Organizer Information
The Fondation d'entreprise Martell is a corporate cultural foundation created in 2016 by Maison Martell, the oldest cognac house in France, founded in 1715 by Jean Martell. The Foundation is housed in a renovated 1929 Bauhaus-style former bottling factory in Cognac, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, and its mission is to promote craftsmanship, design, and innovation at local, national, and international levels. It operates the "Ateliers du Faire," a set of production workshops dedicated to artists and designers in residence, and has hosted more than 70 creators from Europe, China, and Africa across a dozen art and craft disciplines since its founding. The Foundation's current programming explores the links between art, the environment, and society, positioning itself as a platform for research and experimentation around ecological transition and regenerative, territory-rooted design.
Title & Description
2026–2027 Residency Program — Fondation d'entreprise Martell
This is an open call for residencies aimed at designers, artists, architects, curators, writers, and researchers in the humanities and social sciences, addressing major contemporary issues through creation or research. The program strongly encourages interdisciplinary approaches. Selected residents receive comprehensive support combining professional expertise, time for exchange and networking, and financial support in the form of residency grants, across three possible formats adapted to different research and creative practices. Residents gain privileged access to the Foundation's production workshops, its Living Archive and resources, and immersion in the Charente region. Selected projects are expected to contribute to reflection on major contemporary transformations and to participate in the artistic and scientific dynamism of the Charente territory, while also connecting with other territories facing similar issues.
Categories
- Residency
- Design
- Architecture
- Visual Arts
- Curatorial
- Writing
- Research
- Environment
- Interdisciplinary Arts
- Multiple Disciplines
Eligibility
- Open to all disciplines in visual arts and the humanities
- Aimed at designers, artists, architects, curators, writers, and researchers in the humanities and social sciences
- Open to all nationalities
- Open to all levels of experience, emerging or advanced
- Interdisciplinary approaches strongly encouraged
- Applications from creators constituted as a collective are accepted
- Application must be written in French or English
Program Benefits & Awards
- Professional support from the Foundation's team, both material and conceptual
- Accommodation in a furnished house with a private room, located 10 minutes from the Foundation, accommodating up to 4 professionals simultaneously
- Access to the company restaurant for lunch on weekdays (other meals at the resident's expense)
- Coverage of one round trip between home and the Foundation per residency period: up to 2 round trips within France (up to €500 total) or 1 round trip within Europe or abroad (up to €1,500)
- Residency grant of €375/week (including VAT), composed of a life grant of €175/week/person and a work grant of €200/week/project
- Production costs covered up to €2,500, for materials, tools, or skills not already available at the Foundation
- Access to professionals and experts in the territory
- Access to the Living Archive and the Library
- Use of the Foundation's vehicle
- Access to the photo studio to document work in progress and finished pieces
- A professional video filmed at the end of the stay, posted on the Foundation's social networks and made available to the resident
Application Fee
Nnne
How to Apply?
- Email application to fondationmartell@gmail.com
- Subject line: "Residency application 2026 – Martell Foundation."
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 23 August 2026
- Selection Committee Pre-selection: September 2026
Location
Cognac, Charente, France
Additional Details
- Three residency formats are available: Research and Experimentation (6–8 weeks), Production (2–6 weeks), and Writing-Curating (2–4 weeks, during the summer period)
- The Experimentation and Production formats may be split into two discontinuous stays
- The Production format can, in the context of an exhibition, be undertaken jointly with a partner institution as "production support," with adjusted support arrangements; in this case, remuneration remains the responsibility of the partner institution
- The selection committee comprises 6 professionals from the art and design world
- Selection criteria include: quality and forward-looking nature of the artistic approach; consideration of contemporary issues and transformative potential (for design projects); motivation to develop a project tied to a specific territory or connecting territories with shared issues; the candidate's references and critical thinking ability in their field; and feasibility relative to the Foundation's resources and the candidate's technical competence
- Only complete applications (all four required components) will be reviewed by the selection committee
- Residents are expected to share their creative process publicly, such as through a project presentation during residency outings