Organizer Information
The Association Françoise pour l'œuvre contemporaine supports contemporary artists in overcoming isolation within their markets, championing freedom of expression and the recognition of singular artistic identities. Since 2016 it has run the Concours International Françoise, awarded through its online platform Francoiseartmemo, a showcase for young artists coming out of art and design schools. Beyond the competition, the association runs territorial residencies (Art & Monde du travail, Art & Paysages), educational programs with schools, and initiatives connecting art with the healthcare world, and it has previously collaborated with institutions such as the Museum Dr. Guislain in Ghent, dedicated to the history of psychiatry and art brut.
The Cité internationale des arts is a nonprofit foundation recognized of public utility, and the largest artist residency in the world. Since 1965, it brings together more than 300 artists of all origins and generations in the heart of Paris, working across all disciplines including visual arts, music, film, design and architecture, and performing arts. Its main activity consists of organizing artist-in-residency programmes in Paris for French and international artists, hosted across its Marais and Montmartre sites.
Title & Description
Research and Creative Residency — Art, Psychiatry and the Humanities
This programme, launched in 2025 jointly by the Association Françoise pour l'œuvre contemporaine and the Cité internationale des arts, explores the links between contemporary art, psychiatry, and the humanities. It is conceived as an open research space rather than a therapeutic programme, open to artists whose practice resonates with the "clinical" — a situated approach that stays close to the subject, in the source's words "at the patient's bedside." Within the residency, this approach shifts into the artistic field, with creation treated as a grounded, relational practice attentive to the contexts in which it takes shape. The programme supports approaches that stay close to real-life narratives and experiences and that reflect on the challenges of care. The selected laureate receives tailored support from Albertine de Galbert, a clinical psychologist and independent exhibition curator, along with the programme's other partners.
Theme
Contemporary art, psychiatry, and the humanities, with an emphasis on situated, "clinical" approaches to creation and a reflection on the challenges of care.
Categories
- Residency
- Visual Arts
- Interdisciplinary Arts
- Research
- Multiple Disciplines
- Culture
Eligibility
- Open to artists and creators of any discipline
- No age limit
- Open to mid-career or established practitioners
- Open to any nationality
- Applicants must be fluent in French or English
- Applicants must show a clear interest in the links between art (reception, creation, criticism, etc.) and mental health
- Collective applications are allowed, but result in a single application submitted on behalf of all artists for the joint project presented
Program Benefits & Awards
- Dedicated professional support, meetings, and networking opportunities organized by the programme partners
- 4 to 6 working sessions with Albertine de Galbert (clinical psychologist and exhibition curator)
- A furnished live-in studio at the Cité internationale des arts (Marais site), combining living and working space, 25–35 m², including a workspace, kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping area
- A monthly grant of €1,000 net of taxes
- Coverage of international round-trip travel to/from Paris airports or train stations, up to a defined ceiling, upon presentation of receipts
- Travel insurance
- Research support, up to a defined ceiling, upon presentation of receipts
- Ongoing documentation of the residency via an online logbook and newsletter
- Personalized support and follow-up throughout the residency
- A public open studio event held halfway through the project
- A final presentation (exhibition, public event, or publication), to be agreed with the laureate and the partners
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Applications must be submitted by email to: residence@francoiseartmemo.fr
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 16 August 2026
- Announcement of results: September 2026
- Residency period: 5 January to 26 March 2027
Location
Cité internationale des arts, Marais site, Paris, France
Additional Details
- Once submitted, applications cannot be modified, so materials should be prepared carefully in advance
- Applications are assessed by a panel of four to six people, including partners and qualified figures from the fields of art and/or psychiatry, who weigh both the applicant's professional background and the originality and added value of the proposed research project
- Studios accommodate up to two adults and one child under 10; additional fees apply for companions and visitors
- The available live-in studios do not currently comply with accessibility standards for people with disabilities, though the organizers state they are working to address this