Multidisciplinary Residencies in Switzerland

Arts at CERN

Based in Geneva, Switzerland

Arts at CERN is a pioneering artistic residency program that bridges the gap between the realms of art and science, offering artists of all disciplines the opportunity to engage with the cutting-edge research and community at the world's largest particle physics laboratory. This fully-funded residency provides a unique platform for artists to explore and be inspired by the complex world of fundamental science, fostering dialogues and creating new connections between artists and scientists. Through a variety of residency programs like Collide, Connect, Accelerate, and Guest Artists, Arts at CERN opens up opportunities for creative experimentation and inquiry, allowing artists to delve into the mysteries of the universe while contributing to a vibrant cultural exchange. Each residency is selected through open calls and a jury of cultural and scientific experts, emphasizing the program's commitment to innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration.

CAN, Centre d'art Neuchâtel

CH-2000 NUECHATEL, Switzerland

CAN Centre d'art Neuchâtel is a leading Swiss art center in Neuchâtel dedicated to contemporary artistic creation, renowned for its spacious exhibition spaces, audacious programming, and collective management by artists, curators, and technicians. It produces site-specific exhibitions in close collaboration with artists from Switzerland and abroad, offering them visibility, curatorial support, financial backing, technical assistance, and promotional opportunities. While it serves as an experimental platform for novel works rather than a traditional residency program with fixed stays, it features artist activities at 'the Studio' and has hosted over 1,400 artists through more than 500 events since 1995.

Centro Internazionale di Scultura (CIS)

Peccia, Switzerland

Centro Internazionale di Scultura (CIS), based in Peccia, Ticino, Switzerland, offers a distinguished residency program for artists specializing in three-dimensional art. The Foundation awards five scholarships annually, running from May to October, providing artists with a comprehensive working environment. Each artist receives an atelier and access to workshops equipped for stone, wood, and metalworking, including a 20-tonne crane. Residents stay in the Casa degli Artisti, which offers individual living units with private facilities and shared kitchen amenities. The program emphasizes marble from Peccia, though artists can work with various materials. The residency fosters artistic exchange through visits and meetings with other artists and art professionals, enhancing networking and professional growth. Artists are expected to leave a piece of work for the Foundation, participate in events, and cover their living and travel costs.

The Embassy of Foreign Artists (EOFA) is an international residency program based in Geneva, Switzerland, established in , that welcomes artists, researchers, and cultural actors from around the world. The program provides logistical and financial support for creative development, with a focus on bridging artistic and scientific practices around themes such as imagination in research processes.

Embassy of Foreign Artists (EOFA)

Geneva, Switzerland

The Embassy of Foreign Artists (EOFA) is an international residency program based in Geneva, Switzerland. Established in 2012, the organization provides logistical and financial support to artists, researchers, and cultural actors from around the world. It offers a collaborative environment where artists can work on their projects, from initial development to final presentation, with a focus on fostering intercultural exchange. The program is open to various artistic fields, including visual arts, music, literature, and more. EOFA leverages its extensive network to facilitate the promotion and dissemination of residents’ work, often collaborating with local institutions to support projects long-term. The residency aims to bridge scientific and artistic practices, making it an ideal space for creative exploration. Geneva’s neutral stance and historical significance as a hub for intellectual and political dialogue make it a vibrant location for the intersection of art, science, and culture.

Federal office for Education and Science

CH-3003 BERN, Switzerland

No artist residency program is operated by the 'Federal Office for Education and Science' (likely referring to the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, SERI) at CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland, based on available information. Residency.ch, a non-profit providing work and living spaces for international artists, is located at PROGR Art Center in Bern, potentially supported by Swiss federal cultural funding bodies like Pro Helvetia. Pro Helvetia funds various artist residencies in Switzerland, offering up to three months of support including accommodation, per diems, and workspaces, but not directly through SERI.

The Gelbes Haus Luzern artist residency, offered annually by the Gelbes Haus studio co-operative since , provides one international artist with a 3-month stay including housing and workspace to foster intercultural exchange in Lucerne, Switzerland. It is open to professional artists of all disciplines, regardless of age or nationality, culminating in a public event such as an exhibition, reading, or concert. Applications are announced on the program's website and transartists.org.

Muzeum Susch / Art Stations Foundation CH

Susch, Switzerland

The artist residency 'Temporars Susch' by Muzeum Susch / Art Stations Foundation CH in Susch, Switzerland, offers individual residencies to artists of all disciplines, writers, curators, cultural producers, and researchers in a historic Chasa next to a medieval monastery, emphasizing contemplation, intellectual exchange, and disconnection from production pressures without requiring tangible outcomes. Residents engage with the community through workshops, talks, or discussions and benefit from the inspiring Engadin valley setting historically linked to figures like Nietzsche and Giacometti. The program provides accommodation, travel expenses, and a weekly stipend of 350 CHF, with typical stays of 2-4 weeks.

PROGR_Zentrum für Kulturproduktion

Bern, Switzerland

PROGR Zentrum für Kulturproduktion is a cultural production center in Bern, Switzerland, that hosts events, exhibitions, and supports artistic production through its facilities. It operates as a foundation providing spaces for artists and cultural projects, including potential residency-like opportunities via tenant access.

Stiftung Atelier Robert

Biel, Switzerland

The Stiftung Atelier Robert in Biel, Switzerland, manages a historic artist studio house once belonging to painter Léo-Paul Robert, renting it out to external and international artists for stays typically lasting 2 to maximum 5 years to enrich the local cultural scene. Residents pay monthly rent of approximately CHF 880-1000 plus additional costs of CHF 400-500, with applications announced in publications like Kunstbulletin and selected by the foundation board and experts. The program excludes dusty disciplines like stone masonry.

Stiftung Eduard Bick

Zürich, Switzerland

The Stiftung Eduard Bick, based in Zürich, Switzerland, provides affordable temporary artist residencies since 1959, primarily in the Tessin region at properties like Casa Bick in Sant’Abbondio with its adjacent large Atelier Bick, and Casa Maria in Costa-Intragna suited for smaller works. These stays target less affluent artists, offering simple houses and ateliers for creative work periods amid scenic surroundings near Lago Maggiore.

Verein Werkraum Warteck PP

Basel, Switzerland

Verein Werkraum Warteck PP is a collaborative cultural space in a former brewery in Basel, Switzerland, housing studios, workshops, and projects for artists, performers, craftsmen, and musicians under the concept of 'permanentes provisorium' emphasizing change and development. It supports creative work through shared facilities including artist studios and ateliers, with a residency program offering accommodation and studio for 2-3 months, where artists cover board, food, and travel expenses. The site hosts events, markets, workshops in areas like printmaking and bookbinding, and temporarily accommodates art fairs like Liste.

Villa Sonnenberg

Lenzburg, Switzerland

The Villa Sonnenberg Artist-in-Residence program, sponsored by the Villa Sonnenberg Foundation, offers professional artists a unique opportunity for creative and personal growth. Located in a historic Baroque villa in Lenzburg, Switzerland, the residency promotes intercultural exchange and international networking. Artists from all disciplines are invited to apply, with a focus on exploring themes such as generations and challenging social beliefs. The serene environment and supportive community provide an ideal setting for artists to find new inspiration and develop their work. Participants will enjoy modern amenities in a historic setting, including private rooms, shared studios, and common spaces for collaboration. The residency aims to create a vibrant artistic community where new approaches can be developed and shared. Artists will have the chance to publicly present their work at events in Lenzburg, fostering engagement with the local community.

Villa Sträuli

Winterthur, Switzerland

Kulturhaus Villa Sträuli in Winterthur, Switzerland, is a non-profit contemporary art center established in 1999 that offers tailor-made international artist residencies emphasizing interdisciplinary and intercultural exchange, diversity, and inclusion for artists, curators, and researchers of all disciplines and backgrounds. Residents receive professional curatorial, technical, and production support, integration into public programs, networking opportunities with local and international cultural scenes, and access to facilities including three autonomous studios with living spaces. Applications can be made directly or via partner institutions like Pro Helvetia, with residencies varying in duration from two months to several months depending on the program.

Villa Villekulla

Faucogney-et-la-Mer, Switzerland

Villa Villekulla is an artist residency in an antique house in the medieval village of Faucogney-et-la-Mer, France, offering spaces for living, studios, workshops, and exhibitions to facilitate slow living, serenity, and artistic processes. It emphasizes autonomy for residents, temporary communities, cultural discourse with the local environment, and constant transformation of the program. Residents cover ancillary costs of CHF 660 and maintain the facilities collectively.