Organizer Information
Greylight Projects is a contemporary art platform based in Heerlen, Netherlands, operating within the Borderland Residencies network across the Dutch–German–Belgian Euregion. The organization supports experimental Visual Arts practices through exhibitions, residencies, and collaborative programming. Its mission is to foster dialogue between artists, curators, and institutions while offering a production-focused environment for research-driven artistic work. Housed in a former school building, Greylight Projects provides studios, exhibition space, and communal facilities that enable both individual practice and collective artistic development.
Title & Description
Protocols for Observation / Hidden Structures – Research Residency Netherlands 2026
This 3-month Residency invites multidisciplinary artists and artistic researchers to develop experimental, research-led projects that engage with systems of observation, spatial inquiry, and intervention. Taking inspiration from Robert Smithson’s Heerlen Soil and Mirrors (1969) and the conceptual legacy of Op Losse Schroeven: Situaties en Cryptostructuren, the programme explores how contemporary artistic practices can reveal hidden social, ecological, and technological structures.
Artists are encouraged to treat public space and exhibition environments as sites of investigation. The residency supports process-based methodologies such as mapping, walking, protocol-based creation, sound, installation, text, and site-specific interventions. The focus lies on developing reflective and experimental approaches to Installation, Performance, and Interdisciplinary Arts practices.
The programme is embedded in the Borderland Residencies network, offering participants access to cross-border exchange formats including field trips, studio visits, and institutional collaborations across Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The residency concludes with an open studio presentation.
Selected artists will receive a monthly stipend and dedicated studio space, supporting both research and production phases of their practice.
Categories
- Visual Arts
- Sound Art / Music
- Performance
- Installation
- Interdisciplinary Arts
- Site-specific / in situ practices
- Research-based Contemporary Art
Eligibility
- Be professional artists or artistic researchers
- Be based in the Netherlands, Belgium, or Germany
- Work within multidisciplinary or research-driven practices
- Engage with spatial, environmental, or conceptual approaches to art
- Be open to collaborative and public-facing artistic exchange
The residency is open to emerging and established practitioners. There are no medium restrictions, but proposals must align with research-based and context-responsive practices. Artists are expected to engage with the local context of Heerlen and participate in Borderland programme activities.
Program Benefits & Awards
Selected artists receive:
- €1,000 monthly stipend (3 months)
- €500 production/material budget
- Studio and accommodation space in Heerlen (approx. 40m²)
- Access to Borderland Residencies network activities
- Curatorial and institutional support during residency
Additional benefits:
- Participation in field trips, workshops, and studio visits across the Euregion
- Public presentation (introductory talk + final open studio)
- Professional networking with curators and partner institutions
- Immersive research environment focused on experimental practice
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Motivation letter (max 500 words)
- Artistic practice description (max 500 words)
- CV including contact details
- Portfolio with recent works (images with captions)
- Optional: links to video or sound-based works
How to Apply?
Applications must be sent via email: opencall@greylightprojects.org
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 28 June 2026
- Residency Period: 1 September – 30 November 2026
- Duration: 3 months
Location
Heerlen, Netherlands
Additional Details
- The residency focuses on research-driven and process-based artistic practices rather than final production outputs.
- Artists are expected to actively engage with local contexts and participate in collective Borderland activities.
- Accommodation and studio are combined in a shared working space.
- Artists are responsible for travel, insurance, and living costs beyond the stipend.
- Selection is made by Greylight Projects in collaboration with external advisors.
- Accessibility and financial constraints may be discussed during application.
- The programme emphasizes experimental approaches to systems, infrastructures, and hidden structures in contemporary society.