Organizer Information

ARCAthens is an influential non-profit cultural organization founded in 2017 to provide critical structural support to visual artists, curators, and scholars worldwide. Operating with a values-driven dedication to bridging international dialogue, the organization serves as an active creative platform designed to facilitate a diverse influx of expression, learning, and transnational cooperation. Thanks to an expansive, new two-year grant from the prestigious Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), ARCAthens has successfully fortified its organizational infrastructure, enabling the expansion of its flagship Mediterranean residency into a deep, three-month immersive format.

Title & Description

The ARCAthens Fall 2026 Athens Residency Open Call.

This fully funded residency brings an international cohort of Fellows to Athens, Greece, to engage with the city's ongoing contemporary cultural renaissance. Rather than imposing high-pressure commercial deliverables, the program functions as a research-driven laboratory rooted in sustained engagement with local communities, historical context, and public spaces. Fellows move through a structured, supportive itinerary of studio visits, private collection access, bespoke institutional tours, and community networking mixers engineered to stimulate long-term global exchange.

Expectations & Institutional Mandates:

The residency is structurally designed to nurture the creative soul and remains entirely free of stringent production obligations, with exactly two exceptions:

  1. The Fine Arts Seminar: Fellows are expected to prepare and facilitate a bespoke educational seminar with students on-site at the Athens School of Fine Arts.
  2. Public Presentation: Fellows must participate in a formal public engagement event, such as an artist talk or panel discussion, to interface with local Greek audiences.

Categories

Visual Arts, Curatorial Practice / Criticism, Art History / Research, and Social Practice.

Eligibility

  • Global Boundary: Open to visual artists and curators from all countries and nationalities representing a broad range of creative thought.
  • Residency Restriction: To remain compliant, applicants must currently reside outside of Greece.
  • Cohort Scale: To maintain deep curatorial focus and horizontal peer-to-peer connection, exactly two (2) Fellows are hosted in residence at one time.
  • Linguistic Alignment: The official working language of the residency program, its seminars, and all organizational operations is English.

Program Benefits

The Fall 2026 cycle introduces an elevated funding tier to provide enhanced direct security for participating practitioners:

  • Increased Fellowship Award: Laureates receive a flat cash prize of $3,000 USD to support independent research and practice expansion.
  • Elevated Weekly Stipend: An updated living stipend of $200 USD per week is provided to supplement food and local transportation expenses.
  • Fully Covered Air Travel: ARCAthens coordinates and fully pays for the cost of a basic coach round-trip flight ticket between the resident's home base and Athens.
  • Dedicated Housing Accommodations: Provision of an on-site living suite featuring a private bedroom alongside a shared kitchen and full bathroom facilities.
  • What is NOT Included: Fellows remain directly responsible for funding their daily grocery/meal plans, discretionary regional transit, and any personal costs related to the material production or international shipping of their artwork.

Fees

  • Application Fee: None (Completely free of charge to apply during the open call window).

Application Requirements

Dossiers must be logged through the official digital channel. The independent three-person evaluation panel reviews applications based on research depth, commitment to global cooperation, and the prospective impact of Athens on the applicant’s long-term trajectory. Proposals require:

  1. Full personal metadata, contact avenues, and active portfolio links.
  2. A professional Curriculum Vitae (CV) tracking relevant exhibitions, publications, or curatorial projects.
  3. A focused Statement of Intent outlining your core research concepts and motivation for engaging with the local context of Athens.
  4. A representative visual dossier or writing portfolio showcasing recent finished works or critical essays.

How to Apply?

Access the administrative registration portal on the main site node, upload your compiled text blocks and portfolio media files, and submit your entry before the summer cutoff. Apply to the ARCAthens Fall Residency Here.

Key Dates

  • Application Window: May 28 – Tuesday, June 30, 2026 (Portal locks at 11:00 PM ET).
  • Fellowship Notification: Mid-July 2026.
  • Active Residency Performance Block: Thursday, September 10 – Monday, November 30, 2026 (A strict 3-month cycle).

Location

Greece, Athens (ARCAthens Resident Facilities).

Additional Details

The evaluation pipeline is governed by a three-person independent committee of arts professionals who review folders impartially. Selected laureates are required to maintain compliance with all health measures designated by the facility operators and ensure their passports remain fully valid for the duration of the trip. Non-EU nationals must pay careful attention to the new European Entry/Exit System (EES) tracking regulations when traveling into the Schengen Area, and securing any applicable entry visas remains the sole structural responsibility of the selected Fellow. Reflecting the organization's core commitment to integrating sustainable, quiet gestures into its daily operations, all official ARCAthens events serve pescatarian-only meals and maintain a strict ban on single-use plastics.

Website Link: https://arcathens.org/