Circus Maximus

Circus Maximus' 2025 programme will be a hands-on laboratory for 4 artists interested in developing existing work and reflecting on the role of space in their practice. It will take place in Helsinki in the Spring and Summer of 2025. Two artists have been invited, and two artists will be selected through the current open call directed at Circus Maximus members. Participating artists will receive a 1 200 euro salary. Curator Daniela Pascual Esparza will facilitate the laboratory. The outcome will be a 2-day public programme where audiences will learn about each artist's process through workshops, walks, public conversations or other pertinent formats. Circus Maximus is proud to collaborate with the Architecture and Design Museum and Artists with Evidence: both partners will bring complementary voices and know-how to the programme!

You can apply by filling out the form HERE. Please read carefully the information below before submitting your proposal. DEADLINE for application is 20.11.2024 at 23:00 (EET).

About the laboratory The laboratory will take place in the Spring and late Summer 2025, consisting of 6 seminars and a public programme. The seminars and the public programme last 2 days each, meaning the whole laboratory will consist of 14 days. All sessions will be in English. The 4 seminars in spring will follow an exploratory approach. Artists will share their practices and participate in workshops on space. There will be time for personal work, collective exchanges, and one-on-one curatorial sessions with Daniela. These are the guiding threads for the laboratory: Architecture and urban planning: how do these disciplines approach space? What can be fruitful for artists about such “spatial” and “policy” approaches to space? Given that we are in Helsinki, we’ll pay attention to different stories and narratives surrounding it. This seminar will be co-hosted with the Architecture and Design Museum. Art-science: how might our perspective and practices shift if we engage with space from this angle? By bringing natural sciences into the picture, we hope to remind ourselves of the interconnected dimensions and timeframes present when working spatially, but that we might overlook when following human-centred approaches. This seminar will be co-hosted with Artists with Evidence.

Production and logistical know-how: we’ll dedicate some time to share, exchange, and put together practical tools and advice when working site-specifically and/or with limited production budget and support. We will also reflect about the relationship with audiences in connection to our practices. On-on-one curatorial sessions: their purpose is to have time to bridge the overall themes of each seminar with the process of each artist. In dialogue with these sessions, there will be solo working time scheduled during some seminar days. The 2 seminars in late summer will focus on defining each artist’s contribution to the public programme. Instead of creating new material or work, these sessions aim to find concrete ways of sharing one’s process with an audience. The public programme will be defined between participating artists and Circus Maximus’ team. It has a production budget of its own. Schedule Each seminar lasts two days: Fridays afternoon (16:00-19:00) and Saturdays all day (10:00-17:00). Final details will be settled once all participants have been selected. The selected dates are the following: S1: 25.4 & 26.4 S2: 2.5 & 3.5 S3: 23.5 & 24.5 S4: 30.5 & 31.5 S5: 15.8 & 16.8 S6: 29.8 & 30.8 Public programme: 13-14.9 Depending on the seminar, sessions might take place at Eskus or at another assigned location. For each session, Circus Maximus will offer tea, coffee, and light snacks. Circus Maximus will not cover meals or transportation costs. Participation & salary The open call is directed to Circus Maximus members based in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area who have experience working site-specifically or are interested in gaining clarity about the role of space in their creative processes. The call is not open to artists currently enrolled in a university degree or art study programme. If you're not a member of Circus Maximus, you can apply for membership when submitting your application. Keep in mind we'll prioritise proposals from existing members. Participants will receive a 1 200 euro salary in exchange for participating in the laboratory, which includes participating in the 6 seminars and the public programme. Partners The laboratory is curated and hosted by Daniela Pascual Esparza. She coordinates each session with guest speakers and accompanies the process of each artist.

Architecture and Design Museum is joining the laboratory in an advisory role. They will share their expertise as guest facilitators during one of our seminars. Artists with Evidence (AwE) promotes evidence-based environmental solutions by forging innovative relationships between the sciences and the arts. Through performances, curated exhibitions, multimedia projects, fellowships, residencies, educational commissions, and scholarly activity, AwE supports meaningful partnerships to foster the growth of cross-disciplinary discussions, contexts, and collaborations between artists, scientists, and local communities to deepen our understanding of complex and intertwined social and environmental issues.

AwE will contribute to the laboratory through the lens of art-science. Their engagement will bring forth environmental questions and insights into space design, fostering a deeper cross-disciplinary engagement.

If you have any questions, please contact Daniela at .