Organizer Information
CreArt (Network of Cities for Artistic Creation) is a network of European cities aiming to promote creativity and the impact of visual arts in everyday life. The call is organized by CreArt Oulu in collaboration with Oulu Urban Culture, under the CreArt 3.0 network. CreArt is a European network of cities committed to artistic creation; the CreArt 3.0 initiative supports cross-city residencies, cultural exchange, and large-scale public art.
Frozen People is a winter festival of electronic music and northern art in Oulu, closely tied to Oulu2026, the European Capital of Culture year for the city.
Title & Description
Title: CreArt Artist in Residence – Frozen People, Oulu, Finland (January–March 2026)
This residency invites a visual artist to conceptualize and build a large-scale installation that can withstand and respond to subarctic winter conditions, to be featured during the Frozen People festival. The festival itself is held outdoors — notably on sea ice — and offers a rare, extreme environment for art, combining brutal winter weather with electronic music and northern aesthetics.
Artists are encouraged to develop work that is both spectacular and sustainable: think light/media art, environmental or community art, possibly performative, made of recyclable or eco-friendly materials that leave little to no trace afterward. The installation should be able to function in both daylight and darkness, considering the dramatic light conditions of northern winter.
Categories
- Visual Art
- Installation Art
- Media / Light Art
- Environmental / Site-specific Art
Eligibility
- Artists under 40 years old.
- Must be part of the CreArt 3.0 network, i.e., born or living in one of the following cities: Kaunas (Lithuania), Liepāja (Latvia), Skopje (North Macedonia), Aveiro (Portugal), Valladolid (Spain), Lublin (Poland), Venice (Italy), Clermont-Ferrand (France), Rouen (France), České Budějovice (Czech Republic), and Regensburg (Germany).
- Also eligible: members of HDLU (Croatian Association of Visual Artists).
- Ukrainian artists are eligible via cooperation with the Lviv Artistic Council Dialogue.
Program Benefits & Awards
- Artist fee: €2,500 (gross) for the residency period.
- Production budget: Up to €1,500 allocated for materials to realize the installation; priority is given to recycled materials.
- Daily allowance: €53/day for working days in Oulu.
- Accommodation: Studio apartment in central Oulu for the duration of the 5-week residency (28 Jan–3 Mar 2026).
- Workspace: Access to an artist community studio on Pikisaari island, near Oulu city center, for the full residency.
- Travel costs: Covered for direct travel between the artist’s hometown and Oulu (both ways).
- Exhibition opportunity: The piece will be exhibited at the Frozen People festival on 28 February 2026.
Application Fee
No entry fee.
Application Requirements
- Work plan (maximum 2 A4 pages) — describing: the concept, materials and supplies, technical requirements, working process, and the artistic theme.
- CV / Resume.
- Portfolio — samples of previous work, in a suitable digital format.
- Copy of passport — for identity verification and travel.
Additionally, the work plan must address safety: the outdoor installation must be able to withstand harsh winter conditions and must not pose danger to the public.
How to Apply
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 12 December 2025.
- Notification Date: 31 December 2025.
- Residency Period: 28 January – 3 March 2026 (approx. 5 weeks).
- Festival / Exhibition Date: 28 February 2026 (Frozen People festival).
Location
Oulu, Finland
Additional Details
- The open call is portfolio-based, meaning only one artist will be selected.
- Given the subarctic environment, the jury emphasizes durability, safety, and environmental responsibility in the proposed installation.
- A co-operation agreement will be signed between the selected artist and CreArt Oulu for the production and realization of the work.
- The selection jury is professional and coordinated by CreArt; proposals will also be evaluated for how well they align with the goals of both the Frozen People festival and the wider CreArt 3.0 project.