Helena Keskküla Receives ISCP Studio Grant in New York
The Estonian Contemporary Art Development Center (ECADC) is pleased to announce the results of the 2023 open call for the International Studio and Curatorial Program (ISCP) two-month artist’s residency in New York. An international jury consisting of curators Ilari Laamanen, Kari Conte, and Karin Laansoo has awarded the grant to Helena Keskküla.
The jury valued Helena Keskküla’s strong portfolio and her recent projects. The jury was impressed by Keskküla’s artistic practice, which interprets Estonian mythology in a contemporary way by intertwining stone-carving with performance art through the female gaze. The ISCP residency will allow the artist to take time to analyze her previous work and to develop new ideas, as well as visit various art institutions in New York. Keskküla will introduce and present her practice during the annual ISCP Open Studio program in November.
Helena Keskküla is an Estonian artist whose previous work has mainly been in the fields of video, performance, and installation. She likes to use humor and self-consciousness as well as failures to tackle universal themes. In 2015 she graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts and in 2021 received her master’s degree from the Fine Arts program of Sandberg Institute, Gerrit Rietveld Academy. In the last three years her artistic practice has focused on mythology and stone-carving, which she entwines with performance and contemporary materials. Keskküla is currently working on a commission for the Vleeshal Center for Contemporary Art in Middelburg in the Netherlands. Her new series of granite and concrete sculptures designed for public spaces will be presented on June 3rd. The event is accompanied by a 17-hour performance from sunrise to sunset.
The International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP) supports the creative development of artists and curators, and promotes exchange through residencies and public programs. ISCP is housed in a former factory building in Brooklyn; it has 35 studios, 2 galleries, and a project space. Since 2015, Estonians Marge Monko, Rael Artel, Paul Kuimet, Anu Vahtra, Laura Põld, Mia Raadik, and Taavi Suisalu have taken part in the ISCP residency.
The ISCP-ECADC residency takes place between October 1st and November 30th, 2023. The stipend is supported by the Estonian Contemporary Art Development Center and the Estonian Ministry of Culture.