AADK Spain / Spain
Submission Deadline: 15-Nov-2026
Category: Residency
City or region: Blanca

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Sympoiesis (from the Greek sún, “with,” and poiesis, “creation/production”) is a term coined by feminist biologist and philosopher Donna Haraway. She closely
connects it to Lynn Margulis’s theory of endosymbiosis, which explains how life evolved through cooperation and the fusion of different cells.
In her book Staying with the Trouble, Haraway proposes that nothing is created alone (autopoiesis); rather, everything is created “with” others in complex, dynamic, and
situated networks. In an artistic context, this means moving beyond the 20th-century anthropocentric idea of the artist as a solitary genius, and instead inviting
collaboration between humans and “non-humans” (plants, animals, microorganisms, materials, tech- nology). It involves approaching nature—not as a mere material
resource—but as an ally with whom to create jointly. It is about generating the conditions for nature to express itself through associative processes, and recognizing
the landscape, the land, and its elements as co-authors of the work.
We can also understand sympoiesis as an art of interdependence, revealing how human actions and ecosystem responses are intertwined. Similarly, participatory and
community-based art projects can be seen as ways of weaving networks and generating new social ecosystems.
(If you are missing an English description here, please check under the link of the original call, see above.)
Application fee: no fee indicated
Age restriction: Minimum age 18
Regional restriction: international call