OPEN CALL for the Tokyo Art & Science Research Residency 2022

The Bioart Society is calling for Finnish artists and artists based in Finland to apply for a one month art & science research residency in Tokyo, Japan, during autumn and winter 2022. The residency will be hosted by BioClub Tokyo in partnership with the Finnish Institute in Japan.

Applications are submitted online via the form below including a research plan, portfolio and CV. The submission deadline is 13th May 2022, at 23.59 Finnish time.

The selection will be made by the board of the Bioart Society together with BioClub Tokyo and the Finnish Institute in Japan.

The residency will cover international and local travel, accommodation, working materials, access to workshops and local art & science communities for one artist for up to 4000 EURO.

During the residency, the facilities of the BioClub Tokyo will be available for the artist. This includes a fully equipped BSL1 lab, as well as a co-working space with fabrication equipment such as a laser cutter and a 3D printer. The artists need to cover their materials, reagents and plasticware. The residency will also support research visits within the wider network of BioClub Tokyo and the Finnish Institute in Japan, such as the metaPhorest Art & BioMedia Group at Waseda University and the BioLab at the Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media. Research that involves GMO work in the lab will need to be approved by the ethical review board of BioClub Tokyo.

The usage of the above-mentioned facilities is not a must, and we encourage artists to also apply with research ideas beyond biology and life sciences.

During their stay, the selected artist is expected to write posts about the residency in the artist’s and the organizers' social media channels. In addition, the artist is expected to keep a presentation for the local audience in Tokyo and Helsinki. After the residency, the artist is expected to make a final report on the residency period, which may be used by the organizers in their communications.

In the case of tangible residency related output, a potential exhibition at SOLU Space in Helsinki and or in Tokyo is possible.

The aim of the residency is to establish an ongoing exchange of artists between Finland and Japan working within the art & science field. Previous residencies have been awarded to Christina Stadlbauer (2018), Emilia Tikka (2019) and Johanna Rotko (2020).

For further questions, please, send an email to piritta.puhto@bioartsociety.fi.

The Bioart Society is developing, producing and facilitating activities around art and natural sciences, with an emphasis on biology, ecology and life sciences. Since 2010, Bioart Society has run the Ars Bioarctica art & science residency program at the Kilpisjärvi Biological Station of the University of Helsinki.

The BioClub Tokyo is a Community Bio Space in Shibuya. It was started in 2015 by Georg Tremmel, Shiho Fukuhara, Chiaki Hayashi and Mitsuhiro Suwa, it is supported by Loftwork and co-located with the FabCafe MTRL space. The BioClub organises weekly meetings, a range of entry-level hand-on courses and aims to create a playful, yet critical approach to the emerging biotechnologies and their impact on society.

The Finnish Institute in Japan is one of Finland’s cultural and academic institutes abroad. Serving as a link between Finland and Japan, it enables and develops cooperation between actors in science, culture, research and higher education. The Institute is located in Tokyo and organises programmes and projects with local partners, including several ongoing artist residencies for both Finnish and Japanese artists.

Image: Johanna Rotko's work by Tommi Mattila