Vila 31 x Art Explora Residency Programme, 2027 Sessions
This residency program is open to artists and artist collectives, researchers, curators, and writers of all nationalities, without age restrictions, who can demonstrate a minimum of five years of professional activity and have exhibited their works and research at a national/international level.
Residencies last 3 MONTHS, and applicants may apply for one of the sessions:
- Session I: January – March 2027
- Session II: May – July 2027
- Session III: September – November 2027
Eligible artistic disciplines include: visual arts, performance and live arts, digital arts, curatorial practices, writing and literary practices.
Eligible research fields include: humanities, social sciences, cultural studies and history, technological innovation, and ecology.
Find the presentation of the call for applications and the residency programme HERE.
Application Process
To start your application:
- Read the information below.
- Click on ”start application” at the bottom of this page.
To complete an ongoing application:
- Click on the name of your application in the ”My Applications” section below.
- Once submitted for evaluation, the application cannot be modified.
Residency Programmes
Three residency programmes are available:
- SOLO programme: open to artists and writers working across visual arts, performance, digital practices, literary works, or other experimental disciplines.
- COLLECTIVE Programme: open to collectives or duos of artists, researchers, curators, and writers working collaboratively on interdisciplinary, experimental, or research-based projects.
If you are interested in the COLLECTIVE programme, only one application should be submitted by one of the collective members.
For this programme, only one studio-apartment is provided, designed to accommodate collaborative work. The studio can host 2 residents (shared bed). If separate sleeping arrangements are required, two accommodation spaces will be provided.
Vila 31 x Art Explora offers 8 studio apartments.
Each resident benefits from:
- 3 months residency at Vila 31 x Art Explora, Tirana, Albania
- A fully equipped studio-apartment at Vila 31 x Art Explora (approximately 50-60m²)
- A monthly living grant of 800EUR
- A production grant of up to 1500EUR
- A round-trip travel grant to/from the residence
- Access to production facilities and local networks
FOR COLLECTIVES: The living grant (up to 1200EUR) and the production grant (up to 1500EUR) is shared between members.
The residency programmes are designed to support a project in its entirety or just one stage of it: no output is required at the end of the residency, but participation in the Open Studios is mandatory.
Selection
Up to thirty residents are selected each year. In addition to evaluating the candidate’s professional background, the committee members pay particular attention to the quality of the project, its connection to the themes of the residency, and the importance of its location in Albania for its development.
The selection committee brings together distinguished international figures from the fields of art, curation, and research:
- Alicia Knock (France): Head Curator in the Contemporary Creation and Prospective Department of the Musée National d’Art Moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris
- Adela Demetja (Albania): Director of the National Gallery of Arts, Albania; founder of Tirana Art Lab – Center for Contemporary Art; curator and author
- Adam Szymczyk (Poland): Director of S AM Swiss Architecture Museum, Basel; Curator at the Büro für geistige Mitarbeit at the Kunsthaus Zürich; author and editor
- Nora Razian (Lebanon): Deputy Director and Head of Exhibitions and Programmes, Art Jameel; Co-Artistic Director, Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026
- Lucia Pietroiusti (Italy): Head of Research & Emergence at Hartwig Art Foundation, Amsterdam; Curator of the 6th Autostrada Biennale; programmer and strategist
- Raphael Fonseca (Brazil):Curator and Head of the Department of Modern and Contemporary Latin American Art, Denver Art Museum; researcher and writer
Important Dates
- Application deadline: May 1, 2025, 11:59 pm (GMT +02:00) Europe/Tirana
- Selected residents will be contacted in July 2026.
If you have questions about the application process, please contact: residencies-tirana@artexplora.org
Please ensure that the personal information provided is correct, including your contact details, as they will be used to reach you if you are among the laureates.
