Rijeka, Croatia

Why artists choose Rijeka

Rijeka is one of Croatia’s most interesting cities for artists because it mixes a working port, post-industrial edges, and a strong independent culture scene. That combination makes it especially attractive if you care about research, process, and social context as much as finished work.

The city has a history of being outward-facing and politically aware, which shows up in its art life: multilingual projects, activist culture, and crossovers between visual art, performance, literature, and urbanism. You get real local networks rather than a pure tourist destination, and the cost of living is still generally lower than in bigger Western European arts hubs.

Rijeka is a good match if you are working on:

• research-based projects that need archives, conversations, and time
• writing and literature, including hybrid text-image work
• performance and live art
• new media and audiovisual practices
• socially engaged, activist, or community-oriented work
• collective and interdisciplinary projects

Key residencies and how they actually work

Kamov Residency Programme (Kamov Artist-in-Residence)

What it is
Kamov is Rijeka’s main international residency program. It was founded in 2011 and is coordinated by the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMSU) with support from the City of Rijeka Department of Culture, City Library Rijeka, and the Croatian Cultural Centre Sušak. The residency is named after Janko Polić Kamov, a radical modernist writer from Rijeka.

Over the years it has hosted more than 500 artists, theorists, and creators. The focus is less on big studio production and more on research, experimentation, and public exchange.

What you can expect the residency to focus on

• Time and space for developing ideas, not just executing finished work
• Research and writing residencies, including literature and theory
• Performing arts and post-studio visual practices
• Support to conceptualize and test projects in relation to Rijeka’s context
• An expectation of public-facing activity (talk, workshop, exhibition, reading, or similar)

Who it suits

• Visual artists working conceptually or post-studio
• Writers, poets, and experimental literary artists
• Performance and live-art practitioners
• New media, video, or sound artists
• Theorists, curators, researchers connected to art and culture
• Artists who want to meet curators, librarians, and local cultural workers

Why it’s a good anchor in Rijeka

• Strong institutional backing through MMSU and city partners
• Built-in access to local networks rather than working in isolation
• A proven track record of hosting international residents
• Alignment with Rijeka’s identity: critical, experimental, context-aware

Before you apply, it helps to browse MMSU’s and the residency’s materials to understand what kinds of projects have been supported. Look at how past residents connected their work to Rijeka’s history, port city identity, or local communities.

Official site: kamov-residency.org

Riso and Friends Residency

What it is
Riso and Friends offers a shorter, project-focused residency in Rijeka, usually up to three weeks, centered on risograph printing and self-publishing. It is funded by the City of Rijeka and independent support, and organized in cooperation with DELTALAB – Center for urban transition, architecture and urbanism.

This residency is specifically geared towards collectives working on a publication project that will be completed and printed during the stay.

What you can do there

• Finalize a publication such as an artist book, comic, zine, essay, or hybrid print work
• Learn risograph printing from scratch or deepen existing skills
• Engage with the politics of publishing, self-organization, and distribution
• Connect with local design, print, and activist communities

Who it suits

• Collectives working in art, design, writing, or critical publishing
• Feminist, queer, activist, and anarchist groups who use print as a tool
• Illustrators, comics artists, zine-makers, and graphic designers
• Artists interested in DIY publishing and collective process

This program is excellent if you are less interested in open-ended research and more focused on producing a specific publication with hands-on support.

Website: risoandfriends.net

Other key institutions for residency artists

Even if you are based at Kamov or Riso and Friends, most of your meaningful connections will run through a few core places:

• MMSU – Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka – central actor in the city’s residency ecosystem, organizing exhibitions, talks, and symposia, including events about residency practice itself.
• City Library Rijeka – great for literature-based projects, research, readings, and community-oriented programs.
• Croatian Cultural Centre Sušak – important site for events, presentations, and cross-disciplinary collaborations.
• DELTALAB – relevant if your work touches on urbanism, architecture, and social space, or if you’re in the Riso and Friends network.

When you are in the application phase, it helps to explicitly mention how your project could connect to one or more of these partners. That signals you understand how art and institutions talk to each other in Rijeka.

Understanding Rijeka’s art scene

The art scene in Rijeka is relatively small, but quite dense. You are likely to meet the same curators, artists, and cultural workers across multiple venues, which can be an advantage if you are proactive and respectful of people’s time.

Core characteristics

• Experimental and process-driven rather than commercial-market focused
• A strong independent and activist scene alongside institutions
• Regular crossovers between visual art, literature, music, performance, and theory
• Attention to social, political, and urban issues

The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMSU) is a key anchor for exhibitions and discussions. The Kamov residency is structurally tied to MMSU and city partners, meaning your residency work can easily intersect with public programs, symposia, or collaborative projects. For example, MMSU has hosted events focusing specifically on residency models, challenges, and best practices, which shows that the city thinks of residencies as part of its cultural fabric, not an afterthought.

Outside the museum, pay attention to smaller galleries, artist-run initiatives, and interdisciplinary projects that might not always be obvious online. Once you arrive, ask your host for current listings and mailing lists; a lot of activity is shared through local networks, newsletters, and social media.

Where artists tend to stay and work

Central Rijeka and Korzo

The streets around Korzo, Rijeka’s main pedestrian artery, put you close to cafés, galleries, bookshops, and public events. It is convenient if your residency involves regular meetings, public programs, or simply long days working in cafés with Wi‑Fi.

Staying in or near the center means:

• Walkable access to MMSU and central cultural institutions
• Easy coffee and food options for meetings
• More street noise and slightly higher rent

Sušak

Sušak sits on the eastern side of Rijeka and is tied to the cultural network of Kamov and the Croatian Cultural Centre Sušak. It can be practical if your residency work is directly linked to those institutions or if you want a slightly more local, less tourist-facing feel while still being close to the core.

Brajda / Potok

The Brajda and Potok areas are more residential but close enough that you can walk to the center. Artists staying longer term often look here for slightly more affordable rents while keeping daily access to galleries and studios manageable.

Trsat

Trsat is the hilltop district overlooking the port. It has a strong sense of place, striking views, and a quieter rhythm. The tradeoff is the climb and a bit more travel time to central venues. This can work well if you want a calmer living situation with the option to drop into the city rather than being in the middle of it.

Pećine

Pećine is a more residential seaside area. It can suit artists who work better with some distance from the core and are energized by access to the water. If your project is more solitary or writing-based, this kind of location can be ideal, as long as you still have a clear plan for how and when you connect with local partners.

Practical location tip

When choosing where to stay, prioritize walking or easy bus access to:

• MMSU
• Sušak / cultural centers
• The city center and Korzo
• Main bus routes and transport hubs

This makes it much easier to attend late events, manage rehearsals or printing sessions, and meet people spontaneously.

Money, logistics, and daily life

Cost of living basics

Rijeka is usually less expensive than many Western European capitals, though prices in Croatia have risen over time. How manageable it feels will depend a lot on whether your residency covers housing, studio, and a stipend or expects you to self-fund most things.

Main budget lines to consider

• Accommodation: often the biggest cost unless the residency provides it. Ask clearly: is housing included, subsidized, or your responsibility?
• Food: eating at home from local markets is reasonably priced; eating out frequently will add up but is still moderate compared to larger EU cities.
• Workspace: check what the residency offers: a private studio, shared space, or primarily a living space with access to institutional facilities.
• Local transport: buses are affordable; walking is realistic in central areas.
• Cafés and meeting spaces: coffee culture is strong and generally budget-friendly, which is helpful if you work in cafés.

When you budget, watch for:

• Seasonal rent fluctuations (summer can bump prices)
• Whether heating and utilities are included if you are there in colder months
• Costs related to production: printing, materials, technician fees, space rental

Studios and support spaces

In Rijeka, residency programs and institutions are often more important than standalone commercial studio complexes. Ask your host directly about:

• What kind of workspace you will actually have
• Access to equipment (e.g., risograph, projectors, sound systems, basic tools)
• Possibilities for public presentations or open studios
• Introductions to local print shops, performance venues, or community organizations

For publication-focused work, Riso and Friends can be your main anchor. For broader visual, performance, or research-based work, Kamov and MMSU’s network are the key contacts.

Getting to and around Rijeka

Arriving
You can reach Rijeka by bus, train, car, or a combination of regional flights and ground transport. In many cases, artists fly into a nearby international airport such as Zagreb, Ljubljana, Trieste, or Venice, then travel by bus or train to Rijeka. Rijeka Airport on Krk Island is useful in certain seasons and for specific routes.

In the city

• The central areas are walkable and compact, especially around Korzo and the waterfront.
• City buses cover most districts you are likely to use, including residential areas and some coastal neighborhoods.
• Taxis and ride-hailing services exist but are less omnipresent than in large capitals, so late-night transport is worth planning ahead.

Visas, timing, and how to plug into local networks

Visa and entry basics

Your needs will depend heavily on your citizenship and length of stay.

• EU/EEA/Swiss citizens: usually enter easily for work or research stays, but longer residencies may require registration with local authorities.
• Non-EU citizens: need to pay attention to Schengen short-stay rules and Croatian residence regulations. Long stays or paid work can mean you need a visa or temporary residence permit.

Ask the residency explicitly what kind of documentation they can provide:

• Formal invitation letter stating the purpose and duration of your stay
• Accommodation confirmation if housing is included
• Any information about previous artists using those documents for visas or permits

Always cross-check with the Croatian consulate or embassy in your country and official migration information. Residency acceptance does not automatically function as a visa.

When to be in Rijeka

Seasonal feel

• Late spring to early autumn: usually the most pleasant in terms of weather and outdoor activity. Cultural programs are active, and the sea is accessible.
• Summer: busy, warm, and animated, sometimes more tourists; good for public-facing events and collaborations but potentially more distractions.
• Autumn: often ideal for focused work while institutions still have full calendars of exhibitions and talks.
• Winter: quieter, potentially better for concentrated writing or research; some programs continue with indoor events and gatherings.

For applications, residencies often announce calls several months in advance. It helps to:

• Monitor program websites and mailing lists regularly
• Plan extra time if you need visas or grants
• Align your preferred season with your project needs (public events vs quiet studio time)

Building connections while you are there

To get the most out of a residency in Rijeka, treat the city as a collaborator rather than a backdrop.

People and networks to seek out

• MMSU curators and educators – useful for feedback, archival questions, and public programs
• Kamov residency staff – they know how other artists have used Rijeka as a context
• Independent artists and writers – often involved in multiple projects across institutions
• Publication and activist collectives – particularly relevant if you are in Riso and Friends or working with print
• Urbanism and architecture networks – through DELTALAB and related initiatives, if your work touches on the city, the port, or public space

Events to watch for

• Artist talks and residency presentations
• Workshops and intensive labs
• Exhibitions and openings at MMSU and partner spaces
• Symposia and public discussions on art, urbanism, and residencies
• Book launches, zine fairs, and publication-focused events

Many of these are not heavily advertised internationally. Once you arrive, ask to be added to mailing lists, group chats, and newsletters, and keep an eye on local cultural portals.

Is Rijeka the right residency city for you?

Rijeka is a strong match if you:

• Want an institutionally supported but experimental working environment
• Move across visual art, performance, writing, new media, or social practice
• Value research time and conversations as much as production
• Enjoy public exchange – talks, workshops, community events
• Prefer a city that feels lived-in and complex rather than polished and purely touristic

It might be less ideal if you are looking for:

• A remote, silent retreat with no public obligations
• A large commercial gallery market and collector scene
• A big, global-art-fair atmosphere

If you are considering applying, a useful next step is to map your current project against what Kamov and Riso and Friends actually support. Ask yourself: how could your work connect with Rijeka’s port history, political layers, or local communities? The clearer that link, the more sense a residency in this city will make for you.