NEW LIFE RESIDENCY is the world's first non-visual residency program for artists. The residency is organized as part of Manifesta 8, the European Biennial of Contemporary Art, and will take place this fall in the Region of Murcia, Spain.

For one week each, five artists will be selected to live and work in a dark, visually distorted exhibition space. To support them in their life and work for the week, the artist will collaborate with a local Murcian assistant who is blind.

In cooperation with her/his assistant, the artist will use the one-week residency to create a guided tour of the non-visual space and experience in which s/he is living. The guided tour will take place on the last day of the residency and will be open to the biennial audience. The blind assistant will be the guide of this work in darkness.

All applicants must apply with their precise concept for this guided tour. A tour of a social sculpture, so to speak.

Additional to the guided tour, the five selected concept proposals will furthermore be exhibited in one of the main museum locations of Manifesta 8 and will be on view throughout the biennial from October 7th, 2010 (preview) to January 9th, 2011.

The five residency periods are:
October 4th to October 9th, 2010
October 11th to October 16th, 2010
October 18th to October 23th, 2010
October 25th to October 30th, 2010
November 1st to November 6th, 2010

Selected artists will arrive Sunday, begin their residency Monday and have the final guided tour the following Saturday.

Due to the site-specific nature of the project and its local collaboration, applicants who speak Spanish will be preferred.

Travel, living and production costs will be covered for the selected artists.