Organizer Information
The residency is organized by Liepāja 2027, a cultural foundation involved in long-term urban and cultural development initiatives in Liepāja, Latvia. The organization plays a key role in shaping the city’s cultural strategy, particularly through its participation in European collaborative frameworks and public art programming.
This opportunity is delivered within the context of CreArt 3.0 – Network of Cities for Artistic Creation, a transnational initiative connecting multiple European cities to support artistic mobility, exchange, and production. The program is co-developed with partner cities across Europe and emphasizes socially engaged, site-responsive artistic practices.
The residency specifically focuses on ecological and socially transformative artistic interventions in post-industrial and historically complex urban environments, with Karosta serving as a key site of experimentation and cultural reinterpretation.
Title & Description
CreArt 3.0 Ecological Restoration Artist Residency – Liepāja (Karosta)
This open call invites two visual artists to participate in a four-week Residency in Karosta, Liepāja, Latvia, taking place from July 22 to August 19, 2026. The residency is embedded within the public art program of the “Lāčplēša Garden Festival” and focuses on Ecological restoration and spatial transformation through contemporary artistic practice.
Selected artists will develop new site-specific works responding to Karosta’s layered history as a former Soviet military zone and its ongoing ecological and urban regeneration. The program encourages artists to critically engage with the site’s fragmented landscape, where abandoned military infrastructure coexists with reclaimed natural environments and emerging urban redevelopment.
The residency emphasizes environmentally responsible production methods, encouraging artists to use sustainable materials and design works suitable for outdoor installation, public interaction, and eventual disassembly or recycling.
Artists will also participate in community engagement activities, including a public presentation in the first week of the residency, fostering dialogue with local residents and stakeholders. The final works will be exhibited as part of a temporary outdoor installation in Lāčplēša Garden.
Categories
- Visual Arts
- Installation
- Sculpture
- Mixed Media
- Interdisciplinary Arts
- Public Art
- Performance
- Site-specific
- Environmental
- Residency
Eligibility
This Residency is open to visual artists whose practice includes installation, spatial objects, sculpture, mixed media, participatory performance, and community-based projects.
Applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Be born in or currently reside in a CreArt partner city (Kaunas, Valladolid, Skopje, Aveiro, Lublin, Venice, Rouen, Clermont-Ferrand, České Budějovice, Oulu, Regensburg)
- Be a member of the Croatian Association of Visual Artists (HDLU)
- Be a Ukrainian artist applying in collaboration with the Lviv Art Council “Dialog”
Additional conditions:
- No age limit applies
- Applicants must demonstrate professional experience or higher education in an art-related field
- Individual applications only (no collectives)
Program Benefits & Awards
- Four-week fully supported Residency in Liepāja (Karosta)
- Accommodation and studio space
- Round-trip travel support up to €450
- Artist fee of €1,800 gross (paid in two installments)
- Production budget of €1,125 gross for artwork development
- Opportunity to present work at the “Lāčplēsis Garden Festival.”
- Integration into the Curatorial and public art framework of CreArt 3.0
Additional conditions:
- Artists must hold valid European health insurance or equivalent coverage
- Works are intended as temporary outdoor installations with a defined post-exhibition lifecycle
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Valid identity document (passport or ID card)
- Short CV (1–2 pages)
- Portfolio (maximum 10 pages / 10 images; links allowed)
- Project proposal (maximum 1 page) outlining concept, artistic direction, and motivation
- All materials are compiled into a single PDF file
Applications must be submitted via the CreArt platform.
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 14 June 2026
- Results Announcement: 19 June 2026
- Residency Period: July 22 – August 19, 2026
Location
Karosta, Liepāja, Latvia
Additional Details
- Only complete applications will be considered
- Selection is conducted by an appointed committee; decisions are final and not individually justified
- Artists are expected to give a short public presentation during the first week of residency (up to 20 minutes)
- Artworks are designed as temporary, outdoor installations and are not intended for permanent preservation or return shipping
- Strong emphasis is placed on ecological responsibility, including recyclable materials and low-impact installation methods
- Works will contribute to the transformation of Karosta into a socially and environmentally reimagined public space
- A post-residency written report and travel documentation are required