The site is up!

Well, some time has passed since my last post, but no time has been wasted! The official CICER website is up and running, although with some slight miss-steps, but its function is erect!
There, persons of interest will be able to review previous residencies and access information on what the residency is about; if they are new to the game!
It has been some labor putting it up, mostly labour that is not part of the residency, working and organizing ones personal life, but when possible the gears have been pushed so they can produce the best possible speed; the site is up and that is great.

I am now aligning residents for next year, those who will be invited. Next year is an 'invitation only' event. There will four weeks of residency compared to the normal five weeks which will be the norm for the following years.
We will also have six residents instead of the usual five. By having an invitation only crew I will be able to run a second pilot, where their concerns about the running and functioning of the residency will enable CICER to be better prepared for it's official inauguration in 2011. Application will be accepted for that year towards the end of 2010.

Well, that is it for the moment, though there is much more to say, sometimes less is best! Glad to be rolling again, glad the project continues!

Check back soon, and don't forget to visit us officially at www.capeverderesidency.org

In to the New Year...

Good day all... and Happy New Year. Yes I understand that it is already close to the end of the first month, but never to late to welcome and be welcomed in to a new year. It is a year which has seen already incredible things happen, from unjust killings by nations states to hopeful biginnings from a powerful arm, let's see what else the year has to give!

CICER is in progress to try and fund the lodging for all residents starting 2012. I am looking to secure funding through some resources in the island and by looking to find support for exhibitions in 2012 and 2013. What this means is that residents in 2012 may be able to come having only to pay for their air trips, which is close to where I originally wanted to get to; where residents would pay no expense.

With this topic though I have been reminded of a strong feeling I carry with me, which is that we should all contribute to things we like, experiences which may change our ways of thought and creative output. What this means is that it may not be too sensible to have everything payed for for residents, where residents, literally, pay for nothing. There is something to be said for paying for something you care for, having contributed financially to something that may change you or alter you way of creating. I mentioned this previously on a passed blog, and have sense been reminded by friends that I should keep this concern in mind. I will work on it and see where it goes. It could be that any other funds which CICER secures goes to CICER Community, a partisan organization of CICER. They will be looking to do community projects, and whenever possible help in community outreach and awareness. More on them in time.
Will be back with further news soon. Stay safe and constructive!

C U SOON and
BEST WISHES to A NEW HEAD OF STATE, MR. BARACK OBAMA.

In the near future!

Though it has been a bit of time since the last post, thoughts, felling and everyday eating still continues to be had. CICER will soon be working on its website for both the Residency and the Foundation. For all those who have inquired about the Residency please e-mail me directly on my email address: arocha@saic.edu. By doing so I can respond to you quicker!
As we stand, due to some personal issues in 2008, 2009 CICER residency will not be taking place. Seeing as we are still in the construction stage, this is not bad. We look to launch both the Residency and the Foundation next year with celebrations in more then three countries, United States, England, Spain and Cape Verde. All information will be provided when the time comes. We will still be holding three more years of residency based on personal invitations only, after these three years we will be opening up the Residency for open applications.
We should be posting again in the beginning of the year, we hope that by then the website will be in play.

Kind regards, and please read on below to find out more about CICER 2008, A Personal Journal
CICER

Gestation...

Gestation!

Yes...

Why?

Needed.

For how long?

Just a little bit...

Currently working through some other projects, will be updating the CICER Blog in a couple of months... please view website http://www.antoniorocha.com/ for upcoming projects or events... or possibly the return of 'happenings' ...WHAT?.

The Compilation of Ideas

I will soon have to compile a list of persons of Cultural interest who will make up next year's residents, this, off-course, will depend on their acceptance. With funding not yet secured the residents will have to pay for this trip themselves. They will have to see the importance in it so as to be able to give it their time. I am not apart from such works of self duty, having to work for something you see value in. The only thing I can provide right now, with regards to cost, is a remarkable price for lodging. They will pay about half the price they would pay for any other opportunity of the sort, so on this I feel there is already a high incentive being presented.

The compilation of ideas, as the tittle suggests, will come from different artist. This to me is the interesting space, prior to the physical space the residence itself occupies. Choosing persons who will come together is very important. Arranging a group who will accent each other will bring about a cohesion that can be strong and influential in the island. They may choose to be more closely productive based on that cohesion. They may find the connection in their practice and attitudes to be advantageous; abling them to push their elements and processes of creativity to different thinking localities, ale then to create interesting work. But something also has to be said about partly discarding the attitude for 'matching people.' How will they behave with inherent frictions in their works and personalities. Dialogue is a very important part of this residency and dialogue happens in many different ways, even the act of ignoring is a method of communicating. People react to spaces of unease, and discomfort, great work also comes from this. I do want there to be a level of individuality, this is the reason why there are encouragements for individual studies while in the island. I hope this will allow residents to space out, branch into their own moads of adjustment and investigation. All this is without the adjoining element of the Cape Verdean Creatives. They too will have their distinct attitudes. Language will come in to play when accessibility and is favored based on immediate conversation and understanding. The simplicity on their end is that they are Cape Verdean and they live there, but these coming residents are multi-disciplined and international; they will first have to study each other, and then be studied themselves, while studying practically everything else.

My mind is gearing up for this. I will soon write a list and compile the necessary fronts for a productive 09 residency. There were Creatives of the islands who actually asked for certain types of people to come, people that would most likely benefit them, or their parties, be it dancers, writers, etc... but I won't let this determine the group. The persons of residence will already be different in practices, and seeing as one of my goals is the opening of disciplines, having someone work with what they have may prove more beneficial when it comes to opening one's practice. The Artist in that sense of department and definition will no longer be, it is the Creative who will motivate the new highly discursive art works of the new millennium.

Back in the big city with the thoughts of CICER

As time moves you settle in to the next thing. It may be your work or home, even room, food, transportation, all that may be. The time which has just passed, which at times made you think of everything different, some how flows passively by as if it were of another period of time, like dinosaurs. It is very interesting how modern worlds make you forget. They quickly bath you in things like bills and travel, mundane work, and plastic eating. Back from Cape Verde and my mind wants desperately to uniform itself back to the way things were prior to me leaving; but I can not let it happen. This is not just due to events which continue to circle my mind, but also the arrogance I hold towards such powers of influence. I may here be speaking more pressingly about London, how it is busy and you are in turn busy in it, but are you; am I? I have time to contemplate and plate what I am doing, but I hurry with the ever present reality--given to me and shown to me whenever I walk--that things here are happening and happening now. I rush to think of my slow speed and then realize I have been moving faster then most, but it is not the 'most' that I worry about, or wonder about, it is the few, those promoted widely in places like London; those writers that are written about, those artists that are arted about. Are you making the mark needed? i ask myself, the etching, the engraving? Have you started? CICER in such lights becomes a pebble. It can grow, and it is my intention that it grow, but it is a pebble nonetheless. The joint growth and challenge endured in the residency this past month can quickly subside in a place like LONDON, so I am careful when I venture to be impacted by a small country, by a small community, for big clouds still cast bigger shadows.

CICER-08 Exhibition Images

Gisela's video Projection "Sombra"



Abraao's Disruptions of Narrations



The Guests



Magaly's photo manipulations



Antonio's Sound Piece




Abraao Installing Work