Palimpsest launches the CREATIVE DIALOGUE open call to artists, designers and architects

We are currently seeking creative agents such as artists, designers, and architects to participate in a groundbreaking initiative!

The Palimpsest Project has recently launched the CREATIVE DIALOGUE open call, targeting creative individuals and inviting them to envision novel approaches in addressing environmental issues within three exemplary landscape laboratories: Łódź in Poland, Jerez de la Frontera in Spain, and Milan in Italy.

The imbalance in human-nature interactions, particularly concerning climate change and sustainability transition challenges, presents an urgent call to action. Three key levels of supportive action have been identified:

1. Bearing witness and sharing knowledge: By making visible the hidden pollution, degradation, and even destruction of ecosystems and their consequences for people, living organisms, and landscapes, as well as the life-saving actions and solutions to address them.
2. Political and symbolic action: By deprogramming existing imaginaries and constructing new utopian and dystopian narratives, while also decolonizing systems of representation.
3. The resilient act: Taking direct action on ecosystems and reducing ecological footprints through resource economization, reutilization of forgotten skills, utilization of low environmental impact materials, invention of new materials, and restoration of natural environments.

PALIMPSEST has selected three pilot landscapes to serve as collaborative experiment grounds for design, art practices, and architecture. The selected participants will actively engage as value-generative agents, envisioning alternative futures and driving engagement. They will contribute to the design, organization, and development of two residential workshops held within one of the three pilot landscapes. During these workshops, design, art practices, and architecture will engage with place-specific needs and broader systemic challenges, aiming to imagine new scenarios and experiment with innovative practices that connect human actions, landscape heritage, and sustainability objectives.

APPLICATION PROCESS Interested artists, designers, architects, and landscape architects can submit their applications through the following link: https://palimpsest.grantplatform.com.

To participate, creative individuals must demonstrate an interest in:

1. Embarking on an experimental journey.
2. Engaging in a collaborative process of co-generation and co-production.
3. Working within landscapes and engaging with local communities.
4. Experimenting across disciplines.
5. Imagining and acting within landscapes threatened by climate and environmental challenges.
6. Integrating professional and creative languages.

In each landscape, PALIMPSEST promotes collaborative experiments grounded in design, art practices, and architecture. These endeavors assume the roles of value-generative agents, envisioning alternative futures and driving engagement. Through the two residential workshops, creative agents will contribute to the design, organization, and development of innovative practices that address place-specific needs and systemic challenges, fostering connections between human actions, landscape heritage, and sustainability objectives.

Residential Workshops: Creative agents applying to this open call must select one of the three pilot landscapes and propose their personal approach to defining new sustainable practices. If selected, participants will engage in the design, organization, and development of two residential workshops (one in 2024 and the second in 2025) within their chosen pilot landscape. These workshops will facilitate dialogues between design, art practices, landscape architecture, and architecture, integrating local needs and broad systemic challenges to imagine new scenarios and experiment with innovative practices that connect human actions, landscape heritage, and sustainability objectives.

Candidature Application: Interested participants can submit their candidacy using the form available at the following link: https://palimpsest.grantplatform.com. Each submission will be assessed by a team of PALIMPSEST experts, which will shortlist a maximum of four candidates per pilot landscape and invite them to participate in the dialogue meetings. In total, a maximum of 12 candidates will be invited to attend the dialogue meetings.

Dialogue Meetings: The dialogue meetings will provide an opportunity for shortlisted candidates to familiarize themselves with the PALIMPSEST research team and the key issues relevant to the three pilot landscapes. The interaction will occur during a minimum of two meetings, likely to take place by the end of October 2023 and in November/December 2023. These meetings will be conducted online and will be restricted events. Candidates will have the chance to present their concepts, previous experience, anticipated approach, and how these align with PALIMPSEST’s experimental work and the local ecosystems of actors and practices. Following these meetings, each team will receive a report containing feedback, suggestions, and key information to enhance and refine their final submission. Additionally, each team will be assigned a tutor who will provide information and clarification throughout the dialogue process.

Following the dialogue meetings, each candidate will be required to submit a final proposal by January 15th, 2024. A team of experts will assess the proposals and select one proposal per pilot landscape by the end of February 2024.

Submission of Applications: All applications must be submitted by September 18th, 2023, at noon (12:00 pm CEST) via the link https://palimpsest.grantplatform.com, by a team leader. Completion of the application process requires the compulsory signing of an information consent form by all team members. An email receipt confirming the successful completion of the application process will be automatically sent to all applicants.

Eligibility: Application is open to all creative agents, including artists, designers, landscape architects, and architects. Both individuals and groups are eligible to apply. Applicants must meet the following requirements:

1. Proficiency in the English language.
2. Minimum age of 18 years.
3. Residency in one of the eligible countries: (1) the Member States of the European Union, or (2) countries associated with Horizon Europe (a comprehensive list can be found here: [link]).
4. Possession of a valid Tax Identification Number / VAT Registration Number.

These requirements must be documented through a curriculum vitae and portfolio attached to the application. In the case of a group application, each team member must attach their curriculum vitae and portfolio to facilitate verification of the aforementioned requirements. For collectives, it is also necessary to appoint a group leader who will assume sole responsibility for communication with PALIMPSEST’s administration.

Evaluation: A team of experts will accompany the dialogue process, assess all applications, and engage with the applicants. The expert team consists of five internationally renowned experts, along with members of the Palimpsest consortium, including scholars, practitioners, artists, local stakeholders, IT experts, and communication experts.

The role of the expert team encompasses:

1. Assessment of all applications and provision of a final ranking list.
2. Ensuring the smooth execution of residential workshops within the communities.
3. Ensuring the integration of workshops and follow-up activities into Palimpsest’s tasks and research endeavors.

The expert team will select the nine shortlisted candidates from all received applications by October 13th, 2023, based on the evaluation criteria listed below. All finalists will be contacted to schedule the dialogue meetings. The final evaluation, conducted by the expert team, will take place by February 2024 to select one proposal per pilot landscape (three proposals in total).

Upon selection, participants will enter into a contract with the local responsible party for the pilot landscape.