The Institute for Postnatural Studies (IPS) announces GASP: Global African Situated Practices, a six-week artistic research residency in Madrid, Spain for one individual based in any of the 54 African states. Running from 15 October to 30 November, 2025, the residency supports interdisciplinary and socially engaged practices at the intersection of art, ecology, and research. IPS has appointed LuCAC - Lusaka Contemporary Art Centre, Zambia as the guest jury of experts reviewing the applications.

GASP functions both as an acronym and a metaphor: a gasp for breath and a gasp of astonishment—responding to the suffocation and shocks brought about by ecological crisis and its transformations.  It asks: 

What lessons about climatic survival may we derive from the territories we participate in?

And with that, HOW MAY THE WORLD BREATHE AGAIN?

Based in Madrid, this residency will serve as a dynamic hub of exchange connecting the selected resident with artists, researchers, and practitioners in Spain, the broader Mediterranean region, and Latin America.

We welcome individuals whose practice is deeply connected to their local context in the African continent, working in fields including:

• Visual arts

• Research and education in the arts, culture, or humanities

• Curation and cultural programming

• Archiving and library practices

• Community leadership in socially engaged art

Collectives and duos are not eligible to apply.

Applicants may propose new or ongoing multidisciplinary projects that engage with climate-related issues (e.g. heat, drought, eco-territorial concerns) and work meaningfully within specific communities, geographies, or sociopolitical contexts in the African continent.

• Accommodation at IPS (private room, bathroom, kitchen, lounge, and shared workspaces)

• Studio space shared with IPS team

• Curatorial mentorship and one-on-one guidance

• Public presentation of the project (format co-designed with IPS)

• Access to local networks of artists, curators, and cultural platforms

• Visits to institutions and independent spaces in Madrid

• Supporting documents for visa application process, including letter of invitation

  • IPS cannot guarantee the successful processing of a Schengen visa but can recommend how to navigate the process in general terms

Financial Support

• 3,000 Euros artist honorarium grant - to be paid in two installments - the resident will be asked to generate an invoice documenting each payment

• 2,000 Euros joint travel and production budget - whose direct purchases (example: flight tickets) will be administered by IPS

Applications are accepted in*:

• English

• Spanish

• French

• Portuguese

*We recognize that these languages are merely lingua franca present in different regions of the continent. Applicants may also include supporting materials in their mother tongue/local language, with brief translations or contextual summaries for the jury to grasp a sense of what the projects are about.

Applications open 22 April 2025. Submit your application by 31 May 2025 at 23:59 CET through the online form:

• GASP - Form in English

• GASP - Formulario en español

• GASP - Formulaire en français

• GASP - Formulário em português

Shortlisted applicants will be contacted on June 10, 2025 to schedule a brief interview with the selection committee. Final selection will be made by June 20, 2025

If you have any questions, please get in touch with us at info@instituteforpostnaturalstudies.org

• Weekly check-ins with the IPS team

• Site visits and local engagement with actors the Madrid contemporary art scene

• Group critique sessions with colleagues in the city 

• Contribution to a final public program

• Creation of a multimedia archive of their residency experience

Institute for Postnatural Studies (IPS)

The Institute for Postnatural Studies (IPS) is a cultural platform whose work focuses on the relationship between contemporary artistic practices and the necessary revision of the concept of nature, offering itself as an open space for exchange that connects production with critical thinking. At a time of ecological fragility, and focused on the challenges posed by the climate crisis, the IPS seeks to bring together artistic processes, local and international. Founded in 2020, it is conceived as a networked platform that brings together artists and researchers concerned with ecology through experimental formats of exchange and open knowledge production.

From its headquarters located in the Usera district of Madrid, IPS aims to become a tool for transformation, offering new approaches to creation in all its formats, from conceptualization, production, programming, editing, exchange, and documentation. The 300m² space houses the residency space, which hosts stays of varying lengths for emerging artists and thinkers.

Through processual projects or research that can draw on our network and infrastructure, the residencies are conceived as opportunities for collaboration with local agents and spaces for creation and research. The IPS has an accommodation space for residents on the first floor, with a kitchen, living room, and dining room, as well as a separate bathroom and bedroom. In addition, the headquarters has a production workshop, shared workspaces and open space where the Institute's thematic and action lines converge through the invitation to artists, researchers, and cultural agents to create dialogues with the participants of its programme and the general public.

LuCAC – Lusaka Contemporary Art Centre

The Lusaka Contemporary Art Centre (LuCAC) is a private, non-profit, public-facing institution dedicated to artistic research, exhibitions, and resource development. It comprises a gallery, a library, art residency facilities, and art studios. LuCAC promotes continued decolonization, fostering both formal and informal artistic research and experimentation. The Centre challenges dominant “colonized”; narratives, interrogates common stories and histories, and seeks to influence equitable and self-aware human development. Through its programs, LuCAC amplifies the voices of artists and communities, enabling them to express themselves, participate in public life, and challenge structures of power. LuCAC is committed to advancing artistic development in Zambia and beyond, recognizing the hybrid nature of societies shaped by migration, immigration, and globalization. As an artist-driven project space and cultural repository, LuCAC aims to increase the visibility of Zambian contemporary art, positioning itself as a dynamic axis for radical knowledge production and creative experimentation. By doing so, it creates platforms for marginalized voices to be heard and fosters a culture of accountability and critical engagement. The Centre’s core activities include: ● LuCAC Library: A repository of exhibition catalogues, research publications, and archival materials accessible for public engagement and scholarly inquiry. ● Artist-in-Residence (AIR) Program: An initiative inviting local and international artists, researchers, and curators to immerse themselves in Lusaka’s arts, culture, and social environment, fostering knowledge exchange and community engagement. ● Education and Outreach: Collaborative extracurricular programs with schools and community groups aimed at fostering artistic literacy, innovation, and critical engagement. ● Public Programs and Exhibitions: Showcasing contemporary art that challenges social norms, sparks dialogue, and contributes to cultural advocacy.

Victor Mutelekesha Founder & Artistic Director, LuCAC Victor Mutelekesha, born in 1976, is a Zambian artist currently working between Oslo, Norway, and Lusaka, Zambia. He is the founder of the Lusaka Contemporary Art Centre and was educated at the National Arts Academy in Oslo and Evelyn Hone College in Lusaka. He is a Smithsonian Artists Research Fellow for 2016-2017 and a 2004 Ford Fellow. Since 2004, he has been featured in several local and international group and solo exhibitions, including the Dakar Biennale, Havana Biennial, OpenART International Art Symposium in Sweden, and he contributed to the NSK State Pavilion at the 2017 Venice Biennale. His work has been showcased at the Stavanger Museum, Kunstnerforbundet Gallery for Contemporary Art in Oslo, Gallery Palazzo Tito in Venice, Italy, and the Akershus Kunstsenter, now known as the Nitja Center for Contemporary Art. Victor is a multidisciplinary artist addressing recurring issues that affect the human condition, such as conflict stemming from the divisive mechanisms of identity and unfounded, unscientific prejudices toward these identities. His focus also aims to expand the understanding of what diaspora, hybridity, and identity encompass to alleviate conflict.

Uzi Chinyonga Administrator, LuCAC Uzi Chinyonga is a multidisciplinary professional with a background in law and a strong interest in the intersections of art, technology, and administration. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in law and has completed various certifications, including ALX Virtual Assistant, Introduction to SQL, Fundamentals of Cybersecurity, Climate Change and Human Rights, and a Primer on Intellectual Property. She currently serves as the Administrator at the Lusaka Contemporary Art Centre (LuCAC), where she oversees daily operations and events among others. She also has experience in Blockchain and Web3 technologies, having facilitated sessions at the Women in Tech workshop in 2023. As part of her diverse portfolio, she served as project manager of the Martin Abasi Phiri Retrospective Project. Bruno Milambo Curatorial & Research Assistant, LuCAC Bruno Milambo is a versatile artist and curatorial assistant with experience in exhibition-making, art practice, and cultural programming. He has received training in curatorial practice and various art disciplines from institutions such as the National Art Gallery of Namibia, Goethe-Institut, and the University of Namibia. His work has been showcased in multiple group exhibitions in Namibia and Zambia, and he has participated in several art competitions and a residency. Bruno’s practice extends across different artistic mediums, and he is actively engaged in fostering artistic discourse and curatorial development. As part of his broader work, he served as a curatorial assistant for the Martin Abasi Phiri Retrospective Project. Isaac Kalambata Artist & LuCAC Associate Isaac Kalambata is a Lusaka-based artist whose practice interrogates the gaps and silences within official histories and archives, revealing how these omissions contribute to power imbalances. Through his work, he challenges dominant narratives and brings forth alternative stories and perspectives, using critical fabulation as a central discourse—blending reality and fiction to construct new ways of seeing. Working across painting and installation, Isaac explores the role of myth and myth-making in shaping cultural identity, drawing from oral traditions and folklore to examine the relationships between humans, the supernatural, and indigenous knowledge systems. His artistic practice is deeply rooted in the broader project of decolonization, seeking to amplify marginalized voices and create spaces for imagination, resistance, and the possibility of a more just and equitable world. This residency is made possible with the support of the Madrid City Council's Department of Culture, Tourism, and Sports.