2025 APRiCot Garden ~ We are thrilled to welcome theorist Antonia Majaca, former DAI theory tutor (2018-2020), as guest curator of an open-to-the-public research festival for alumni and friends, developed in dialogue with artist-researcher Bethany Crawford (DAI alumna, 2021). Their collaboration brings together DAI alumni ( former tutors and students) in a new constellation, as they engage with the DAI community across multiple platforms throughout the first part of 2025.
Between 2014 and 2021, DAI explored the potential of creating an experimental third-cycle para-institution alongside its MA program. Building on this legacy, APRiCot Garden aims to strengthen the bonds between alumni and their roaming alma mater, demonstrating how educational institutions can foster knowledge communities that extend beyond formal academic structures. Through spaces for inquiry, exchange, and collaboration, APRiCot Garden 2025 will culminate in a curated research-festival of one day in Rotterdam (April/May 2025).
Program Structure APRiCot Garden 2025:
January 2025: Confluence 3 | Nida Bethany Crawford launches the program with her groundbreaking workshop "Pleasuring Technics," exploring how pleasure can disrupt and reimagine economies of technical production through vibratory media.
March 2025: Confluence 4 | Nicosia [Programming details to be announced]
April/May 2025: Research-Festival | Rotterdam The APRiCot Garden 2025 initiative culminates in a conference conceptualized by Antonia Majaca, with programming developed in dialogue with Bethany Crawford. This gathering will bring together DAI alumni, researchers, and practitioners to explore new possibilities for knowledge weaving and institutional practice.
The APRiCot Garden initiative demonstrates DAI's ongoing commitment to fostering meaningful connections between current students, alumni, and leading practitioners while expanding the boundaries of artistic research and educational practice.
APRiCot Garden 2025 is an initiative of the Dutch Art Institute, initiated and advised by Gabriëlle Schleijpen, with concept and curation by Antonia Majaca in dialogue with Bethany Crawford, organized by Dina A. Mohamed, and supported by ArtEZ University of the Arts.
Full program details and registration information will be announced shortly. For updates, please follow our social media channels and subscribe to our newsletter.