APRIL 14 - MAY 4, 2008

Application Deadline: January 18, 2008

MARK DION, visual artist

Mark Dion is a visual artist who over the past 20 years has focused his investigation on the complex history of the representation of nature, the practice of archeology and the culture of collecting. The forms of his projects are diverse and include architectural scale public works, sculpture, drawing, printmaking and photography. Yet all these endeavors are unified by a critical approach to the exploration of the culture of nature, meaning a consideration of ideas about nature rather than nature itself. One of Dion’s most recent projects is a vast vivarium or green house structure which hosts a massive 160 year old nurse long – one of the new permanent commissions for the Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park. Numerous survey exhibitions of his work have traveled Europe, the most recent of which, The natural history of the Museum, was initiated by the Carre d’Art in Nimes, France and has traveled to Sweden and Switzerland. His work is extensively represented in museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Tate Modern in London. He has exhibited in well over 100 group exhibitions and is represented by Tonya Bonakdar Gallery in New York, Gerog Kargl in Vienna, Galerie Christian Nagel in Cologne and Berlin, and IN SITU Fabienne Leclerc in Paris. Dion lives in Pennsylvania and New York City, and works worldwide.

* For more information on Mark Dion, please visit www.tanyabonakdargallery.com

RESIDENCY STATEMENT

For the Atlantic Center for the Arts residency I am particularly enthusiastic about the possibility of working with artists who share a passionate interest in nature, social history and a critical approach to the culture of nature. Applying artists may work in a wide variety of media and I would even encourage artistic approaches as broad as wildlife art and illustration to video and relational aesthetics. The focus of the residency would be an exploration of the discourse of the visual culture of nature however, the methodology will be playful rather than rigorously scientific or academic. In addition to looking at the participants work and reading relevant texts, other group activities might include hiking, bird watching, screening nature documentaries, pressing seaweed specimens, game playing (croquet in particular). I intend on arranging one to one meetings with each participant to discuss their artistic goals and interests. These meetings would explore the artists’ proclivities and personal pursuits – drawing, driving, eating, bowling, whatever. Hardworking intelligent artists of generous dispositions and expansive curiosities are encouraged to apply. While at ACA I shall also be working on the completion of an exhibition around the 18th Century explorer/artist/botanist William Bartram, as well as working with composer David Lang on our collaborative opera, “Anatomy Theater.” Thus there shall be ample opportunity to observe and discuss working methods and practical aspects of contemporary artistic practice and collaboration.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants for this residency should submit a biography as well as a brief statement explicating their artistic goals, development and inspirations. Images of finished works should be provided and while I would prefer 8.5 x11” print outs of work, slides, DVDs or other formats will be acceptable. If the applicant would like to develop a specific project over the course of the residency I would like to know about it with some detail. Ideally it would be good if each artist participant could fully accomplish a project during the three week period however, this is not a requirement.

Atlantic Center for the Arts is pleased to announce, through the generous support of the Joan Mitchell Foundation, all painters and sculptors accepted into the 2008 Master Artists-in-Residence programs who demonstrate need will be recommended to receive full financial aid to attend the residency program. Artists from other disciplines may apply to ACA's Financial Aid program.