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
-
Frances Elkins gets her dues at Christie's this JuneYou can soon take home a piece of the legendary American designer’s legacy…including a $3 million Alberto Giacometti sculpture.
-
The new Phone 2 Pro from CMF combines generous scale with true affordabilityWe explore the ins and outs of the CMF Phone 2 Pro, the newest device from the Nothing sub-brand that focuses on bold design and carefully honed value engineering
-
‘I’ve considered every single detail’: how Victoria Beckham designed the perfect make-up brush collectionVictoria Beckham speaks to Wallpaper* about the meticulous design process behind her debut collection of make-up brushes, which perfectly treads a line between form and function
-
Los Angeles businesses regroup after the 2025 firesIn the third instalment of our Rebuilding LA series, we zoom in on Los Angeles businesses and the architecture and social fabric around them within the impacted Los Angeles neighbourhoods
-
‘Fall Guy’ director David Leitch takes us inside his breathtaking Los Angeles homeFor movie power couple David Leitch and Kelly McCormick, interior designer Vanessa Alexander crafts a home with the ultimate Hollywood ending
-
The Lighthouse draws on Bauhaus principles to create a new-era workspace campusThe Lighthouse, a Los Angeles office space by Warkentin Associates, brings together Bauhaus, brutalism and contemporary workspace design trends
-
This minimalist Wyoming retreat is the perfect place to unplugThis woodland home that espouses the virtues of simplicity, containing barely any furniture and having used only three materials in its construction
-
We explore Franklin Israel’s lesser-known, progressive, deconstructivist architectureFranklin Israel, a progressive Californian architect whose life was cut short in 1996 at the age of 50, is celebrated in a new book that examines his work and legacy
-
A new hilltop California home is rooted in the landscape and celebrates views of natureWOJR's California home House of Horns is a meticulously planned modern villa that seeps into its surrounding landscape through a series of sculptural courtyards
-
The Frick Collection's expansion by Selldorf Architects is both surgical and delicateThe New York cultural institution gets a $220 million glow-up
-
Remembering architect David M Childs (1941-2025) and his New York skyline legacyDavid M Childs, a former chairman of architectural powerhouse SOM, has passed away. We celebrate his professional achievements
