Organizer Information:

LACTU (Lieu d’art contemporain tunnel) invites artists to create in an extraordinary space: an abandoned 250-meter-long railway tunnel. The project encourages artists to rediscover the origins of creation, drawing inspiration from prehistoric cave art (like Lascaux or Chauvet) by confronting an immense, dark, and humid subterranean environment.

Title & Description:

Applications are open for the Tunnel Artist Residency.

This experimental residency places an artist at the crossroads of the prehistoric past and the present. The tunnel features irregular surfaces, water seepage, and protected colonies of hibernating bats. Artists are challenged to use the raw, often hostile environment—its darkness, echoes, and natural materials—as an integral part of their creative process and aesthetic choices.

Category:

Site-Specific Installation / Multidisciplinary Arts.

(Open to painting, drawing, engraving, sculpture, video, sound, etc. All practices are welcome, from the most rudimentary to the most sophisticated).

Eligibility:

  • Who: Open to all artists and collectives.
  • Requirements: There are no conditions regarding age, nationality, or status.
  • Logistics: Applicants must hold a valid driver's license (Permis B) and possess their own vehicle to access the site.

Program Benefits & Awards:

  • Financial Support: An allocation/grant of €1,500.
  • Accommodation: Free housing in a fully equipped gîte located nearby (approx. 1 km from the workspace).
  • Workspace: A dedicated 50 m² section of the tunnel to be adapted to the project. Access to natural spring water (non-potable), electricity, basic tools (manual and electrical, wheelbarrows, ladders), and natural materials from the surrounding 1-hectare forest (wood, clay, earth, sand).
  • Exhibition: A museographic pathway will be set up to showcase the work. At the end of the summer, the site opens to the public for several weekends (artist presence is requested if possible).
  • Collection: With the artist's agreement, one artwork will be selected (as a donation or loan) to join LACTU’s permanent collection.

Application Fee & Program Costs:

  • Application Fee: Free to apply.
  • Participant Costs: Artists are entirely responsible for their own travel costs to reach the site and for their daily transportation on-site.

Application Requirements:

Applicants must submit the following materials (in French or English):

  1. A Motivation Letter.
  2. CV / Biography.
  3. A Project Description clearly outlining the artistic interest and its feasibility within the geographic, temporal, and budget constraints of the tunnel.
  4. The completed Registration Form (available on the LACTU website).
  5. A Portfolio/Book (via digital link, DVD, or physical paper copy).

How to Apply?

Submit your complete application either by email to marine@lupercale.org OR by postal mail to:

François Morel

282 route de Saint Martin

26310 Beaumont-en-Diois, France

Key Dates:

  • Application Deadline: April 22, 2026.
  • Notification of Results: End of May 2026.
  • Residency Dates: 1 month during June 2026.

Location:

Ségonzac, Corrèze, France.

Contact Information:

Email: marine@lupercale.org (Marine Benjamin, Artistic Director) or qbcfm@free.fr (François Morel, Contact)

Website: LACTU Website