Artist-led Cohort Residency at Empire of Dirt:

hot & dry: crackling images of the present with alejandro a. barbosa
July 24 — August 7, 2026

In the digital present, photography and video are dry practices that consume materials to store and expend energy in the endeavour of producing images. Energy is then an indispensable consumable; yet an excessive flow of energy equals a sudden halt to the camera's operability. What do digital images offer toward thinking through the times we inhabit? How do images contribute to the persistence or erosion of what is deemed im/possible or in/evitable in the present?

Hot & Dry: Crackling Images of the Present invites applicants who are interested in exploring the intersection of heat and dryness both literally and metaphorically in the pursuit of an understanding of the relevance of lens-based image-making in torrid times.

Application deadline: January 16, 2026 at 11:59 PM (PST)


More info on how to apply on Empire of Dirt's website [embedded below]: