Resident artists at
TEA Tenerife Espacio de las Artes
5 art projects - 5 workshops/studios - 11 weeks

The exhibition dynamics of contemporary art museums often becomes tedious even for greatest enthusiasts of cutting-edge creative productions. The activity focusing on temporary exhibitions-which has long constituted the central role of these museums, in addition to the development of their collections-should coexist with another type of actions and practices that, while still pertaining to museum activity, also enable approaching art from other perspectives, broadening knowledge without restricting it to the mere visual inter-action with the works.

In an effort to diversify its activities and seeking to engage artists and audiences as much as possible TEA is temporarily converting one of its exhibition spaces into five workshop/studios for artists to work in. Aware of how difficult it is for artists to find spaces in which to carry out their work, TEA transforms a place for contemplation into a production site. Through this experiment it will provide a needed workplace, a workshop/studio for the production of artworks that may otherwise never see the light.

This experience will also give rise to another type of exhibition: rather than showing the finished product, which sometimes takes on fetish connotations, the production process of that product will be featured. The aura of the piece is relinquished in order to focus on the effort of the creative process. And visitors will have the opportunity to step beyond the passive observance of the work and becoming active with the artist, whom they may ask questions or with whom they might even strike up a conversation.

The space.
The C space at TEA, structurally arranged into five sections, is being converted into a workplace for five artists or groups of artists who will set up their individual workshop/studios and produce their artworks in them.

The time
* Work will be done in the workshop/studios from January 21st until April 10th 2011, that is, for eleven weeks. The workshop/studios will be open from 10 in the morning until 8 in the evening.

* The artists will work in the workshop/studios at least half that time-five hours-five days a week.

The offer
* TEA offers the space, for free. The spaces are between 70 and 95 square metres each.

* TEA provides each selected artist or group a €500 monetary aid to be used to cover any expenses they may have during the time they are at TEA.

* For five different weeks TEA will invite another five artists-of eminence and heavily engaged in workshop or studio production with assistants. These guest artists will remain in the workshop/studios for two days each. Their participation will consist in dialoguing and interacting with the resident artists, offering suggestions, conducting mini-seminars with or without other outside participants, etc.

* In addition, the TEA team will employ its human resources to provide the artists with anything they might need, minimizing their expenses. And TEA pledges to inform art critics, collectors and cultural agents about the endeavour and the works underway.

* The artists must explain their work to visitors who may approach them throughout the day.

The result
* The aim is that by the end of ten weeks a finished body of works will have been produced, so that it may remain on exhibit for public viewing for another week.

* Artists who wish or need to may continue working for an eleventh week.

* The resulting works will belong to the artists. The works must be removed from TEA within two weeks after the workshops end.

The limitations
Artists must bear in mind that the spaces converted into workshop/studios will be on museum premises, so the productions must be compatible with this situation. This means that it is not recommended to submit projects that require the use of heavy and/or excessively noisy machinery, fire, toxic materials, etc.

Submissions and closing dates
* From November 15th to December 10th 2010 the artists or groups who aspire to make use of one of these spaces must submit
(1) application with personal details
(2) curriculum vitae and
(3) project to develop during TEA residency
3.1.- description of project concept
3.2.- specification of materials and tools to be used
3.3.- list of phases of development
3.4.- mention of outside technical support services needed
3.5.- indication of additional circumstances and needs

* Applicants:
** Applicant artists or groups may be of any age and from any country
** Apart from the abovementioned monetary aid, TEA will not cover any of the expenses incurred by any of the selected artists, such as transport, accommodations, meals, materials...but it will seek to secure the best possible prices.
* A jury consisting of TEA managers, teachers and art administrators will examine the applications submitted and make a decision on December 16th and 17th.
* On December 20th all applicants will be informed of the names of the chosen artists.
* On January 21st the workshop/studios will begin.

Address for submissions:
TEA Tenerife Espacio de las Artes
c/ San Sebastián 8
38003 Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Canary Islands. Spain
Or by email: tea@tenerife.es