Open Call: Peregrine Falcon Project
Monira Foundation in partnership with Experimental Sound Studio, with the support of Mana Contemporary Chicago, is pleased to present an OPEN CALL to artists working with sound in Chicago for site specific proposals of work to be presented in the fall of 2023 in conjunction with the Chicago Architecture Biennial.
We are looking for proposals that are a response to the Peregrine Falcons who call Mana Contemporary home. Mana’s building has been a nesting site for peregrine falcons since 2000. Each spring, a mating pair returns to our site’s nesting box and lays 3-4 eggs each year. A few weeks after they hatch, Field Museum staff return to the site to tag the nestlings and take blood samples, which aids in tracking the health and the spread of the peregrine falcon population across the Midwest and beyond. The population of once-endangered peregrine falcons throughout Illinois is overseen by Mary Hennen of the Field Museum’s Chicago Peregrine Program. Through nest site monitoring, scientific research, and public education, the program works to better understand these amazing creatures and help them thrive throughout Chicago and the greater Midwest.
Installation site will be at Mana Contemporary, 2233 S Throop. We are open to proposals that make use of common areas, like the elevator, stairwells, or other public common spaces. A more descriptive map of the space can be found below. On March 18th from 1-3PM we will host visiting hours at Mana so that applicants can visit the site and better understand how their installation will work. Please register here: (insert eventbrite link)
Experimental Sound Studio will provide the necessary playback system, sound reinforcement,, and technical support for production and installation. We recognize that exact equipment needs will be shaped by the individual proposals and will do our best to work with the selected artist to meet their vision. We ask that submitting artists be prepared to be a little flexible, and keep in mind that we are a modestly sized nonprofit organization.
Selected artist(s) will also receive a $1000 honorarium and promotional support to make sure the work is experienced by hundreds of visitors.
Successful applications will use the peregrine falcons as core theme to their proposed work. This can include (but not limited to) working with collected sound recordings of them as source material, conceptually addressing their habitat, or imagining the possibilities of their impact on Chicago.
