The purpose of The Art Monastery Project is to produce art that is relevant to the contemporary world yet is informed and inspired by tradition. Our strategy is to apply the disciplined efficiency and contemplative serenity of monastic life to art production. As such, the Art Monastery will support artists and projects that best utilize the unique environment we are generating.
This creative space will be forged by staff and artists working in harmony with the architecture and heritage of the site, a Baroque convent in Italy. The international network of artists who founded the Art Monastery includes several experts in Italian Baroque music and liturgy. Their first performance projects will attract others who have tempered years of study of historical performance practice with a skillful passion for contemporary music, theory, performance, and dance. In addition to this core community and our principle in-house productions, we will invite innovative proposals from guest artists and scholars from a wide variety of disciplines.
Monasteries have thrived in Italy for many centuries through a time-tested model of collective living designed to maximize personal output and inner experience while sharing and minimizing overhead expense and environmental impact. The inspiration for the
Art Monastery grew out of co-founder Christopher Fülling's direction of a Baroque liturgy reconstruction in 2004, whose rehearsal period was hosted by a German Benedictine cloister. The efficient daily cycle of the meals, work, and rituals amidst serene and ancient beauty provided a unique, historically relevant model of support for the creative work throughout the day.
The Art Monastery Project aims to creatively apply the monastic lifestyle to art production. For example, though private rooms will be simple and egalitarian, the design and quality of the shared rituals, environments, and meals will be luxuriantly and artfully crafted. Living and working spaces will be designed by contemporary artists in cooperation with Baroque experts to create a uniquely inspiring environment.
The extraordinary environment of the Art Monastery will be generated by the combined presence of intentional spaces and creative, focused individuals. In the convent and the garden, environments will be designed for both private introspection and communal celebration. Ten full-time staff members and twenty resident artists will collectively participate in a productive daily work life, including the creation of meals using local foodstuffs, and a chant compline ritual to close the day. Guests will also be inspired by this culture, including ensembles invited to create their own projects, residencies or endowed sabbaticals for artists and scholars, and retreats for the benefactors of the project.
Community Involvement is an essential element in The Art Monastery Project in the same way that monasteries grew to be vital to thriving towns in the past. We wish to live symbiotically by collaborating with citizens, offering educational opportunities to local children, and seeking external funding for communal initiatives. Our project will directly benefit the town by restoring and reanimating a cherished building. We will also participate in local culture by creating art and festivals that respect and celebrate their traditions. We also intend for the community to benefit indirectly, through increased tourism and international attention.
Contact: Info (at) ArtMonastery (dot) org
