TEJA. Cultural Spaces Network in Support of Emergency Situations

TEJA is a newly established network of artistic residences that welcomes creators in a situation of vulnerability derived from armed conflicts or emergency situations.

A total of 14 public and private institutions and independent organizations from the cultural sector have created TEJA, a network of cultural spaces in support of emergency situations that has been launched this May. It offers artistic residences, accommodation, accompaniment and legal advice to artists and cultural professionals affected by armed conflicts or other exceptional situations.

TEJA is meant as a solidarity response of the artistic and cultural sector to the current emergency unleashed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since this month of May, it has been welcoming creators from this country, but the project was born with a vocation for permanence and also intends to incorporate other contexts in an emergency situation during 2022-23.

In addition to enabling spaces for dialogue and guaranteeing freedom of expression through a series of joint activities, TEJA proposes concrete support through a residency program for artists and cultural workers from various territories in conflict.

The 14 entities involved in the creation of TEJA are independent organizations from Madrid such as Atelier Solar, CAR (Centro de Approach a lo Rural) / Campo Adentro, Espositivo, Felipa Manuela, hablarenarte / Planta Alta, Mala Fama Estudios and Nave Oporto; public institutions such as Casa Velázquez, Culture, Tourism and Sports office of the Community of Madrid and the Reina Sofía Museum; and private institutions such as Fundación Montemadrid's La Casa Encendida and TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary. The Bilbao-based organization Moving Artists also participates. Each one of them makes a contribution according to its possibilities and structure, which translates into accommodation, creation space, assistance or economic support.

The Network was born as an initiative of independent organizations, which began to set it up last March, and since this May, with the coordination of the 14 entities, it welcomes the first resident, a young Ukrainian graphic designer.

From this month of May, a total of five artistic residences are offered, lasting between three and six months, to artists and cultural professionals affected by conflict situations. The request and evaluation of the different cases is coordinated by Artists at Risk through its website artistsatrisk.org. This international entity has extensive experience in evaluating artists in situations of vulnerability and putting them in contact with different cultural institutions.

TEJA is open to other organizations that wish to join the initiative. You can do it by writing to the network email recase22@gmail.com.

More than 50 artists participate in the solidarity sale of art

To ensure the future sustainability of the project, a solidarity art sale has been launched in which, so far, more than 50 visual artists have confirmed their participation.

This sale of works, mobilized by some of the institutions and organizations involved in TEJA, will be open for one week, from May 29 to June 5, and includes works priced between 350 and 500 euros and which can be purchased through the TEJA Instagram profile. The money raised during the sale will be used to pay for the travel, accommodation and maintenance of the creators who decide to move to Madrid during the period of their residence. It will also be used to pay for other legal or accompanying services that they may need to get to Spain or once here.

The artists who, so far, have confirmed their participation in this solidarity sale are: Abel Jaramillo, Ana Nance, Andrea Canepa, Andrés Izquierdo, Antoni Hervás, Beatriz Ruibal, Ben Vine, Carlos Aires, Che Marchesi, Chéfer Cuneo, Cristina Garrido , Cristina Mejías, Daniel Jacoby, Daniel Silvo, Elvira Amor, Esther Gatón, Eugenio Ampudia, Fermín Jiménez Landa, Fernando García Dory, Fito Conesa, FOD, Gabriel Alonso, Gabriela Bettini, Gala Knörr, Gustavo Blanco-Uribe, Hugo Alonso, Irene by Andrés, Irma Álvarez-Laviada, Javier Cruz, Jimena Kato, Juan Zamora, Leonor Serrano, Lorenzo Sandoval, Luis Úrculo, Marco Godoy, Marian Garrido, Melissa Romero, Miguel Ángel Tornero, Miguel Fructuoso, Miki Leal, Miren Doiz, Mónica Mays , Nicolás Combarro, Nora Silva, Paula Anta, Raúl Hidalgo, Rosana Antolí, Ruth Quirce, Santiago Ydañez, Sonia Navarro, Susanna Inglada, Tamara Arroyo and Virginia Frieyro.