When moving and returning to her birthplace (Curaçao) Sharelly Emanuelson was looking for a potential location to continue with Uniarte events and maybe make room for studio spaces on the island. In November 2015, Marco Cheis offered to Uniarte the empty Casa Moderna in the Madurostraat, Punda. We where initially allowed to use it for 6 to 12 months. The building gave the possibility to the existence of a Test incubator and/or pop-up activities on Curacao. After the success of the first six months, the verbal agreement was tacitly renewed until early 2019. For 3 years Uniarte created a Project Space in Casa Moderna. A place where young and old develops, inspires and is inspired. A place where one learns skills and develops in the field of art, culture and self-development. Uniarte is working on the visibility of art from the Caribbean region, and the propagation of art & culture on regional and local area.
Project Space Uniarte consisted of 3 floors and an attic, which was delivered “empty”. Against expenses (water/electricity/own facilities/insurances/small maintenance etc.) could various coasters and institutions that needed a space via Uniarte find a place in the building. The different users were responsible for the cleaning and furnishing of “their workspace”. Uniarte is the “main user” of the property. Per floor there is an amount determined for the expenses (electricity / water / electricity). insurance/cleaning/ etc.) provided by the various users to Uniarte…is being paid for.
The ground floor was used as a gallery/presentation place where Uniarte and the organizing activities for users of the property. If the space was not used it was also available for rental, the revenues were used for the maintenance and furnishing of the building. The first floor was used as studio spaces for artists who actively participate in Uniarte. Users are: Avantia Damberg, Inonge Anandala, Chris Peralta. The second floor is used by Theater Kadaken where theatre makers Albert Schoobaar and Miluska Birge. There will be new made performances, held workshops and rehearsals.The attic was not usable.
Uniarte Project Space was the first and currently only official breeding ground on Curaçao. There are locations like Alma Blou, Kas di Kultura/Luna Blou and Landhuis Bloemhof that give a presentation place to artists and initiatives such as the Media School and IBB who do (pre-)education and partly give a presentation place to alumni and employees. of their initiative. You also have the fact that artists temporarily offer their private workspaces to other artists. But there’s no other breeding ground on the island for professional artists from various disciplines who offer affordable studio space and offered a presentation space that is partly accessible to the public.
We as the Uniarte foundation and the artists who turned the former Casa Moderna building into
Marco and the Cheis family are very grateful and appreciate that they have used have given us the confidence and opportunity to use so far of the Casa Moderna Building. We are now in the third year and have the need to structure, professionalise and sustain the hitherto informal agreements. make. Avantia Damberg and Sharelly Emanuelson have been making the
main work on its own, the rack is out, we can’t– make unpaid hours available. To take the next step towards a sustainable organization financial resources to pay for certain ongoing costs are necessary. After three years of unpaid work on the project, Project Space Uniarte, we have decided with our board to revise it. At the moment we are in talks to see what form this will take within Casa Moderna or elsewhere. It is clear that we don’t want to become an institution right now, but we want to do programming.
