be held in Florence in conjunction with the 16th edition of Lo Schermo dell’Arte—Cinema and Contemporary Art Festival, from November 15 to 19, 2023. Eight selected artists will be invited to Florence to develop their own original projects during an intensive programme of mentoring sessions, round tables and individual meetings, in dialogue with international curators and artists.

VISIO confirms its commitment in supporting younger generations of artists with the new edition of the VISIO Production Fund, a 30,000 EUR fund conceived in partnership with Centro per l’Arte Contemporanea Luigi Pecci (Prato), Fondazione In Between Art Film (Rome) and FRAC Bretagne (Rennes).

The selected participants will develop their projects with mentors Mathilde Henrot, producer and curator Locarno and Sarajevo film festivals and Valentine Umansky, curator Tate Modern (London). Other guests of the programme include the artist Guido van der Werve and representatives of the project partner institutions: Etienne Bernard, director FRAC Bretagne; Stefano Collicelli Cagol, director Centro per l’Arte Contemporanea Luigi Pecci; Alessandro Rabottini, artistic director Fondazione In Between Art Film. The funds will eventually be awarded to three winning artists who will work with Leonardo Bigazzi and Lo Schermo dell’Arte team to produce and premiere the films at the Festival in 2024. An artist’s edition of each work will become part of the permanent collection of the project’s partner institutions, which are committed to promote and exhibit them in the following years.

The deadline to apply is Friday, July 21, 2023. All information on the application process and conditions can be found at the following link.

The programme of the Festival’s 16th edition will consist of over 30 artists’ films and international documentaries on contemporary art presented as world and Italian premieres, in the presence of the authors. Guido van der Werve is the protagonist of the Focus On section that Lo Schermo dell’Arte dedicates every year to an artist who has distinguished himself or herself in the innovative and experimental use of cinematographic language. Among the Italian and world premieres the Festival will present Bloodlines by American artist Amie Siegel and the new works produced through the VISIO Production Fund 2022 by the artists Simon Liu, Gerard Ortín Castellví, Maryam Tafakory and Yuyan Wang. The programme will also feature a special presentation of works by Italian artist Diego Marcon, on the occasion of his exhibition at Centro Pecci, and The Pixelated Revolution, a non-academic lecture by Lebanese artist Rabih Mroué.

The selection of the VISIO participants is realized in partnership with Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera (Milan), Art House (Shkodër), AV-arkki (Helsinki), Careof (Milan), Cité internationale des arts (Paris), De Ateliers (Amsterdam), Gasworks (London), Künstlerhaus Bethanien (Berlin), La Casa Encendida (Madrid), Le Fresnoy-Studio national des arts contemporains (Tourcoing), Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten (Amsterdam), Städelschule (Frankfurt), Villa Romana (Florence), WIELS, Contemporary Art Centre (Brussels).

Lo Schermo dell’Arte, directed by Silvia Lucchesi, is a project born in Florence in 2008 dedicated to the exploration, analysis and promotion of the relationships between contemporary art, moving images and cinema. Among the international guest artists of the past editions: Yuri Ancarani, Rosa Barba, Yael Bartana, Phil Collins, Jeremy Deller, Omer Fast, Runa Islam, Peter Greenaway, Alfredo Jaar, Isaac Julien, Hassan Khan, Oliver Laric, Sarah Morris, Deimantas Narkevicius, Shirin Neshat, Melik Ohanian, Adrian Paci, Julian Rosefeldt, Roee Rosen, Simon Starling, Hito Steyerl, The Otolith Group.

Lo Schermo dell’Arte—Cinema and Contemporary Art Festival 16th edition
Florence, Cinema La Compagnia and other venues: November 15–19, 2023
Streaming on Più Compagnia in collaboration with MYmovies: November 15–26, 2023

With the contribution of Comune di Firenze.
Main supporter: Fondazione CR Firenze.
In collaboration with Fondazione In Between Art Film, Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, Centro per l’arte contemporanea Luigi Pecci, FRAC Bretagne, Seven Gravity Collection, MYmovies, Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze.
Main Sponsor: Gucci
Sponsors: B&C Speakers, Findomestic
The Festival is part of the programme 50 Days of Cinema in Florence