About Hands-on
Hands-on is a platform for visual art, cultural practice, and critical exchange, rooted in the belief that artistic work can act as both method and site of resistance. Initiated as a nomadic curatorial project focused on temporary, site-specific exhibitions, it has since grown into an expanded ecosystem that includes a digital editorial programme and an online residency, both fostering translocal dialogue, embodied knowledge, and collective reflection.
At its core, Hands-on is committed to unsettling dominant cultural frameworks and epistemologies, particularly those shaped by Eurocentric, colonial, and extractive systems of thought. Through interdisciplinary and collaborative formats, it seeks to amplify practices that engage with memory, displacement, situated narratives, and the politics of visibility.
In 2025, Hands-on expands its curatorial scope through the launch of new initiatives and the opening of its physical venue in Milan’s Lambrate district. This space functions as a point of convergence for experimental practices, public programming, and context-responsive research—where artistic inquiry becomes a tool for reimagining forms of belonging, resistance, and cultural continuity.
About Hands-on Residency
Hands-on Residency is a two-month online initiative designed to support emerging talents by fostering creative development and professional growth within the familiarity of their own spaces.
The programme provides flexible resources, including group critique meetings, panel discussions with artists and art experts, curatorial development, and one-on-one mentorship sessions to assist participants in their creative journey.
The residency culminates in a final group exhibition in Milan, offering participants the opportunity to showcase their work and position themselves within the global art ecosystem.
Our team of experts:
- Eman Ali (Artist)
- Freya Bramble-Carter (Artist)
- Maria Positano (Artist)
- Janet Rady (Curator, Dealer & Auction Specialist)
- Celine Seror (Curator & Writer)
Categories
- Visual Art, Textile, Photography, Drawing
Location
- 2-month online programme with a final group exhibition in Milan, Italy.
Key dates
- Online programme: 08 September – 31 October 2025
- Final exhibition: 12 November – 06 December 2025
- Application Deadline: 31 October 2025
Application fee
- Application: £30 GBP
- For those selected: an additional £70 GBP to cover logistical and operational costs
Awards & Benefits
- Final group exhibition at Hands-on Milan (Via Porpora 126, 20131 Milan, Italy)
Contacts
- Email: info@hands-onprojects.com
- Website: www.hands-onprojects.com
- Instagram: handson.projects
Additional information
Applications must include the following documents:
- Artist Statement
- CV/Biography
- Project Proposal
Transportation of works is not included in the price.
Open call link
