Random~Institute Travel Award

The annual prize invites a Central American artist or curator on a tailor-made journey through Europe, including visits to major art events like Documenta, Skulptur Projekte Münster, the Venice Biennale, Manifesta, and Art Basel, among others.

Thoughts

Thoughts

Today, rapid changes in the flow of information increasingly lead us to share our references around the globe. In the arts, for example, we engage in conversations across physical borders and stay informed about artists and exhibitions far from our immediate surroundings.

While information flows faster and further than ever before, freedom of movement seems to be another story, one that remains unequally distributed among the world’s citizens. Goods are still easier to move than people, for a range of reasons including economic policy, visa restrictions, and political inequality.

That’s where the Random~Institute Travel Award comes in. By inviting one Costa Rican artist or curator on a tailor-made journey through Europe, we hope to contribute to new exchanges and new conversations, in person and across borders.

For the 2020 edition, we'll collaborate with Zurich based curator Seline Fülscher, Kulturbar GLEIS and with the curator Andreas Wagner, who has been involved in all previous editions of the travel award.

Recipients of the Travel Award include:

• 2020: Verónica Alfaro (artist)
  Exhibition While We Wait, 14. April 2021 at the art space la_capsula
  Visit her studio, website, instagram or read a specially commissioned essay about her
• 2018: Javier Calvo (artist)
  Visit his studio and website
• 2017: Carlos Fernández (artist)
  Visit his studio and website
• 2016: María José Guevara (curator)

Every three years we take a break. Therefore 2019 and 2023 no award will be granted.

Information

Information

This award is granted to outstanding Costa Rican artists or curators who haven’t yet traveled to Europe but have been met with some international acclaim. Depending on which art events are taking place, the tour through Europe spans from two to five weeks. Travel and living costs are fully covered. The award is granted by invitation only; no applications are taken into consideration. It is currently on hold.

Random Institute offsets the carbon dioxide emissions from the air travel of the recipient with certificats from MyClimat.