Aboard commercial cargo ships is where the Container Artist Residency 01 program is finding its abode. Completely isolated from the rest of the world, the Residency allows its artists to work in a remote space with no tangible lines of communication to the outside world. The residency’s geographic location can only be defined in relation to the existing shipping routes and destinations that form the backdrop of global trade.
The founder and director of the Residency, Mayaan Strauss, came up with the idea after she decided to voyage from graduate school in the US back home to Israel. Discovering that the airfare for herself and her art was astronomical, she boarded a cargo ship instead. The first body of work was based on her experiences living on the ship and now the inaugural residency has eight artists from all over the world, stopping in various ports across the globe whilst they work on the exhibition that their trip will culminate in.
‘As an artist, it was interesting and thought-provoking to find myself in this environment,’ says Strauss. ‘First, the idea of travelling with physical commodities was conceptually challenging and inspiring. Also, spending time among a working crew, that had fixed responsibilities and operational structures, provided me with a new lens to think through my own practice and role as an artist,’ she continues.
From a few thousands applicants, only seven were chosen for the six week voyage, which follows a route of their choice. This includes the Russian artist Mari Bastashevski, who will travel to Odessa, Haifa, Nhava Sheva, Port Klang, Da Chan Bay, Pusan and Shanghai; and the American artist Tyler Coburn, who is routing through New York, Norfolk and Savannah in the USA, before heading to Valencia, Tarragona, Livorno and Ashdod in Israel.
Each artist not only receives accommodation and studio space on board, but also an honorarium and production funding. The fruits of their labour will be exhibited later this year.
The residency’s geographic location can only be defined in relation to the existing shipping routes and destinations that form the backdrop of global trade. Pictured: Genova, by Mayaan Strauss, 2011
Strauss came up with the idea after she decided to voyage from graduate school back home to Israel. Discovering that the airfare for herself and her art was astronomical, she boarded a cargo ship instead. Pictured: Smoke, by Mayaan Strauss, 2011
From a few thousands applicants, only seven were chosen for the six week voyage, which follows a route of their choice. Pictured: Greek Crane, by Mayaan Strauss, 2011
From a few thousands applicants, only seven were chosen for the six week voyage, which follows a route of their choice. Pictured: Greek Crane, by Mayaan Strauss, 2011
Each artist not only receives accommodation and studio space on board, but also an honorarium and production funding. The work will be exhibited later this year. Pictured: Table, by Mayaan Strauss, 2011
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Container Artist Residency's website
-
Explore a Dutch house which reframes Brutalist architecture’s relationship with natureA Dutch house by architect Paul de Ruiter is perfectly at one with the flatlands of the Netherlands; we dig into the Wallpaper* archive to revisit this unapologetic, sharp-angled streak across the landscape
-
The world's first 3D-printed watch is here (and it's surprisingly affordable)In a world first, British watch brand Apiar debuts the 3D-printed Gen.1 watch
-
These micro-architectures on a Beirut rooftop invite you to experience summer in the city'Pretend it's a Pool' by Nathalie Harb at Beirut Art Center (until 20 September 2025)
-
Inside a Donald Wexler house so magical, its owner bought it twiceSo transfixed was Daniel Patrick Giles, founder of fragrance brand Perfumehead, he's even created a special scent devoted to it
-
The Pagani Residences is the latest ultra-luxe automotive apartment tower to reach MiamiRising up above Miami, branded apartment buildings are having a renaissance, as everyone from hypercar builders to crystal makers seeks to have a towering structure bearing their name
-
A modern cabin in Minnesota serves as a contemporary creative retreat from the citySnow Kreilich Architects' modern cabin and studio for an artist on a lakeside plot in Minnesota was designed to spark creativity and provide a refuge from the rat race
-
Touring artist Glenn Ligon's studio in Brooklyn with its architect, Ravi RajGlenn Ligon's studio, designed by architect Ravi Raj, is an industrial Brooklyn space reimagined for contemporary art
-
A dynamic Mar Vista house plays with the rhythm of indoor and outdoor livingA new Mar Vista house, designed by Mexican architecture studio PPAA, combines a façade with a whisper of brutalism, and a breezy, open interior, seamlessly connected to its Los Angeles setting
-
This Michigan lakeside house is an exercise is sculptural minimalismExplore a Michigan lakeside house, designed by Disbrow Iannuzzi and featuring sculptural timber interiors and a contemporary minimalist feel
-
Welcome to How House, a revived Rudolph Schindler gem in Los AngelesThe latest owner of How House, an early Rudolph Schindler gem, is taking a contemporary approach to conserving its heritage
-
Nearly a century after it was completed, Bruce Goff’s revolutionary Adah Robinson House astonishes once againThe flamboyant building in Tulsa, Oklahoma is beginning its latest chapter as a charitable event space, known as The Oath Studio. See the restoration
