Our Offices & Partners Abroad

For detailed information please click on the offices and cultural centres below. For further information on the headquarters in Zurich please go to: www.prohelvetia.ch

Residency

Residencies

Mainland China, Hong Kong, China, Switzerland

Duration
3 months

Location
Mainland China, Hong Kong, China, Switzerland

Submission Deadline
March 1, 2023

A question?
Contact the staff

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Learn more

Pro Helvetia has launched a call for applications for residencies aimed at cultural practitioners (e.g. artists, curators, and cultural intermediaries) from Switzerland and from China.

For the 2024 call, we will return to the offline format, with confidence that residencies in China will again be physically possible.

Residencies serve to gain inspiration, to establish networks and to start thinking about projects. Pro Helvetia provides daily allowances, professional supervisiona contribution towards production and material costs (on request), and a mentor from the destination country.  

Additionally, parents can apply for financial support of CHF 1,000 per month at most to co-finance childcare or to bring their children and possibly a caregiver. The applicant is asked to provide an approximate budget for all expenses in advance.

Applications can be submitted until March 1, 2023 via www.myprohelvetia.ch and must be written in EnglishThe residencies last for three months at most. A list of possible residency partners can be found below.

A Guide to Residency Partners in China

(In 2022, we have released a digital brochure that serves as a guidebook for residency applicants. A selection of our past and existing artist-in-residence hosts spanning over the wide geographical landscape in China are listed, accompanied by an overview of the diverse art and residency scene of the country. Please refer to the “Residency Partners” column for the most updated list.)

Download the PDF

 

Residency Partners

In China

1a Space, Hong Kong (Visual Arts)

1a space, founded in 1998, is an independent, non-profit making contemporary visual art organization and art venue founded by a collective of Hong Kong artworkers. Currently located at Cattle Depot, 1a space aims to promote the making, experimentation, exchange and dissemination of contemporary art both in Hong Kong and in the international arena. Over two decades, 1a space has developed into one of Hong Kong’s leading contemporary art organizations. It has produced more than 160 exhibitions and activities, and has been active in international exchanges, cultural festivals, participatory community art, as well as art education and publication. The operation funding of 1a space has been supported by grants and donations, while its administration cost is partially supported by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council.

A4 Art Museum, Chengdu (Visual Arts)

Founded in March 2008 and has held 37 contemporary art exhibitions and over 500 educational events since. Located in Chengdu’s Luxelakes Eco-City in a structure designed by architect Antoine Predock. Works to promote outstanding artists and the pioneering development of contemporary art.

Click for a detailed list of Q&A by A4 ARIE program.

BY ART MATTERS, Hangzhou (Various disciplines)

BY ART MATTERS  is a contemporary art museum located in the OōEli campus, designed and built by Renzo Piano Workshop. BY ART MATTERS RESIDENCY launched in 2021. It is a non-profit artist residency centre, a residency program under BY ART MATTERS museum. It offers residencies to emerging contemporary artists and researchers around the world and provides them with a dynamic space for living, working, showing and sharing, in order to encourage and support the growth of local and international contemporary art. An experienced academic committee from the museum will provide professional, objective support for the residents and help them develop their practice.

Chronus Art Center, Shanghai (Visual Arts esp. with  new media focus)

China’s first nonprofit art organization dedicated to the presentation, research, creation and scholarship of media art. CAC with its exhibitions, residency-oriented fellowships, lectures and workshop programs and through its archiving and publishing initiatives, creates a multifaceted and vibrant platform for the discourse, production and dissemination of media art in a global context.

Chinese European Art Center, Xiamen (Visual Arts)

For more than twelve years, the Chinese European Art Center has hosted and premiered international artists from all over the world. With studios, exhibitions, contemporary film festivals, concerts, lectures, workshops and an artists-in-residence program, the CEAC plays a central role in southeast China’s cultural landscape.

Inside-Out Art Museum, Beijing (Visual Arts, Performance)

Located in the Xishan Cultural and Creative Boulevard in Beijing. With a focus on the critical viewpoint born out of cultural, historical and political relatedness instead of exclusiveness, they look within ourselves and promote dialogue with the cutting-edge art practices worldwide.

Making Space, Guangzhou (Visual Arts)

Founded in 2017, Making Space is located in Panyu, Guangzhou, near a neighborhood that has been going through a major transformation. Making Space opens to all who have the desire to express in an honest and concrete way, and wants to extend the boundaries of perception and knowledge via conversation and collaboration.

Ming Contemporary Art Museum, Shanghai (Visual Arts, Performance)

A private, non-profit contemporary art centre transformed from Shanghai Paper Machine Factory. The Museum presents the production requirements of various experimental theatres, featured contemporary art exhibitions and performances. McaM distinguishes itself through its promotion of contemporary art activities based on visual performance.

Organhaus, Chongqing (Visual Arts, Performance)

An independent art organization made of artists and curators in cooperation. Started in 2007 and located within 501 Art Warehouse in Chongqing, with nearly 200 sqm studio residency and exhibition space. Organhaus is dedicated to the exploration of experimental and multi-media art focused on the progress of urbanization and globalization.

Po Leung Kuk, Hong Kong (Visual Arts, Music)

Provides short-term residential services to local and overseas young artists, offering them a space for exchange, to inspire each other and explore the realms of creativity. Studio is located at a French-style historic building in Happy Valley, Hong Kong.

Shanghai Museum of Glass, Shanghai (Visual Arts)

Hosts studios of leading artists in China practicing with video, installation, etc. Opened in 2011, the Shanghai Museum of Glass is listed as one of the three must-visit museums in China. This museum has presented impressive exhibitions over the past several years, from the academic glass art exhibition by domestic and international artists, the ancient glass themed exhibition, to Keep It Glassy series exhibition, and the cross-border “Annealing” series exhibition, started in 2015, fusing glass and contemporary art together mutually. In this museum, glass art and design crosses the border between time, space, culture and language, and is presented to the public audience in different cross-type forms.

Studio Gallery, Shanghai (Visual Arts)

The studio gallery takes the artists’ actual work experience and real thoughts as its core value, supports the artist residence projects and topical exhibition programs. By means of long-term exchanges and dialogue with international artists and curators, studio gallery continues to initiate various topical exhibitions, research-based educational programs and publications.

Three Shadows Photography Art Centre, Beijing/ Xiamen (Visual Arts)

Situated in Beijing’s Caochangdi Art District, Three Shadows Photography Art Centre was China’s first independent organization specializing in contemporary art photography upon its founding. It was jointly founded by the influential Chinese contemporary photographer RongRong and his wife, the celebrated Japanese photographer Inri. Since June 2007, Three Shadows has become the country’s premiere platform for the presentation, promotion, discovery and international exchange of high-caliber photography. Three Shadows Photography Art Centre is comprised of two spaces, north and south: one is situated in Beijing’s Caochangdi Art District, while the other is located in Xinlinwan, Jimei District in the city of Xiamen in southern China. The Beijing location includes 4600 square meters of space and 2600 square meters of landscape architecture. The Xiamen location includes more than 3600 square meters of space. Aside from its exhibition spaces, Three Shadows Photography Art Centre also includes +3 Gallery, image production facilities (Xiamen location), a vast library (Xiamen location), a book store, and a cafe.

Times 101, Guangzhou (Various disciplines)

“Times 101” was first used as a community-based space during “The 5th Times Museum Community Art Festival”. Located in the village, “Times 101” is right next to “Huangbian Intelligence Station” co-built by Guangdong Times Museum and Qianhe Foundation. Although being smaller than 20 square meters, as a local project, in this 1.3-square-kilometer natural village, “Times 101” has been attached with significance of establishing connections: from a rather ‘exquisite’ art museum, design center and strictly-maintained middle-class residential communities, to Huangbian, which has been shrinking in size during the process of urbanization over the past 30 years and increasingly becoming ‘parallel’ to the former area. Artists are invited to this space for the purpose of seeking “coexistence”. Seeing from the perspective of Huangbian residents, experiencing local-based art practices, together people become united, here and at this moment.

In Switzerland

Atelier Mondial, Basel (Visual Arts)

AZB, Zurich (Visual Arts)

Binz39, Zurich (Visual Arts)

Château de Lavigny [Literature]

Cima Città, Valle Blenio (Interdisciplinary)

Embassy of Foreign Artists, Geneva (Visual Arts)

Gleis 70, Zurich (Design, Visual Arts)

Kaserne Basel (Theater, Dance, Performance, Music)

L’ Abri, Geneva (Dance, Performance)

La Becque, La Tour-de-Peilz (Visual Arts, Dance, Music, Performance)

La Grange, Centre / Arts et Sciences / UNIL, Lausanne (theatre, dance, performance, interdisciplinary)

Lago Mio, Lugano (Visual Arts)

Musikerwohnhaus Lyseloth, Basel (Music)

Residency.ch, Bern (Visual Arts, Dance, Music, Performance)

Rote Fabrik, Zurich (Visual Arts, Dance, Performance)

Schule für Kunst & Design, Zurich (Design, Visual Arts)

Schweizer Textilfachschule, Zurich (Design)

SMEM, Fribourg [Music]

Solothurner Literaturtage (Literature)

Swiss Game Hub, Zurich (Interactive Media)

Utopiana, Geneva (Visual Arts)

Villa Ruffieux, Sierre (Visual Arts, Music, Literature)

Villa Sträuli, Winterthur (Visual Arts, Performance, Music, Literature, Photography)

Woerdz, Lucerne (Spoken Word, Literature)

Selection criteria

  • Convincing track record: artistic activity with a national/ transregional reach 
  • Context-related motivation 
  • Sufficient knowledge of the respective foreign language(s) 
  • Concrete exchange project with a lasting impact
  • Eligible are artists and cultural practitioners from the following disciplines: visual arts, design and interactive media, music, literature and performing arts, as well as arts practitioners with a transdisciplinary focus

Apply now

myprohelvetia.ch

Current & Previous Artists in Residence

Learn more

Upcoming maintenance work

The application portal myprohelvetia will be updated from 1.1.-7.1.2024. Due to these changes, open applications must be finalized and submitted via the current online portal (myprohelvetia.ch) by the latest 23:59 on 31 December 2023. Until this date, the deadlines and criteria outlined in the current guidelines and calls for applications apply. New applications can be created and submitted in the application portal as of 8 January 2024.

close

Search for "pro_helvetia" in the wechat app or scan the QR code.