Publishing Ecology is a yearly opportunity to develop an artist’s practice through a residency and publishing award. With a new theme chosen yearly, this award arises from the initiatives of publisher Loose Joints and residency program Mahler & LeWitt Studios in Spoleto, Italy to support and champion visual narratives relevant to our contemporary moment.

In 2023 we are pleased to partner with innovative magazine Atmos for Publishing Ecology: an award inviting applications from artists engaging with the anthropocene, climate change and the environment.

The opportunity includes a month in residence at the Mahler & LeWitt Studios in Sep–Oct 2023, where the winner will be able to develop work for a book, which will be edited, designed and published by Loose Joints in Summer 2024 with launch events in London and Marseille.

We invite applications from artists who wish to propose how they would use their time in residence to develop ongoing projects or create new work connected to these themes, with an eventual publication in mind.

The award includes:

• A residency at the Mahler & LeWitt Studios in Spoleto, Italy, including independent accommodation and studio space, 11 September - 08 October 2023.

• 30 euros per diem during the residency period.

• Residency production budget (up to 500 euros).

• Round-trip travel, excluding transfers.

• Curatorial support: mentoring and feedback from the Mahler & LeWitt Studios during residency period.

• Editorial support: development and editing of a book to be designed and published by Loose Joints in 2024.

• Development sessions with Loose Joints and Atmos while artist-in-residence.

• Exhibition/book launch events in London, UK and Marseille, FR.

Eligibility:

• We expect the applicant to commit to a period of research and development at the Mahler & LeWitt Studios.
• Participation in an informal Open Studios event at the close of the residency, where work-in-progress may be shared with our audiences.
• As part of the process of evaluating the residency and reflecting on their work in Spoleto, each resident is asked to develop a contribution to an end-of-year Mahler & LeWitt Studios publication, made available online and in print. Previous contributions have included interviews with the curator, texts, original artworks or a combination of all three.
• To work collaboratively after the residency and enter into a publishing agreement with Loose Joints. To collaborate on concept, edit, sequence and design of a publication, released Spring/Summer 2024.

Judging Criteria

The award is open to:

• Artists engaging with the anthropocene, climate change and the environment.

• Proposals that directly engage with photography as part of their outcome.

• Professionals who are at any stage in their careers but who are not currently in higher education.

• People of any age or nationality.

• The successful applicant will be able to attend the residency in Spoleto, Italy, and be eligible to travel according to any international requirements.

About the Award

The Loose Joints and Mahler & LeWitt Studios Publishing Award is a yearly opportunity to develop an artist’s practice through a residency and book award, focused on a curated theme. With a new theme chosen yearly, this award arises from the initiatives of publisher Loose Joints and residency program Mahler & LeWitt Studios in Spoleto, Italy toward supporting and championing visual narratives relevant to our contemporary moment.

Loose Joints is an award-winning independent publishing house based in Marseille and founded in London by Sarah Piegay Espenon and Lewis Chaplin in 2014. Loose Joints collaborates with leading and emerging artists on contemporary approaches to photography in book form, circulating new visual perspectives through a dedicated list seeking to elevate underrepresented voices in photographic discourse. Loose Joints also operates a graphic design studio, and also runs Ensemble: a bookshop and gallery space dedicated to contemporary photography in Marseille, France.

Mahler & LeWitt Studios Our residencies and special projects are established around the former studios of stone sculptor Anna Mahler (1904-1988) and conceptual artist Sol LeWitt (1928-2007) in Spoleto, Umbria IT. The residencies provide a focused and stimulating environment for artists, curators and writers to develop new ways of working in dialogue with peers and the unique cultural heritage of the region. Each residency is facilitated in response to an individual’s needs and interests, with each resident provided with accommodation and 24-hour access to a studio.