Deanna Pizzitelli recalls her experience at Landskrona Foto Residency

Selected through the PhMuseum 2021 Photography Grant, the Canadian artist spent six weeks in the Swedish coastal town of Landskrona to produce new work, and now shares insights of her experience.

For the second consecutive year an applicant of the PhMuseum Photography Grant will be selected by Jenny Nordquist, Landskrona Foto Director, to be awarded a residency bursary, consisting of a production grant of 15000 SEK (approximately $1800), travel expenses to and from the home country plus an apartment and office space in Landskrona. This unique opportunity, allowed Deanna Pizzitelli to visit for the first time Landskrona during November and December 2021. Below she shares with us what’s behind her experience and what the selected artist can expect from the stays in Sweden.

Hi Deanna, what do you think about the importance of getting your work supported by a relevant platform and what are in your opinion, the benefits of embarking on a residency program? 

Having your work supported by a relevant platform opens up new possibilities for your practice: you can more fully engage the creative process because you are given the time, space and encouragement to do so. Additionally, collaborating with relevant platforms can teach you about the various institutional pathways that are so important for bringing your practice to life: who can you reach out to for creative support? How are these collaborations achieved and maintained? Answering these questions is so much about connecting with the people behind these platforms, understanding their creative goals and when those goals align with your own.

The residency experience is so great because it allows you to step outside of your routine in order to focus more intently on your practice. It’s a great springboard for exploring new visual and conceptual territories. The time and space to do work are so often limited by our daily responsibilities. While these responsibilities don’t disappear when you embark on a residency, the framework of a residency - especially when funded, as in the one offered through this grant - can allow you to really prioritize your art for a focused period of time.

What have you gained from this experience? What will you remember the most?

Prior to arriving at the residency, I had just started to wrap up a long-term body of work that I began in 2015. After six years of production, this project reached a natural end and I found myself looking for new creative directions. The Landskrona Foto Residency gave me the opportunity to breathe new life into my practice, and to start a project that had been on my mind for some time. More specifically, my project focused on relationship building amongst local residents.  So the most memorable aspect of my experience is just the interesting people that I met and the friendships I formed as a result.

Can you share some insight about your daily stay in Landskrona? How did the possibility of facing a new community and environment affect your process of producing work? 

My practice has always thrived from engagement with new environments and my specific project was itself rooted in connecting with locals. So my daily life in Landskrona really centred on exploring the community - cultural institutions, local establishments, public spaces - and finding meaningful ways to engage with it. 

Can you tell us about the cooperation with the team of Landskrona? What kind of specific support did you receive during your stay? 

The Landskrona team was incredibly supportive. Over the course of our time together, they assisted with technical needs, community outreach, location scouting. They also scheduled an artist talk, during which time I was able to speak to an audience about my practice. This was a particularly great experience and allowed me to make use of my background as an educator. The team also showed me around Landskrona and nearby cities - we did a great gallery tour in Copenhagen early on. This was in addition to the very generous funding and accommodation that the institution provided. 

How do you think the research and the work produced will develop after the residency?

I began a new creative project during this residency, and I expect this is something I will be working on for a considerable time. I plan to maintain the connections with the models that I worked with over the six-week programme. The goal is to continue our conversation, photograph them again in the future, and potentially repeat the project - an experiment on connection and how it can be cultivated - in other cities and contexts. 

What advice would you give to someone applying for our Grant? What suggestions would you give them for preparing a good application?

I always suggest giving yourself enough time to write multiple drafts of applications you are particularly excited about. Having another set of eyes look over your application is also quite helpful: I recommend reaching out to someone both within and outside of the field. Someone within the field can speak to the conceptual rigour of the application, and to the strength of the visual editor. Someone outside of the field can really help to identify potential lapses in clarity. If an individual with no experience in the art world can read your application and have a clear idea of what your practice or project is about, then chances are you’ve created a concise and reader-friendly application. Also, don’t be afraid to reapply if at first you aren’t selected.

The successful candidate will commit to producing a unique body of work within the residency period, we encourage all interested applicants to add a paragraph to their submission where they can briefly outline a project that relates to Landskrona.

Jenny Nordquist (Landskrona Foto) will review all the applications evaluating highly all the proposals that can be mindful of the community while offering a new perspective on Landskrona, she will be also open to any type of working methods the photographer decides to use so if you like the idea to challenge your practice in a new place and create new connections this opportunity is adding another reason for you to participate in the new edition of the PhMuseum Photography Grant.

Deanna Pizzitelli (1987) is a Canadian artist and educator that lives and works in Bratislava (SK). She completed her BFA at Ryerson University (CA), and her MFA at the University of Arizona (US). Pizzitelli’s “Koža, Women & Other Stories” is one of 10 projects of Les Rencontres d’Arles: Louis Roederer Discovery Award 2020 (FR). Pizzitelli is represented by Stephen Bulger Gallery (CA). Her work is in the collections of the Archive of Modern Conflict (UK) and the Center for Creative Photography (US).

Jenny Nordquist is Director for Landskrona Foto, Sweden. She has a background in fine art photography, education and curation. From 2016-2018 she was the Artistic Director for Landskrona Foto Festival. She has previously been head of photography at Östra Grevie College in Sweden and from 2011-2018 she was director of a project space for photography in Copenhagen.

Landskrona Foto is the collective name for a centre for the photographic image that spans areas such as exhibitions, events, photo history, photo books, residency, research, and collections. The most important element, the one they call ‘The highlight of Photography’ is their festival where the love of photography, dedication, and commitment to Landskrona as the meeting place of photography reaches its crescendo.

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The PhMuseum Photography Grant has established itself as a leading prize in the industry over the past ten years, renowned for celebrating the importance of contemporary photography and supporting the careers of emerging artists through monetary prizes and various opportunities across international festivals and online media. You are welcome to present your work before 17 February 2021 at 11.59 pm (GMT). Learn more and apply at phmuseum.com/g22.

Artist in residence Deanna Pizzitelli gives a talk at the end of her residency
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Artist in residence Deanna Pizzitelli gives a talk at the end of her residency

Aereal view of Rådhustorget Marknad, one of Landskrona main square
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Aereal view of Rådhustorget Marknad, one of Landskrona main square

Artist in residence Deanna Pizzitelli presents her research in an open studio in Landskrona
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Artist in residence Deanna Pizzitelli presents her research in an open studio in Landskrona

Detail view of some large format slides produced by Deanna Pizzitelli during her stay in Landskrona.
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Detail view of some large format slides produced by Deanna Pizzitelli during her stay in Landskrona.

Landskrona Foto headquarter.
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Landskrona Foto headquarter.

Aereal view of Landskrona Lagoon
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Aereal view of Landskrona Lagoon

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