The fourth season of the Experiments’ Platform: we invite architecture creators to explore the changing cities of Vilnius and Paris

Since 2021, the Experiments’ Platform has brought together creatives who are developing and researching spatial practices, while providing them with a community-based learning environment to experiment and develop their projects with the help of mentors. This year, creatives working in the fields of spatial design, its evaluation and critique are invited to take part in an international programme with a new format, starting with a week-long residency in Paris.

The fourth season of the Experiments’ Platform will be organised in collaboration with Theatrum Mundi, a centre for research and experimentation in the public culture of cities based in London and Paris. The programme will feature fellows of the European architecture platform LINA who will become mentors to the participants of the Experiments’ Platform. The programme and results will be presented during the Lithuanian Season in France 2024.

This year’s programme is curated by Vilius Vaitiekūnas, an educator and creator of cultural activities and their formats, who invites architectural creatives to submit project proposals reflecting on the impact of technological breakthroughs and ideas relevant in different periods, on the sustainability of these ideas, and on the future perspectives of that time.

“The Lithuanian and French capitals, despite their different histories of urban development, are both influenced by past and present ideas and technological advances. Architectural styles and the different senses of living together they reflect, the creation of factories dictated by the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century and the strategies for their integration into urban planning, as well as the scenarios for the future of imagined cities emerging from today’s ecological transformation and the intersection of capitalism and digitisation—these and many other ideas that shape the creation of Vilnius and Paris will be the starting point for this year’s Experiments’ Platform,” says the programme curator.

This year’s mentor team consists of Margarida Waco, a Cabindian-Danish architect working at the intersection of research, writing and curation; Ewa Effiom, a Belgian-Nigerian architect, writer and producer based in London; and Océane Ragoucy, a French architect, curator, writer and associate professor at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture Paris-Malaquais.

The Platform programme will run from May to November this year. During these seven months, participants will develop their creative ideas in a residency in Paris organised by the Architektūros fondas and Theatrum Mundi, as well as in various workshops and lectures. The presentation of the experiments carried out during the project will take place in November in Paris as part of the Lithuanian Season in France 2024.

The Experiments’ Platform offers participants:

• a one-time stipend of 800 € (including taxes);
• a budget of up to 400 € for experiment research and production;
• mentor consultations;
• technical support from the Experiments’ Platform team;
• the opportunity to participate in lectures, meetings, and workshops relevant to the projects;
• a one-week residency (May 20-27 this year) in Paris to develop their creative ideas;
• the opportunity to present their implemented experiment in Paris during the Lithuanian Season in France.

We expect from participants:

• responsible participation in project activities throughout the 2024 Experiments’ Platform programme from May to November;
• ability to independently develop and execute their project, implement, and present its results;
• ability to communicate proficiently in English;
• ability to participate in the residency in Paris on May 20-27 this year and the presentation event of the Experiments’ Platform results in November (travel and accommodation expenses will be covered).

Application requirements:

• proposed experiment idea, presented in textual, visual, or other expressive form (in English);
• a motivational letter explaining why you want to join the 2024 Experiments’ Platform program (up to 500 words, in English);
• CV and portfolio of up to five research or creative projects (the number of accompanying images is unlimited) (in English).

Please send the proposed experiment idea, CV, portfolio, and motivational letter in PDF format to the email address exp@archfondas.lt.

The deadline for applying is 9 April.

The Experiments’ Platform is presented by the Architektūros fondas. This project is part of the programme the European architecture platform LINA, co-funded by the European Union. The project partner is Theatrum Mundi. The project is part of the Lithuanian Season in France 2024, which is organised by the Lithuanian Culture Institute under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in France.