Organizer Information
SOPRA SOTTO is an international transdisciplinary art residency platform founded in 2023. Inspired by the Hermetic mystical axiom "as above, so below" (come sopra, così sotto), the platform functions as a living laboratory grounded in slow daily rhythms, community experimentation, and creative process over fixed deliverables.
Title & Description
Bridging Inner/Outer Worlds: Speaking to the Unseen through Colour, Shape, and Symbol.
Hosted at a historic spiritual sanctuary in the Netherlands, this one-week communal living experience explores art and creativity as languages that bridge sensory perception with intuition, the subconscious, and the immaterial realm. Inspired by esoteric traditions, Carl Jung's depth psychology, and visionary theosophical pioneers like Hilma af Klint, Wassily Kandinsky, and Annie Besant, the residency provides a collaborative vessel to translate subtle cultural frequencies into restorative narratives of reciprocity and care.
Residency Format:
The residency operates on a process-based, participatory, and DIY spirit. The weekly itinerary is non-hierarchical and co-created directly by the participants through a shared framework of experimental workshops (e.g., rituals, meditations, soundscapes, walks, or readings). Daily life centers around communal cooking, alignment check-ins, and shared vegetarian/vegan meals.
Categories
Visual Arts, Sonic Arts/Music, Performance/Theater, Installation, Writing/Poetry, Film/Photography, Research/Philosophy, Ecology, and Healing/Embodiment Practices.
Eligibility
- Scope: Open to international artists, culture shapers, designers, thinkers, activists, and interdisciplinary changemakers from all backgrounds, nationalities, and ages.
- Practice Alignment: Tailored for creators who use intuition and imagination as core tools to challenge extractive societal systems.
- Location Restriction: Must be able to travel to the physical campus in the Netherlands.
Program Benefits and Awards
- Curated Accommodations: Living and sleeping quarters embedded in a serene, forested woodland park.
- Full Board: Clean, organic vegetarian and vegan meals prepared communally.
- Network & Community: Intensive, close-knit professional cross-pollination within a small cohort of 8–10 selected global residents.
- Institutional Access: Use of the historic campus meditation gardens and spiritual library resources.
Fees & Financial Tiers
- Standard Cabin/Tent Tier: €545 to €775 per person (tiered based on selected sleeping infrastructure—wooden cabins vs. tents). Covers stay, location fees, meals, and workshops.
- Scholarship Position: One (1) subsidized position available at €350 for a qualified practitioner requiring financial assistance.
- Application Fee: None (Free to submit).
Application Requirements (Must be Submitted in English)
Applicants must compile their dossier into a single PDF file and email it to the organizers, containing:
- Personal Information: Full name, age, current physical address, email, phone number, and a copy of an official ID.
- Digital Identifiers: Links to a professional website and/or Instagram handle.
- Portfolio & CV: A standard resume and work archive, or any alternative media format that authentically represents the practice.
- Bio & Practice Summary: Maximum 1 page.
- Letter of Intent: Maximum 1 page mapping out your personal motivation and detailing how your ongoing research applies directly to the "Bridging Inner/Outer Worlds" theme.
- Scholarship Statement: (Optional) A brief structural explanation requesting financial support if applying for the €350 tier.
How to Apply?
Email your compiled PDF application dossier directly to the curatorial team at soprasottoresidency@gmail.com.
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: Friday, June 12, 2026.
- Interview Window: Video calls held with shortlisted applicants in mid-June.
- Final Selection Announcement: Week following the interviews.
- Residency Dates: August 9 – August 16, 2026 (Arrival on Aug 9 before dinner; departure on evening of Aug 16).
Location
The Netherlands, Naarden (International Theosophical Centre - ITC).
Additional Details
The International Theosophical Centre (ITC) was founded in 1925 as a spiritual sanctuary. To preserve the contemplative, sacred atmosphere of the forest estate, smoking, alcohol, and recreational drugs are strictly prohibited anywhere on the campus.