Tropical Lab International Art Camp
A two-week international art camp in Singapore for a current National Art School MFA student
Application deadline Sunday November 24 2024
Residency dates Thursday 17 July – Friday 1 August 2025
Notification of outcome Thursday 5 December 2024
Residency
The nineteenth edition of the renowned TROPICAL LAB, an international art camp for art academies and institutes, will take place from 17 July to 1 August 2025 at LASALLE College of the Arts in Singapore.
TROPICAL LAB is an intensive and highly engaging fourteen-day event, bringing together more than 20 student-artists from various art colleges and institutions around the world. TROPICAL LAB is a real and imaginative space for student artists to research, experiment and collaborate to create contemporary artworks, regardless of medium, method and approach.
The event will include workshops, talks and seminars guided by established international and Singaporean artists culminating in an exhibition curated by LASALLE’s curatorial division, Institute of Contemporary Art Singapore at LASALLE.
The recipient of this Prize will receive:
- $1000 towards airfares & transfers
- Coverage of program registration fees
- LASALLE will cover accommodation and local travel costs in Singapore. All participants will reside at a hotel arranged by the College on a twin sharing basis.
- LASALLE will provide studio space, workshops, technical assistance as well as curatorial expertise.
Eligibility
- You must be a full time MFA1 student at the time of application, and a full time MFA2 student at the time of the residency.
- Applicant must be responsible for researching the relevant visa requirements for Singapore and preparation of these arrangements in advance.
- Participants are required to be in full attendance during this two-week period. This will include missing the first 2 weeks of S2 2025, which will be discussed with staff in advance.
Selection Criteria
The Residency will be awarded to an applicant who:
- Has displayed a high level of achievement and dedication to their practice throughout their MFA.
- Demonstrates clarity of purpose and a compelling rationale for their proposed residency.
- In the opinion of the judges, would benefit artistically from the experience at this stage of their studies.
Applications
- To be considered for selection, applicants must submit all parts of the online application form, together with required application materials, by the deadline.
- Eligible applications will be reviewed by a selection panel comprising suitable representatives of the National Art School.
Application Requirements
- A summary CV (of not more than two pages) in PDF format.
- Your most recent revised MFA Proposal (PDF format).
- A maximum of 10 images, presented in PDF format, with only one image per page. Each page should include the name of artist, title, date, medium, and dimensions. For moving image-based artists only, a high-quality video of up to two minutes presented as a single-track show reel. The panel reserves the right to not assess applications that do not include specified supporting material correctly formatted as outlined above.
- A 300 word travel proposal (PDF format): Please comment on your interest to participate in TROPICAL LAB and the ways in which you might benefit from the program, making reference to the 2025 theme: ‘Service’ (see Application Guidelines)
Referee
- All applicants are required to state the name, phone number and email address of one referee.
Conditions of Entry
- The successful applicant must abide by all the regulations of the award.
- The successful applicant is responsible for any additional costs associated with the residency.
- The selectors’ decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
- The successful applicant must strictly agree to abide by the conditions of LASALLE.
- The selectors reserve the right to withhold the award if in their opinion the standard of applications is insufficient to warrant awarding.
- The selected applicant will be required to maintain communication with the Residency Coordinator during the residency.
Acquittal of Residency
Post-residency, the selected applicant will be required to:
- Take part in a lecture or panel discussion about the residency to students and alumni, to a PowerPoint presentation.
- Provide high-resolution photographs and a quote of approximately 100 words that can be used by NAS for promotional purposes and in publications including the Annual Report and Yearbook.
- Submit an approximately 500-word report no later than eight weeks post-residency regarding their residency and experience.
Please email [email protected], for any inquiries regarding the application process.
Read more about TROPICAL LAB on the LASALLE College of the Arts website.
CONTACT
Lily Fenwicke
International Residencies Coordinator
+61 2 9339 8717
[email protected]
We encourage all eligible candidates to apply, regardless of whether this is your first residency application. Please contact the International Residencies Coordinator to discuss any accessibility requirements or adjustments that can be made to your application process.
Join us for a dynamic program of public events at the National Art School to celebrate the opening of the major exhibition `The Neighbour at the Gate`. Opening during NAIDOC week, the public program will take place over two days, Friday 11 and Saturday 12 July.
Friday 11 July:
Join us for a day of panel discussions with the guest curatorium let by Clothilde Bullen OAM, for artist talks, and artist-led demonstrations.
RSVP essential – limited capacity.
Saturday 12 July:
From 11am to 3pm, enjoy a community-friendly day of free activities, including mindfulness sessions led by Madina Yoga and creative drop-in workshops. Contribute a clay piece to the exhibition and take home your own textile tassel or hand-printed tote bag.
From 5pm, the celebration continues outdoors with a free evening of DJ sets featuring DJ Rocky Stallone, Sveta, and Mason Kimber.
Visit our website to view the full program (link in bio).
Jun 27
Join us at the Shared Skies Music Concert with BARKAA, Rainbow Chan and DJ Rocky Stallone, our major program event for the opening weekend of The Neighbour at the Gate. Held in the historic Cell Block Theatre, don’t miss this celebration of culture, identity and sound.
BARKAA @barkaa__ is a Malyangapa, Barkindji woman from western NSW, now living in south western Sydney on Gandangara land. Music has been part of BARKAA’s journey to express herself, the truth and issues impacting First Nations people. BARKAA has made a name for herself with her powerful delivery and lyrics, and her live shows are full of energy and raw intense emotion.
Rainbow Chan @chunyinrainbowchan is an award-winning vocalist, producer and multi-disciplinary artist. Driven by a DIY spirit, Chan melds catchy melodies and off-kilter beats made up of field-recordings and found sounds. Both heartbreaking and tender, her idiosyncratic brand of pop reflects diasporic experiences and deeply personal tales of love and loss.
Multi-hyphenate DJ, MC, podcaster and esteemed Ballroom community member of Samoan heritage, Rocky Stallone @rocky_stall0ne, is known for creating safe spaces and events for queer POC, gracing the decks at balls and functions across the country. Expect to hear a seamless mix of house, R&B, Baille funk, and more, including hot and heaving remixes that will wind your waist.
Saturday 12 July
8 – 10.30pm
Cell Block Theatre
Buy tickets at the link in bio.
View the full program of opening weekend events, including artist talks, artmaking workshops, and community activities, at nas.edu.au.
Jun 26
There`s still time to make a tax deductible donation towards our Pathways Program this EOFY.
To everyone who has already donated, thank you. Your support helps ensure the National Art School is accessible to people from all backgrounds.
Visit link in our bio today to find our more, and help us create crucial pathways to propel our students and alumni to become leading international artists.
Jun 25
The National Art School is saddened to hear of the passing of Fellow and alumnus Kevin Connor at the age of 92 (1932-2025).
In 1948, at the age of 16, he enrolled as a night student at what was then called East Sydney Technical College, while training as a commercial artist in the city. His employer paid the fees for his art classes.
In later years he recalled that he had a life changing experience at art school, when he realised that: ‘The nature of art is both enigmatic and non-commercial - a realisation that has stayed with me well into my old age.’
A prolific and dedicated artist, Kevin Connor held more than 70 solo exhibitions throughout his life, including exhibiting in the Archibald Prize over 25 times. Connor won the Archibald Prize in 1975 and 1977, the Sulman Prize in 1991 and 1997, and the Dobell Prize for Drawing in 1992 and 2005. He was the Harkness Fellow in New York from 1966 to 1968 and a Trustee of the Art Gallery of New South Wales from 1981 to 1987.
Connor was a much respected teacher, and he lectured in painting and drawing at the National Art School, among other colleges, between 1972 and 1987.
The first major survey of his work was held at the AGNSW in 1989. In 2006, Hendrik Kolenberg curated a major retrospective of Connor’s drawing, sculpture and painting at AGNSW.
In 2016, Connor was made a Fellow of the National Art School, and he donated works to the National Art School Collection when he was included in the exhibition ‘National Art: Part One’ in the NAS Gallery 2018.
The National Art School offers its deepest sympathies to Kevin Connor’s family and friends.
—
Kevin Connor, aged 15, 1947, photo courtesy Connor family; Ann Cape, `Kevin Connor`, 1974, pencil on paper, 26.5 x 24.5cm, NAS Collection, gift of Ann Cape 2011; Kevin Connor, `Haymarket Morning`, 2013, oil on canvas, 102 x 122cm, NAS Collection, gift of Kevin Connor 2018
Jun 25
We’re looking for an Event Manager - Application Deadline Sunday 29 June
The Event Manager will have strong experience in hospitality, licensed venue operations, and event delivery. This role delivers a wide range of internal and external events, including Graduate Shows, Gallery Openings, Public Programs, Fundraisers, and Open Day. NAS also operates as a commercial venue, hiring the Cell Block Theatre for weddings, corporate events, and product launches.
Apply at the link in bio.
Jun 22
Call out for all National Art School alumni and staff: There are only 8 days left to apply for two international residency opportunities for 2026: The Onslow Storrier NAS Residency La Cité Internationale Des Arts, Paris and The British School at Rome.
Immerse yourself in the vibrant art scenes of two iconic European cities, Paris and Rome, and further develop your artistic practice in an enriching cultural environment.
Visit our website for more information and apply before Sunday 29 June 2025 (link in bio).
—
Sophia Lee Georgas BSR Open Studio, 2023, image courtesy and © The British School at Rome; Harry de Vries BSR Open Studio, 2024, image courtesy and © The British School at Rome
Jun 21
