Give an artistic answer to De Aftocht, the last poem from Paul van Ostaijen’s collection, Bezette Stad, and have a chance to win a place in the multimedial project of Besmette Stad.
About Bezette Stad / Besmette Stad
In Bezette Stad, Paul van Ostaijen looks back on the First World War from a self-chosen quarantine in Berlin. In his legacy, the Flemish-Dutch house for culture and debate deBuren and the Paul van Ostaijen Instituut launched the multimedia project, Besmette Stad, at the start of the first lockdown in March 2020, in which more than 100 Flemish and Dutch artists provided contemporary artistic answers to Van Ostaijen’s collection, poem by poem. Since then, we have arrived at De Aftocht, the last poem from Bezette Stad, and we have also had to leave our city, which has been infected for more than a year now. But not without involving artists again.
Be part of Besmette Stad
We are throwing the city gates wide open to give talent from the Lage Landen a chance to respond to Van Ostaijen. We wonder how we are doing at the beginning of the third decade of the twenty-first century. How is the retreat from our contaminated cities? Is there any hope for a new beginning? And how should it proceed? You certainly don’t have to be a great Van Ostaijen expert to answer these and other questions in an artistic way. Just like a hundred years ago, this time is also crying out for new forms and new content.
Register for the reading atelier about The Aftocht on June 24th with Michelle Samba and Peter Sijbenga, among others, in which Matthijs de Ridder will discuss this poem from beginning to end. Then create your own artistic answer to Van Ostaijen and, with a little luck, take up residence in Besmette Stad.
Why participate?
The selected contributions will have a permanent place in Besmette Stad, between the answers of makers such as Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer, Jaouad Alloul, Radna Fabias, Aafke Romeijn, Shamisa Debroey, Spinvis, Annelies Verbeke and more than 100 other artists. The selected makers receive the same fee as all other participants in the project: 600 euros for a contribution.
How do you apply?
Register for the online reading atelier about De Aftocht on June 24th; select a free maker ticket. Participation in the reading atelier is mandatory if you want to participate in the open call.
Be inspired by the studio, and send your artistic answer to this poem to info@deburen.eu with the subject Call Besmette Stad. The deadline is August 30th, 2021, at 9 a.m.
True to Van Ostaijen’s avant-garde character, you can create in many forms, but keep in mind the following practical requirements:
• For text: as jpeg image, pdf or word file; minimum 2 pages, maximum 5 pages (A4, in legible font)
• For audio: as MP3 file; minimum 2 minutes, maximum 12 minutes
• For video: as mp4 file; minimum 2 minutes, maximum 12 minutes
• For illustration: as a jpeg image; minimum 1 page (A4), maximum 5 pages
Want to make something else? Then ask for the conditions via info@deburen.eu.
If files are too large to be sent as an e-mail attachment, you may use WeTransfer.com or Myairbridge.com.
How do we work?
A jury (consisting of curators Matthijs de Ridder, Willem Bongers-Dek, Anna Eble and Marleen Nagtegaal) will consider the contributions and provide all participants with news about their candidacy no later than the third week of September 2021.
There is no further correspondence about the outcome.
The jury reserves the right to select contributions or not only after feedback has been processed.
The selected makers are offered the same contract as the other participants in the project.
Questions are welcome at info@deburen.eu.
Partners: deBuren, Paul van Ostaijengenootschap, Explore The North, Leeuwarden City of Literature, Europäisches Laboratorium, International Association for Dutch Studies, de Brakke Grond, and vanostaijenleeft.
