THREE-WEEK SHOWS:

Since the rm project was established short-run shows have been a core part of our programme. These shows are similar to the format of most artist-run-spaces, usually consisting of solo-shows, collaborative projects or group exhibitions. The three-week show provides an ideal way of hosting work from artists visiting from outside of Auckland, and we try to ensure the visiting artists are supported by having local artists showing alongside in either of the two adjoining spaces.

Two gallery spaces are available for the three-week shows - a large room and a smaller space overlooking the street. In the case of some larger group shows or collaborative projects, artists may be offered the use of both spaces, while most smaller group shows and the majority of solo projects will only be offered the use of one of these spaces.

PROPOSAL GUIDELINES

SIX-WEEK PROJECTS:

Since moving to rm103 in 2003 we decided to look for something to complement the fast turnover of the short-run shows. We began to develop six-week extended projects, with artists and curators being invited to use the longer duration to develop the type of exhibition experience that cannot be easily accommodated in shorter shows. Participants within these extended projects are invited to decide how the timeframe might best be used to suit their work, and to call the shots over how the space is used throughout the project.   During the duration of the extended projects, two lots of three-week shows will pass through the gallery spaces next door, and you will have the opportunity of coinciding stages of your project with any or all off the openings for these parallel shows.

Previous examples of the project have included Eve Armstrong and Gaelen MacDonald's Habitat Project, where the space became an open studio for five weeks before a final one-week exhibition featuring the results of their 'residency'. Ben Curnow on the other hand divided the time up into a series of four-one week shows of NZ and Australian formalist painting. Daniel Malone and Sriwhana Spong used the three openings that the six-weeks offered to develop a series of three performances, while Tahi Moore and Simon Denny's collaborative project and Snowball both offered up accumulative exhibitions, with new work gradually being added to the space as the show progressed.

MAKING A PROPOSAL
for a three-week show or a six-week project

After looking through screeds of proposals over the last 9 years the ones that have worked best have been the ones that have genuinely reflected an artists interests, ideas and attitudes. If you feel that your work is written and presented in a way that you are comfortable and happy with, it generally comes across better than those that are trying too hard to impress. For this reason we have avoided prescribing a fixed list of to included within your proposal, and have instead suggested some key areas that might help.

All proposals should include visual or audio material, in a form that can be easily viewed by our four directors. Work provided on disk or emailed files, printed examples or photographs all work well. Slides may also be an option, though we can be notoriously slow at returning these items. If you wish for these items to be returned please include a stamped-addressed envelope.

A written outline of your work, with a background of the participants, your practice, and an overview of what you intend to present at rm103. Ideally this text should be written and presented in a way that you feel best reflects your practice, not in a form that might have been prescribed in half-baked Professional Practice classes. Some outlines may be quite specific in terms of the installation and execution of the work, whereas others may tend to focus on the ideas and methods that will help generate the body of work. As practicing artists we understand that most shows will tend to develop and diverge from what has been suggested within the proposal - for many artists the proposal will be a starting point, an introduction into an exhibition that is still in the working phase.

It may be helpful to suggest a timeframe that you are aiming for, and for three-week show proposals we recommend indicating which of the two gallery spaces would suit you best. As we tend to prefer single-room shows, if you are interested in using both spaces you should put together a good case to support this.

We are just as interested in supporting newbies and those who might sit outside of the scene as we are in working with seasoned professionals. A CV is not generally required, though you may choose to include one if you feel that it will be helpful.

All proposals will be read through by the current members of the rm103 board (Xin Cheng, Kylie Duncan, Fleur Sandbrook and Nicholas Spratt).


DEADLINES:

rm103 is happy to accept proposals for three-week shows and six-week projects at any time of the year.

We are happy to take products for SHOP103 at any time as we try to keep a fluidity to the stock that is in the shop cabinet. A large part of the gallery-space is dedicated to SHOP103 for the end-of-year show during December, and this can be an ideal time to earn yourself Christmas bonus, launch new products or sell old work at bargain prices…


SUBMITTING YOUR PROPOSAL:

By email:
send to info@rm103.org
PDFs, JPEGS or Word files are recommended
If your email is likely to exceed 2MB please contact us before hand for other options

By mail:
rm103, c/o Nicholas Spratt
21 Commercial Road,
Arch Hill,
Acukland
Include a stamped addressed envelope if you'd like the contents of your proposal returned