Cali, Colombia

Why Cali is worth considering for a residency

Cali doesn’t function like a polished art market city. It feels more like a living laboratory where process, research, and community matter more than pristine white cubes. If you’re drawn to experimentation, collaboration, or context-specific work, this city can be a very good match.

Artists tend to choose Cali for a mix of reasons:

• Process-based, research-heavy projects that don’t fit neatly into a commercial gallery schedule
• Exchange with local communities, especially around Afro-Colombian and Pacific coast culture
• Interdisciplinary work: visual art, performance, sound, writing, film/video, social practice, craft, and food-based practices
• Lower cost of living than many North American and European hubs, and often cheaper than Bogotá
• Independent, artist-run spaces that are open to conversation and collaboration

Cali’s contemporary art scene has been shaped by independent initiatives and artists who prioritize experimentation and critical thinking. Names like Óscar Muñoz and spaces like Lugar a Dudas keep coming up for a reason: they helped build an ecosystem where residencies are less about retreat and more about connection.

Key residencies in Cali: what they’re like on the ground

There are three main residency names that typically come up when artists look at Cali: Casa de Mono, Lugar a Dudas, and Casa Biche. Each has its own flavor and ideal resident profile.

Casa de Mono Artist Residency Program

Where: 3 de Julio neighborhood, central Cali

Casa de Mono runs an artist residency from a two-story house that functions as both a living space and a working container for projects. The program is grounded in what they describe as ecosophical knowledge, environmental awareness, and respect for difference, so it suits artists who want to tangle with ecology, social dynamics, and alternative ways of living together.

What it offers in practice:

• Housing in a two-story house with work areas
• Easy access to public transportation, markets, and the city’s main public library
• A platform to connect your project with the foundation’s ongoing practices and networks
• Links to institutions such as Instituto Departamental de Bellas Artes, Instituto Popular de Cultura, Biblioteca Departamental, and partners like Cine Toro Film Festival and Calicomix

Who it’s good for:

• Visual artists working in drawing, photography, painting, sculpture, new media, mixed media, or installation
• Artists interested in ecology, social practice, or community dialogue
• International artists who want to be embedded in an everyday neighborhood rather than an isolated campus

Accessibility-wise, public information suggests the house is not wheelchair accessible, so if access needs are a priority, clarify facilities with the organizers before committing.

How Casa de Mono feels as a base: 3 de Julio is not a polished arts district; it’s a lived-in urban neighborhood. That can be a plus if you want real-life contact with Cali’s rhythms: markets, street life, and quick bus hops to the center and cultural institutions.

Lugar a Dudas

Where: Granada neighborhood

Lugar a Dudas is both a residency and a widely respected independent art space. It has been running since 2006 and is tightly woven into Cali’s contemporary art ecosystem. This is where you go if you want a critical, conversational, and conceptually engaged residency context.

What it offers in practice:

• Residency structure that is strongly process-based, with room to rethink your project once you arrive
• Introductions to local artists, organizations, students, and art professionals
• Opportunities to give talks at art schools or share your work informally
• Open studio or public sharing at the end of the stay
• A separate residency house about a block away in Granada

Residency house setup:

• Private rooms with bathroom, closet, and workspace
• Shared kitchen and dining room for everyday cooking and conversation
• Two workshop spaces, a patio, and a terrace that become casual meeting and making zones

Who it’s good for:

• Visual artists and curators wanting to be in conversation with peers
• Performers, dancers, writers, DJs, and activists working across disciplines
• Artists interested in research, archives, critical theory, and local context

If you want to leave with a polished exhibition, this may not be the perfect fit. If you want to leave with new questions, collaborators, and a deeper relationship to your own process, it probably is.

Casa Biche

Where: Cali (check with organizers for the exact neighborhood when you apply)

Casa Biche is often described as a cultural infrastructure rather than just a residency: it combines housing, workshops, and collaborative spaces for artists, researchers, cultural managers, and musicians. The focus is on intercultural dialogue, contemporary practices, and especially music and sound in relation to Pacific territory.

What it offers in practice:

• Housing plus spaces for workshops and collective making
• Residency frameworks built around the sounds of the Pacific, local knowledge, and contemporary experiments
• A “Living Laboratory” that uses art, food, and territory as tools for research and connection
• End-of-cycle sharings through workshops, conversations, and exhibitions

Who it’s good for:

• Musicians and sound artists working with rhythm, recording, or soundscapes
• Artists whose practice involves cooking, food studies, or gastronomy as a creative tool
• Socially engaged practitioners interested in Pacific regional culture, oral histories, and collective processes

If your work lives at the intersection of sound, food, and community, Casa Biche is one of the strongest matches in the city.

How the city itself functions as part of the residency

Cali is not just a backdrop; it’s part of the work. To get the most out of any residency here, it helps to understand the city’s main cultural zones and how to move between them.

Neighborhoods to know

Granada

• Home or near-home to Lugar a Dudas
• Walkable, central, and relatively easy for visitors to navigate
• Full of cafés and small restaurants where meetings naturally spill over from studios

Centro / Downtown

• Dense with libraries, archives, and public institutions useful for research-heavy projects
• More hectic, but essential if your work involves urban studies, history, or social observation

3 de Julio

• Neighborhood linked to Casa de Mono
• Centrally located, with easy access to the city’s main public library and public transport
• Good if you want everyday city life rather than a curated art district

San Antonio

• Historic, often described as bohemian, with small galleries, studios, and cafés
• Popular with visitors, so it can be a handy base if you are arranging your own housing outside a residency

Institutions and spaces that often connect to residencies

Residencies in Cali usually plug into a network of institutions and independent initiatives. Even if they are not directly running a residency, they may be places you visit, present in, or collaborate with:

• Lugar a Dudas – not just a residency but also a hub for talks, screenings, and research
• Instituto Departamental de Bellas Artes – art school and cultural institution, often involved in talks and collaborations
• Instituto Popular de Cultura – strong on traditional and popular arts, useful for artists engaging with local practices
• Biblioteca Departamental – an important research resource, especially if your project needs reading, archives, or quiet work time
• Cine Toro Film Festival – relevant if you are working with film, video art, or moving image
• Calicomix – for illustration, comics, and graphic storytelling connections
• Workshops like printmaking studios (for example, those mentioned in residency networks) if you need specialized equipment

It helps to arrive with a few of these names already on your radar so you can spot posters, calls, and events as they come up.

Money, logistics, and practical planning

A big part of choosing a residency in Cali is understanding what the program covers and what you will need to budget for yourself.

Cost of living basics

Cali is generally more affordable than Bogotá and often cheaper than Medellín, especially in terms of rent and food. That said, prices vary by neighborhood and lifestyle. Think about:

• Housing – often covered by the residency, but check if it is partial or full
• Food – if kitchen access is included (as with Lugar a Dudas), cooking at home keeps costs low
• Local transport – buses and ride-hailing apps are widely used
• Materials – imported art supplies can be pricier, so plan around what you can source locally
• Side trips – if you want to visit Pacific coast towns or other regions, factor in bus or internal flight costs

Many residencies in Colombia provide housing but not full stipends. For Cali, it is safest to assume you will need to self-fund:

• Food and daily transport
• Project materials and printing
• Documentation (photography, video, sound recording)
• Public presentation or event costs if your project needs staging

Before you accept a residency, ask very clearly what is and is not covered; this avoids last-minute stress and lets you chase external funding if needed.

Getting around

Arriving

• Cali is served by Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport.
• Residencies may or may not include airport pickup; if they do not, use registered taxis or ride-hailing apps from the airport.

Inside the city

• Public buses and bus rapid transit cover most central areas.
• Taxis and ride-hailing apps are generally the easiest way to move between studio, home, and institutions when carrying work.
• Walking is realistic within neighborhoods like Granada and parts of San Antonio, but expect to use transport between districts.

Casa de Mono’s listing highlights easy access to public transportation and the main library, which is helpful if your project involves site visits or frequent research trips.

Visas and paperwork

Visa requirements depend heavily on your nationality and on whether you are being paid or just hosted. General points to keep in mind:

• Short residencies may be possible on tourist entry for some nationalities, but always confirm with Colombian consular information before booking flights.
• If you receive a salary or stipend, or plan a longer stay, you may need a different visa category.
• Residencies can usually provide an official invitation letter, which is useful for visa applications, funding, and institutional approvals.
• If your home country taxes foreign income, check any implications of stipends or artist fees.

When you are accepted, ask the residency to clarify:

• Exact dates and length of stay
• Whether they provide documentation for visa officers
• What kind of financial support, if any, is considered income versus in-kind support (like housing)

How to actually work and network in Cali

The residencies mentioned are structured to encourage interaction rather than isolation. If you want more than just time in a studio, Cali can give you a lot back.

Community and collaboration

Common features across Cali residencies include:

• Open studios – usually at the end of the residency, where you show process, sketches, research, or experiments
• Talks and workshops – chances to share your practice with students, neighbors, or other artists
• Shared housing or cooking – especially relevant at Lugar a Dudas and Casa Biche, where kitchens and meals become informal crit spaces

Cali tends to reward artists who are willing to listen first, ask questions, and treat collaboration as a two-way exchange instead of a quick extraction of “local color.” If your practice is socially engaged, this city can challenge and deepen your methods.

What kind of artist usually thrives here

Residencies in Cali tend to suit artists who:

• Prioritize process over finished product
• Are comfortable with some ambiguity and shifts in their project once they meet the context
• Want to work in relation to place, ecology, and community
• Are open to interdisciplinary overlap with sound, food, writing, film, or performance

If your dream residency is a silent, isolated studio with zero interruptions and no obligations to share, Cali may feel too relational. If you want your work to be in conversation with a living context, these residencies can be energizing.

Planning your stay strategically

Once you have a shortlist (for example, Lugar a Dudas, Casa de Mono, and Casa Biche), you can start planning around timing, work needs, and personal comfort.

Timing and seasons

Cali has warm weather year-round; you will not be dealing with deep winter, but you will encounter rainy periods. For most artists, the more decisive factors are:

• Residency application cycles and intake periods
• The city’s cultural calendar, festivals, and academic terms if your project involves schools
• Your own project timeline, especially if you want to present work soon after

If your project depends on outdoor filming, drawing in public space, or field recording, research typical rainy months ahead of time and ask the residency about local conditions.

How to research residencies in Cali further

To cross-check or expand on what you find about these programs, useful starting points include:

• Res Artis – for general open calls (search by country and city)
• Artist Communities Alliance directory – for residency listings and context
• Residency websites and social media – often more up to date than older blog posts
• CVs and Instagram feeds of artists whose work you respect – see where they stayed in Cali and what they produced afterward

If there are particular questions about studio equipment, safety, or community expectations, email the residency directly rather than guessing. Organizers are used to these questions and usually appreciate artists who prepare.

Quick matching guide: where you might fit best

To wrap it into something you can act on, here is a simple way to think about the three main residencies:

• Lugar a Dudas – strong choice if you want critical contemporary art discourse, process-based work, and a solid connection to Cali’s art network.
• Casa de Mono – good match if you are focused on ecological, social, or interdisciplinary exchange and you want to be embedded in a central, everyday neighborhood.
• Casa Biche – ideal if your practice centers sound, music, food, Pacific territory, and collective experimentation.

Each of these can act as a different doorway into Cali’s art community. The more you tailor your proposal to their specific strengths, the more likely you are to land not just an acceptance, but a residency that genuinely supports the work you want to make.