Call for Fellows | Het Nieuwe Instituut
Het Nieuwe Instituut announces an open call for three research fellows to work in residence from June to December 2016.
Alongside the institute's exhibitions, lectures, publications, and archives, the fellowship program will explore and challenge how research is conducted within an institutional context, pursuing alternatives to the expectation of predetermined outcomes, the use of official jargon, and the
inertia power of the curriculum vitae. In the long term, the program is also intended to complement, reflect on, interact with, and critique the ongoing activities of the institute.
Applicants are asked to submit an independent research proposal that illuminates their own approach to research, including specific and unconventional methodologies. Their research should confront subjects within or between the fields of architecture, design, and e-culture, but can also rely
on a larger system of references, schools of thoughts, and practices from the fields of art, performance, non-fiction and creative writing, programming, humanities, social, physical, and life sciences. Research projects may influence or contribute to future exhibitions or events, but other
possibilities may emerge independently of the existing programs of Het Nieuwe Instituut.
Previous fellows include Annet Dekker, Tal Erez, Dan Handel, Ruben Jacobs, Chris Kabel, Roos Meerman, Christien Meindertsma, Sascha Pohflepp, Malkit Shoshan and Matthew Stadler.
Research
In recent years, the concept and practice of research has attracted renewed attention within the cultural sector. In a world increasingly documented--and simultaneously obscured--by the speed and quantity of information in circulation, research plays a critical role in elucidating the
relevance of both existing and new ideas, and the responsibility of institutions in their construction and promotion.
Het Nieuwe Instituut wants to acknowledge and give visibility to research projects, practices and initiatives whose success is understood not in terms of academic citations, adherence to official formats, or profitability, but in their ability to offer departures from established modes of
thinking and to become the motor for sharing collective forms of knowledge.
Theme
The programs of Het Nieuwe Instituut are organised around a framework of landscapes and interiors, things and materials, and an annual theme that confronts temporal shifts within these fields.
Taking as a departure point the centennial anniversary of the Russian Revolution, Het Nieuwe Instituut's 2017 program will explore revolution, reflecting on radical movements of the 20th century while also investigating the unstable landscape of the present and the unpredictable territories of
the future. Revolution has both political and cultural associations, referring to sudden disruptions in social, technical, and aesthetic practices and theories as well as to the self-perpetuating nature of systems of governance and production.
Applicants for a fellowship are invited to develop an independent research proposal and to articulate a relationship between their proposal and the frameworks and thematic subjects unfolding within the institute.
Starting from 15 February 2016, Het Nieuwe Instituut will take applications for the research fellowships.
Selection Criteria
The application is intended to clarify research intentions and attitudes, and is open to new proposals as well as projects that are already underway. All applications will be reviewed by the jury on the basis of idiosyncrasy, depth of investigation, connection to Het Nieuwe Instituut's
mission, potential to cross disciplinary boundaries, and potential for exchange and collaboration between fellows. For the purpose of this call, applicants are not required to propose the final outcome of their research, but rather the questions and routines that it will involve. The final
selection will be announced at the end of April.
The jury includes Tom Avermaete (professor of Architecture, Delft University of Technology), Guus Beumer (director, Het Nieuwe Instituut), Anselm Franke (curator, Haus der Kulturen der Welt), Vinca Kruk (designer and researcher, Metahaven), Marina Otero Verzier (head of research & development,
Het Nieuwe Instituut) and Jana Scholze (associate professor, Curating Contemporary Design at Kingston University).
Practical information
The fellowship is a 6-month position based at Het Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. It entails individual work, collaborative work with other fellows, interaction with the Research & Development department, and collaborations with external partners. Fellows will have access to
the facilities of Het Nieuwe Instituut, including the reading room, archives, public spaces, and presentation rooms. Fellows must be located in Rotterdam or within reasonable distance.
The fellowship includes a monthly stipend of 2,000 EUR and a return trip from the country of residence. The fellowship is open to EU nationals, current residents, and those eligible to reside in the Netherlands. Stipends may be subject to a withholding tax.
Submission requirements and deadline
Proposals should include:
o a self-introduction (maximum 300 words). Please note that a CV or a description of previous achievements is not requested.
o a research proposal including a text (maximum 1,200 words), and graphic material such as drawings and images (maximum 20). Links to audio or video files (maximum 10 minutes) could be added to the PDF of the application.
o a calendar and a working methodology (maximum 300 words)
o contact information (full name, country of residence, e-mail address, telephone number)
Applications should be written in English and submitted, by attachment, in a single PDF file of maximum 7MB and consisting of maximum 5 DIN A-4, labeled with the name of the applicant and the research proposal (SURNAME_NAME_PROJECT NAME.pdf)
There is no entry fee for the call for fellows.
The jury and Het Nieuwe Instituut reserve the right to invite short-listed applicants to personal interviews.
Applications must be sent by March 28 to callforfellows@hetnieuweinstituut.nl
Questions can be sent to callforfellows@hetnieuweinstituut.nl
Responses to FAQ will be uploaded on this page.
[This document, albeit accurate at the time of writing, is not a completely developed contract nor legally binding. Selected applicants will be offered a complete contract in accordance with the laws of The Netherlands that are in force at the time of signing.]