Researcher / Scholar Residencies in China

A4 Residency Art Center

Chengdu, China

The A4 Residency Art Center, based in Chengdu’s Luxelakes Eco-City, is an interdisciplinary and community-driven residency dedicated to fostering boundary-crossing creative practices. Since its foundation as part of the A4 Art Museum, it has supported artists, scientists, designers, and other thinkers from over 23 countries through deep, localized engagements. A4 emphasizes sustainability, transdisciplinarity, and co-creation with the public and community. The program offers artists studio and accommodation space, round-trip travel, production support, and access to a unique “Super Agent” system—local residents who help artists integrate culturally and socially. Residents are expected to engage with the community through public events, collaborative workshops, and open studios. The residency fosters experimental, interdisciplinary projects that examine the relationships between people, place, and culture. Each session ends with a major public event such as RE-CREATE Art Season or the RE-SALON Residency Forum. A4 is a hub for international creators seeking to blend artistic innovation with social relevance in China’s rapidly evolving urban and ecological context.

Institute for Provocation

Beijing, China

The Institute for Provocation (IFP) is a Beijing-based independent art workspace, think tank, and curatorial platform that hosts artist residencies focused on the thinking and research process before artwork creation, emphasizing cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural provocations. It supports research, workshops, lectures, and experiments stretching borders between art, architecture, design, and other fields, introducing international artists to local networks since . Residencies provide shared studios and housing in central Beijing's Dongcheng district.

Platform China Contemporary Art Institute, established in in Beijing's Caochangdi Art District, is a non-profit art experimental space dedicated to creating a platform for artistic communication and dialogue between China and the international community. The residency provides artists, curators, writers, designers, researchers, and academics with opportunities to live and work in China, with five fully equipped studios (50-70 sqm) located in emerging art districts. Participants have the possibility of exhibiting at BIAP gallery during or by the end of their residency at no charge, with staff assistance in contacting other exhibition venues across Beijing, Shanghai, and other major cities.

WilderHaven

Chengdu, China

WilderHaven is an artist-founded initiative based in Southwest China that fosters cross-cultural dialogue and interdisciplinary creation in deeply immersive rural settings. Founded in 2024, it offers artist and writer residencies in the provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou, engaging directly with the region’s diverse landscapes and minority cultures. The residency supports visual artists, writers, musicians, performers, and designers through flexible programs designed to bridge global practices with local traditions. With small cohorts and a balance of solitude and community, WilderHaven emphasizes experimentation, collaboration, and critical inquiry. Participants have access to studios, cultural excursions, and local engagement opportunities with ethnic Yi and Lisú communities. Group and pop-up exhibitions offer residents ways to showcase work locally and in major Chinese cities. Family-friendly accommodations, bilingual support, and curated events make it accessible to a broad range of creatives. The program is primarily self-funded but offers merit-based stipends to reduce participation costs for selected artists.