Organizer Information
WeSA Residency is an experimental artist residency based in Seonheul Village, Jeju Island. The residency operates within a large rural-natural site designed to support innovative, interdisciplinary, and research-driven artistic practices. With a focus on experimentation and boundary-pushing creation, WeSA provides artists with time, space, and resources to develop new work in close connection with Jeju’s ecological and cultural landscape.
The residency is structured as an international platform for both emerging and established artists working across sound, media, audiovisual, and expanded contemporary art practices. It emphasizes process-based exploration rather than production-only outcomes, encouraging artists to develop ideas in dialogue with the environment and community context of Jeju.
Title & Description
WeSA Residency Global Open Call 2026 (Second Half) – Jeju Island, South Korea
WeSA Residency invites international and Korean artists to apply for its 2026 residency program located in Seonheul, Jeju Island. The program supports the development of new ideas and experimental work across a wide range of artistic disciplines.
This residency offers a short but intensive Residency period of 10 days between August and December 2026, designed to provide focused time for research, experimentation, and concept development. Final dates are arranged in consultation with selected participants.
The program is grounded in WeSA’s core values of innovation, experimentation, and expansion of artistic boundaries. Artists are encouraged to engage with the unique environmental and cultural conditions of Jeju Island, using the residency as a site for reflection and creative transformation.
Participants may also be eligible for additional support to further develop residency outcomes into completed artworks through a secondary selection process. A final public presentation is required at the end of the program
Categories
- Sound/Music
- Media Arts
- Audiovisual
- Video/Film
- Digital Art
- Installation
- Performance
- Interdisciplinary Arts
- Research
- Experimental / Hybrid Practices
Eligibility
- Open to international and Korean artists
- All disciplines and backgrounds are eligible
- Applicants must be 19 years or older
- Individual artists or small teams (1–3 members)
- Artists working in experimental, innovative, or research-based practices are preferred
- Must comply with travel and health regulations if entering Korea
Program Benefits & Awards
- Dedicated workspace in Jeju Island
- Accommodation during the residency period
- Residency stipend of approximately KRW 2,000,000 (including airfare support)
- Access to WeSA residency facilities and environment
- Opportunity for additional production support after residency (review-based)
- Inclusion in the final public presentation program in December 2026
The residency is designed to support both conceptual development and early-stage production of new work in an experimental environment.
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Artist statement or introduction
- At least one representative work (portfolio sample)
- Proposal or teaser for residency project
- Project concept and development outline
Selection is based on a review committee evaluation process.
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 30 June 2026
- Residency Period: August – December 2026 (10 days per selected participant)
- Final Presentation: December 2026
- Notification & Scheduling: After selection (date flexible, coordinated individually)
Location
Seonheul Village, Jocheon-eup, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, South Korea
Additional Details
The residency takes place in a natural forest environment in eastern Jeju, emphasizing slow-paced reflection and experimental creation. Artists are encouraged to engage deeply with the local ecological context, using it as a catalyst for conceptual and material exploration.
WeSA also operates additional programs, including a “Regular Call” and “Weft Artist Program,” focusing on short-term residencies and experimental sound, audiovisual, and media-based practices. These programs typically support small teams and prioritize innovation and boundary-expanding methodologies.
All participants are required to take part in a final presentation, which may include exhibitions, performances, or public sharing formats depending on the nature of the project.