StArt Art Gallery and OMDis have announced that applications for the 2023 Baker’s Bay Artists’ Retreat are now open.
The retreat is scheduled to take place from 7-24 September 2023 in Oranjemund and all professional artists are encouraged to apply..
The deadline for applications is 27 July 2023 at 17h00.
An Artists’ Retreat will be part of the ‘Art Can Transform’ project initiated by OMDis Town Transform Agency in Oranjemund, with sponsorship and support from Namdeb Diamond Corporation.
This will be the third iteration of the project. The first retreat in 2021 saw six artists living and working at the deserted mining town of Bogenfels in the Tsau //Khaeb National Park in 2021 and the 2022 retreat had 13 artists at Baker’s Bay also in the Tsau //Khaeb National Park. Artworks from both
retreats were exhibited in Oranjemund and Windhoek.
According to the organisers of the event, artists who attend the 2023 retreat will be provided with dedicated working time and space in a unique and isolated part of Namibia that is largely still inaccessible to the public.
“This is a unique opportunity for artists to engage with the environment of this area as well as with their fellow artists, an experience that could enhance their creative practice,” said the organisers
Since the mining town of Oranjemund was opened to the public in 2017, stakeholders have been devising ways to diversify the economy for the town and its inhabitants. Art has proven a means of economic revival, with public artworks offering creative and unique experiences for locals and tourists alike.
Tourism, enriched by the arts, has been identified as a possible income-generating avenue for the town, particularly considering its proximity to the Tsau //Khaeb National Park, formerly known as the Sperrgebiet.
This area has incredible geographical, biological, social and historical significance.
Through art, complex themes and information can be highlighted, communicated, and made accessible to non-expert audiences.
“This makes art a perfect conduit to spread the messages associated with the National Park, its unique history, and the significant environmental importance of this area.”
This year’s retreat will focus on the theme ‘Creative Rehabilitation’. Artists will be encouraged to explore the potential role that creativity and art can play in the rehabilitation of the former mining area and what is left behind when mining ceases.
During the 2022 retreat, many artists created artworks using recycled metals from an old dump near Baker’s Bay, opening up the potential for this project to positively influence the natural environment through re-purposing and re-imagining waste, breathing life into redundant infrastructure and man-made landscapes.
The creative potential of this retreat acts as an incubator for artists to explore ways in which existing/abandoned infrastructure and other areas affected by mining in the park might be recycled, reimagined or repurposed.
For information on eligibility and how to apply, interested artists can visit:
www.startartgallery.com/exhibitions/applications-for-2023-bakers-bay-artists-retreat.