The annual theme for the residency scholarships at Künstlerhaus Schloss Balmoral 2023 is "Coexist".
The annual theme "Coexist" deals with processes of making differences and interstices visible in art and society. Our current society is characterised by debates, movements and protests in which a heightened awareness of certain values and social and structural grievances is expressed. The advanced forms of digital communication and networking mean that an enormous variety of opinions, attitudes, concerns and experiences are simultaneously visible, exchanged and shared. Thus, the current debate on identity politics is not only accompanied by a revision of social values, prejudices and norms, but also by the search for new and 'right' forms of expression.
The question of who tells which story and in what way is also playing an increasingly important role in relation to the art and culture industry. In the climate of debate about artworks that are perceived as discriminatory, a parallel discourse about freedom and the nature of art emerged. What is art allowed to show? What are museums allowed to show? Who decides? Can or should artists and works be considered separately? How does the articulation and visualisation of the interests of individual and collective identities change the creation of art? Which emancipatory claims meet here?