#8 | Mutualisms
Deadline January 28th, 2024

In this latest iteration of “Together Apart,” we extend an invitation to reconvene, engaging in conceptual conversations and the creation of new works centered around the theme of Mutualisms. If logistical challenges prevent you from participating in an on-site residency—be it due to professional commitments, parental responsibilities, or financial constraints—this an online  shelter for artistic practices presents an excellent possibility to forge connections within our global community and avail yourself of the myriad opportunities it affords.

Several of the situations we are currently experiencing –which we could call a moment of collapse– are the consequence of a capitalist model that is based on an instrumental relationship with nature and on the separation between the human and the non-human. Models that resort to the invisibility of the interdependent relationships and care that make any form of life possible. Mutualisms, on the other hand, are very specific forms of ecological interaction in which 2 or more species benefit and do not create a parasitic competition. We consider this phenomenon, in which net interactions are created, as a key model to imagine and exercise different ways of coexistence, reparation and collaboration through and within the arts. 

To do so, we will draw on a wide variety of references, from ecofeminist theories, biology, plant-thinking philosophy, fungal ecologies, to arts and poetry theory. What can we learn from looking at the behaviour of plants and mushrooms (e.g.: mycelium or through specific processes as photosynthesis)? What are the different modes of collaboration that we establish with our environment and what forms of collaboration are possible within the arts? What are the promises of cohabitation in a time of massive human destruction?

DANIELA RUÍZ MORENO, program curator.

To dive into the theme Mutualisms, we will draw on ecofeminist theories and look at references from the arts in their broad spectrum. And we believe in the importance of using the online format, in addition to the face-to-face residencies that we carry out, so as to enable more accessible modes of encounter between artists living all over the world.

ABOUT THE TOGETHER APART PROGRAM

This program has already been completed by more than 150 artists, curators and academics from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Croatia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, England, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, United Arab Emirates, Mexico, USA, Holland, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela, and others. All of them working in a wide array of mediums, such as digital media, installation, print media, painting, performance, video, photography, poetry, sculpture, textile art, sound art, and more. In the past, after the end of the synchronic meetings, many of the participants have continued to do joint projects and all have expanded their networks of contacts, leaving us very stimulating testimonies that encourage us to continue with this program.