Experiences with Stroomversneller: Anna de Vriend, Anne Schoemaker & Kai - Hibernation

Hibernation

"The goal of the residency was to create a sense of calm and time for reflection on the practice of art and the art academy. In the contemporary art world, a certain image is created of what it means to be a successful artist and how to achieve that. Especially in the first few years after graduating from the academy, this creates a lot of pressure and expectations."

During Hibernation, the six of us realized that a successful artistic career is something you shape for yourself, based on your own standards, values, and skills. The circumstances surrounding Hibernation—the winter, the seclusion, the tranquility, and each other—created an environment in which we could learn from one another, without an externally imposed structure, as would be the case at an art academy. We found this form of education to be extremely valuable. Thanks to the absence of power structures and hierarchies, there was plenty of room for open communication.

During the residency, we worked as a group on a number of podcast episodes, which can be listened to on our website (www.hibernation.gay), and on a zine. We wanted to create the zine as a collective collage of our time there. That’s why we decided not to include any names, so that none of the material incorporated into it is claimed by a single artist but is instead seen as a product of the context and situation we were all in together.

"We found the residency to be a truly special experience during which we were able to take matters into our own hands. We’re moving forward together as the HIBERNATION collective, and if you’re interested in what we do, be sure to keep an eye on our website!"

About Stroomversneller

Stroomversneller a grant program that supports new initiatives in their artistic development by giving them room to experiment. The goal is to help these initiatives gain momentum in an accessible way, without too many restrictions or obligations.

Click here for more information about Stroomversneller.