Organizer Information
The Hessische Kulturstiftung (Hessian Cultural Foundation) is a legally recognized private foundation established in 1988 by the state government of Hesse, Germany, with the purpose of promoting and preserving art and culture in the region. Its primary task is supporting museums, public art collections, libraries, and archives through the acquisition and conservation of significant works of art and cultural assets. Over more than three decades, the foundation has supported roughly 690 exhibition, acquisition, and publication projects with around €46 million in funding. In 1992, the foundation launched its scholarship programme for visual artists connected to Hesse, which has since become one of the most prominent and long-running funding programmes for emerging artists in the region, having distributed approximately €4.5 million to around 150 artists to date. The foundation's grant decisions are made by a rotating jury of five experts drawn from across Germany's art and culture institutions.
Title & Description
Hessische Kulturstiftung Travel and Residency Grants 2027/2028
The Hessische Kulturstiftung is inviting applications for its 2027/2028 travel and residency grant programme for visual artists. The programme offers grant recipients either a freely chosen travel destination, a fully funded studio residency in one of several international cities, or a combined residency-and-travel grant, to support artists' professional development and international exposure. Awards are made across two years (2027 and 2028), with a total of 14 grants to be distributed: 5 travel grants, 7 residency grants, and 2 combined residency-and-travel grants.
Categories
- Residency
- Visual Arts
- Scholarship
- Fellowship
Eligibility
- Open to visual artists who were born in Hesse, OR have had their primary residence in Hesse since no later than 1 January 2025, OR have completed a degree at an art academy or comparable course of study/training in Hesse
- No age limit
- Artist duos may submit a joint application
- Not eligible: applicants who have previously been awarded a Hessische Kulturstiftung travel or residency grant (this restriction does not apply to State of Hesse work, project, or gap grants)
- Not eligible: applicants still pursuing a degree or vocational training programme at the time of application
- Not eligible: applicants related to a jury member, employed by the Hessische Kulturstiftung, or related to a Hessische Kulturstiftung employee
Program Benefits & Awards
- 5 travel grants of €25,000 each, for destinations of the recipient's choice, 3 to 12 months in duration (2027/2028)
- 2027: 1 residency in New York City (€25,000, up to 12 months)
- 2027: 1 residency in Paris, at the Cité internationale des arts (€25,000, up to 12 months)
- 2027: 2 residencies in Istanbul (€12,500 each, 6 months)
- 2027: 1 combined residency and travel grant — residency at the Goethe-Institut Villa Kamogawa in Kyoto (3 months) followed by an individual travel and work phase in Japan (3 months), totaling €15,000
- 2028: 1 residency in New York City (€25,000, up to 12 months)
- 2028: 1 residency in Paris (€25,000, up to 12 months)
- 2028: 1 residency in London (€25,000, up to 12 months)
- 2028: 1 combined residency and travel grant — Kyoto residency (3 months) plus travel/work phase in Japan (3 months), totaling €15,000
- Additional production/presentation funding of up to €7,700 for works developed within the grant framework or their presentation in exhibitions or publications, usable for up to three years after the end of the grant period
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 15 October 2026
- Funding Decisions Made: November 2026 (prospective)
- Funding Decisions Officially Announced: December 2026 (all applicants informed in writing)
Location
Germany
Additional Details
- Selection is a two-stage process: in the first round, five jurors (experts from across Germany working in various fields of art and culture, named at the end of the application phase) select applicants for a shortlist; in the second round, 14 recipients are chosen from the shortlist by random selection (5 for travel grants, 7 for residency grants, 2 for combined residency and travel grants).
- All applications are checked to confirm they meet the funding prerequisites before being considered.
- The foundation states it will contact applicants directly if there are questions about their application, and asks that applicants refrain from inquiring about application status.
- There is no legal entitlement to receive a grant.