The Walker Plinth Commissions

Void Gallery is seeking applications from artists from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland for The Walker Plinth Commission, part of Void Offsite. Through generous funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs, two opportunities are now available for 2020 and 2021.

Taking the Walker Plinth on the Derry Walls as a starting point, artists will be asked to develop a project with the community that surrounds the plinth, animating the area and encouraging residents and visitors to look at where they are from, from a different perspective.

imescale & Key dates:

March

March 23rd: Application deadline
March 25-27th: Review applications
March 31st: Interviews

April – May 2020

April 2nd: Artists appointed
Site visits, community meetings, research and development continue​

May – August 2020

Design and production

September

Installation and project launch

Budget:

There is a total budget of £10,000 for each commission. This includes an artist fee of £2000.

This includes all installation and fabrication costs.

How to apply:

Please email the following to Maeve on engage@derryvoid.com by 5pm on the 23rd March 2020

Please write The Walker Commission in the email subject line and include the following:

our contact details (name, address, email, phone number)
An expression of interest outlining:

• Why you are applying for the opportunity
• How you would approach developing the commission

* You can submit this in writing (up to 800 words) or as a video (up to 5 minutes)

Examples of your work

• A link to your website
• OR up to ten images with an image list detailing title, media, date, size, etc.
• OR a link to a showreel (up to 5 minutes)

We welcome artists with different experiences and backgrounds. 2 artists will be chosen; one from Northern Ireland and one from the Republic of Ireland.  It is expected that you will demonstrate one or more of the following attributes:

• An interest in Derry, its culture and heritage.
• An ability to collaborate in your art practice
• An established approach to working with communities and in public spaces.
• An ability to deliver public artwork

About Void

Void is a contemporary art space with up to 5 exhibitions per year showing the work of established international and Irish artists. A key element to the gallery is the Void Engage programme, which places participation, engagement and learning at the heart of Void, making contemporary visual art accessible to visitors of all ages.

About the Walker Commission

The Walker Commission is part of Void Offsites, a key element of our programme. In 2018, we produced the UK premier of Douglas Gordon’s film, Portrait of Janus in collaboration with Locus+ at St. Columb’s Hall and the first intervention on the Walker Plinth took place with Italian artist Alex Cecchetti’s The Astronomic Weather Choir. In 2019, London artist Candida Powell Williams sonic arrangements in the infinite fill took place on the Walker Plinth. You can view images of both projects at www.derryvoid.com.

The selection panel will be announced shortly.

If you have any questions, please contact Maeve Butler on engage@derryvoid.com