Artist-in-residence is a platform that allows the artist to escape from the routine and isolate for a certain period of time to concentrate on creativity. The essence of artistic residences is that they provide artists with a place, conditions, and time for creativity, and also place them in an environment of like-minded people.
Few people know, and the concept of artistic residence is already more than a hundred years old – they began to appear in the early 20th century and were a kind of romantic patronage. But with the advent of new trends in art, new artist-in-residence formats also appeared.
Today, online residences, as well as residences for digital artists, are becoming increasingly popular. While this trend is relatively new, there are already hundreds of projects that invite digital artists to learn and create collaboratively online or offline.
Below is a selection of the most interesting of them.
Top 5 Digital Art Residences
Digital Artist Residency
It is a platform for work and interaction between digital artists. The initiative supports both established artists and beginners – the main requirement does not experience, but the desire to work on the verge of art and technology.
The creators of Digital Artist Residency note that today’s society and art, in particular, are becoming more and more digitized, so the support of artists who develop this industry and spread knowledge about technologies in art is very important.
For several years now, one of the main directions of Digital Artist Residency has been the organization of digital art residences, often held in collaboration with other powerful initiatives, such as the Museum of Oxford or OVADA.
Individual artists, duets, and artistic groups from all over the world can apply for participation in residences.
Participants can create their own DAR website, control the DAR Instagram for the duration of their residency, and also receive a permanent web archive of work produced during the residency.
That year, the residency has already started, so we recommend that you follow the updates on the Digital Artist Residency channels so as not to miss the next open call.
Digital Arts Studios
Digital Arts Studios was founded back in 2003 when digital art was discussed only in narrow professional circles.
Today, DAS is the only platform in Northern Ireland to offer a residence program for local and nationally based visual artists who work in the field of digital art, and also holds the record for the number of digital art residences held (about 200 over the entire existence of the organization).
Within the four-month residency, artists work on one digital art project, as well as participate in an educational program. The organizers welcome both experienced digital artists and those who are just trying their hand in this field, and applications are accepted from any corner of the world.
Digital Art Observatory
The Digital Art Observatory is a first-of-its-kind Digital Art Residency that aims to study collaborations in the digital world. During the residency, 5 art projects were created with the help of advanced digital media such as Web, 3D, and AR.
They can now be viewed on the Digital Art Observatory website Daobservatory Art. In addition, the organizers held a series of lectures from digital art industry experts and formed a whitepaper – a collection of expert conclusions with practical recommendations for intercultural digital art projects and management.
And although the residency was held last year by V-Art and Electric Artefacts platforms, its results, i.e. virtual exhibition, public program, and whitepaper, are still useful today.
European Media Art Platform 2022
Artists and art groups working in the fields of digital art, media art, and bio-art are invited to participate in the residence from the European Media Art Platform. The residency will last two months and will start in June in Zagreb, Croatia.
Participants will be provided with accommodation, a project budget, free access to technical facilities and/or media labs of the residence organizer, and much more.
Both professional and emerging artists are invited to participate, however, only EU residents or taxpayers in an EU member country or the UK can become participants of the residency. You can apply until April 27th, so hurry up!
Out of the Circle
Out of the Circle was created as an organization dedicated to the development of digital art and new media art throughout the MENA region. Its main goal is to help Egyptian and North African artists in their promotion to the international market and to establish a dialogue between the local and international art communities.
Out of the Circle regularly organizes various educational and cultural events, including festivals, exhibitions, conferences, and, of course, residences. The latter invites international artists, curators, and researchers who wish to explore Egypt’s cultural landscape through digital mediums.