The emphasis will be on the artist-to-artist relationship and the quality and richness that this gives to the understanding and development of art works.
The usually unrecorded temporary coalitions, and small groups that form within the art world to propagate ideas and concepts, will be put centre-stage. The history of modern and contemporary art is also the history of these networks. The work and research of these groups is often totally lost.
The aim of the residency network is to retrieve and house this research, and make it available in a constructive and accessible way through exhibition, websites, publication and workshops.The programme, like the Treignac project itself, is modeled on the University where research and teaching, auto-administration, and academic independence, all come together through the efforts of a Corporation of Peers.
The artist is always engaged with the conditions of possibility that lead up to an artwork, which comes from research and dialogue in many forms. Culture, geography, people and politics all have an effect on the way the artist engages in any peer group, and also how this group organises itself. This organisation reflects the situation, which in turn affects the nature and direction of artistic investigation. Organisation is also one of the modes that information takes, and these modes and systems are technological developments that are available to further research.
The residency networks provide access to the world and impact of an artwork in a more readily accessible form. The dynamism of the artistic approach is clearly mapped out giving insight into artistic activity as they are being developed.
The STUDIO residencies are complemented by a Cenobitic residency placement, where artists can work privately at Treignac and join in the informal discussions and critique at the project.
From 2009 residencies will be fully extended