Away Art Residencies Facts & Figures
In parallel to the global development of diverse art residencies, a specific terminology has evolved. This glossary explains the most frequently used terms and provides facts and figures on Away Art Residencies, the renowned International Residency Program of the Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport (BMKOES) as well as the studio programs of the Austrian provinces and selected independent initiatives presented on this platform. Being a steadily growing compendium, the glossary is open for interesting news on this subject. Please send your suggestions to: office@away.co.at
A/T – The letters “A” and “T” differentiate between grants offered for artists and theorists.
Additional support refers to art residencies that offer artists funding going beyond the free use of studios and reimbursement of travel expenses.
AIR – is the acronym commonly used for “artist-in-residence” internationally.
Art Residency – see Residency
Awarding institution – This is the term used by Away for the institutions offering and coordinating art residencies. They include public institutions at the federal, provincial and local level as well as independent initiatives.
AWAY – The Book about Residencies – Publication in which Away Art Residencies gave a historical overview of the International Residency Program of the BMKOES, documented the exhibition and presented theoretical approaches and programmatic outlooks on this subject by experts in 2018.
#awayresidency – Hashtag of the Instagram channel that Away Art Residencies has made available to artists-in-residence for documenting their stays abroad in real time since 2016.
B – Residency projects of the City of Bregenz are marked by the letter “B” on this website. In cooperation with the Province of Vorarlberg as well as the professional organization of visual artists, the City of Bregenz promotes exchanges with BilbaoArte and offers an outgoing studio in Bilbao, Spain, as well as an incoming-studio in Bregenz – both studios are open to all art branches.
BGL – Residency projects of the Province of Burgenland are marked by the abbreviation “BGL” on this website. Together with Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Tyrol and Vorarlberg, Burgenland manages the provincial “Domus Artium” studio for outgoing residencies in Paliano near Rome.
In addition, airBurgenland offers various incoming residencies for Austrian as well as international artists, curators and scientists and follows an approach promoting interdisciplinary networking with a focus on short-term stays. The spaces offered are as heterogeneous as the artists-in-residence and their disciplines: a historical printing workshop in a village ensemble, studios at the Peace Castle, a landscaped garden and a high-tech performance stage.
BMEIA – The Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten) is a partner in individual residency projects of the federal provinces, mainly in cooperation with Austrian cultural forums in other countries. The BMEIA conducts a Writer-in-Residence program as well as a studio program in cooperation with the MuseumsQuartier Wien. Since 2023, the BMEIA has been offering residencies for curators in selected Austrian representations abroad in collaboration with the federal states.
BMKOES/BMKÖS – The Austrian Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport (Bundesministerium für Kunst, Kultur, öffentlichen Dienst und Sport) has initiated and commissioned Away Art Residencies.
Calls refer to the calls for proposals with different offerings and requirement profiles that individual art residency programs address to artists and theorists.
Family-friendly – Some calls explicitly state that residencies are “family-friendly”; other awarding and partner institutions may allow for applicants taking along their child(ren) or family upon personal inquiry.
FREE AWAY – From 2024 on, the BMKOES awards FREE AWAY grants to visual and media artists and curators under which the applicants can freely propose the destination, duration and date of their stays.
GR – Residency projects of the City of Graz are marked by the abbreviation “GR” on this website.
IN – Residency projects of the City of Innsbruck are marked by the abbreviation “IN” on this website.
Incoming programs invite artists and theorists from abroad to temporary residencies in Austria or a specific province.
Independent initiatives – Under the term “independent”, Away groups together residency programs organized by private initiatives. However, they may be funded by the federal government or the Austrian provinces in full or in part
International Residency Program of the BMKÖS – Based on the grant for art studies in Rome (starting in 1972), the Art Division has developed the institutionalized International Residency Program from the mid-1980s on. Its first independent studio opened in Rome in 1985. To date, the Program established around 30 individual studios for temporary use by Austrian visual and media artists on four continents.
KL – Residency projects of the City of Klagenfurt are marked by the abbreviation “KL” on this website. Since 1986, the City of Klagenfurt and the Province of Carinthia have taken turns in offering an outgoing residency for visual artists at the Cité internationale des arts in Paris, France.
In cooperation with the provincial capital of Klagenfurt, the Province of Carinthia has awarded an incoming residency for photo and media artists every year since 2012. In addition to a grant and a studio in Klagenfurt, it also includes an exhibition at the “Living Studio” of Klagenfurt City Gallery.
Moreover, the City of Klagenfurt has also offered a six-month residency for visual arts, photography/new media in Šmartno, Slovenia, since 1988. The works produced during that residency are presented at the “Living Studio” of Klagenfurt City Gallery.
KTN – Residency projects of the Province of Carinthia are marked by the abbreviation “KTN” on this website. Since 1986, the Province of Carinthia and the City of Klagenfurt have taken turns in offering an outgoing residency for visual artists at the Cité internationale des arts in Paris, France.
In cooperation with the provincial capital of Klagenfurt, the Province of Carinthia has awarded an incoming residency for photo and media artists every year since 2012. In addition to a grant and a studio in Klagenfurt, it also includes an exhibition at the “Living Studio” of Klagenfurt City Gallery.
In cooperation with the City of Villach, the Province of Carinthia has offered an incoming residency for filmmakers in Villach since 2015. The works produced during that residency are presented at the K3 film festival in Villach.
Künstler:innenhaus Büchsenhausen – Künstler:innenhaus Büchsenhausen is a post-graduate center for production, research, mediation in the fields of visual arts and art theory. Büchsenhausen is a section of the association Künstler:innen Vereinigung Tirol.
L – Residency projects of the City of Linz are marked by the letter “L” on this website. Since 2009, Atelierhaus Salzamt has coordinated incoming and outgoing projects for visual artists along with a comprehensive support program and exhibitions and also regularly manages residencies for the University of Arts Linz, Ars Electronica as well as the Province of Upper Austria.
The MuseumsQuartier's international Artist-in-Residence programme, which is realised in cooperation with partners, has been offering around 60 international artists the opportunity to live and work in the MuseumsQuartier every year since 2002, to further develop their artistic projects and to get to know the local art and cultural scene. The aim of the Artist-in-Residence programme is also to continuously stimulate the art and cultural scene in the Austrian capital with external and new impulses and to promote exchange by involving international artists.
Another focus of MQ's AiR lies in socially relevant engagement. The MQ AiR program, in cooperation with the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, invites independent and critical artists from countries where free artistic expression is not a given. Together with the Austrian Federal Ministry for Arts and Culture (BMKÖS), it hosts a Capacity Building program in the arts and culture sector (currently focusing on Kosovo), providing young professionals from Kosovo the opportunity to gain work experience at leading Austrian cultural institutions.
NÖ – Residency projects of the Province of Lower Austria are marked by the abbreviation “NÖ” on this website. In cooperation with other federal provinces, the Province of Lower Austria offers the Domus Artium studio in Paliano near Rome. Every year, four one-month outgoing residencies are awarded in the domains of visual art and literature.
Lower Austria’s residency focus is on cross-domain incoming and outgoing activities covering five studios in Krems an der Donau as well as outgoing studios in Europe (Ireland, Sweden, Lithuania, Hungary), Australia and the USA (California and Illinois) that are programmed by AIR Lower Austria in the context of the Kunstmeile Krems and implemented with renowned cooperation partners such as the Djerassi Resident Artists Program. Moreover, the AIR Lab Studio located in Krems serves as a shared studio and dialogue space promoting interdisciplinary exchanges (digital and visual arts, music, building culture and literature).
Ö – Residence projects of the BMKOES are marked by the letter „Ö“ on this website. They are open to applicants from all over Austria. The focus is on the International Residency Program under which the BMKOES has given more than 1,000 artists the opportunity to work in 30 studios worldwide since 1970. For the characteristics of and impressions from all those studios see: BMKOES Studios since 1970.
On Tour – Under the menu item On Tour, Away Art Residencies publishes the destinations, partner programs and names of artists who have been sent abroad or invited to Austria for art residencies by the BMKOES or Austrian provinces.
OÖ – Residency projects of the Province of Upper Austria are marked by the abbreviation “OÖ” on this website. In cooperation with other federal provinces, the Province of Upper Austria offers the Domus Artium studio in Paliano near Rome and gives artists the opportunity to work in studios in Austria and abroad.
Moreover, the Province of Upper Austria promotes international cultural exchange, for example, with the partner regions of North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg; offers residency studios in Paliano, Italy, Český Krumlov, Czech Republic and Quebec, Canada; and awards an incoming residency in cooperation with the Nextcomic festival in Linz. The Upper Austrian art collection hosts incoming artists-in-residence at Weinberg Castle in Kefermarkt and at Villa Rabl in Bad Hall.
OÖ Landes-Kultur GmbH manages the OÖ AIR residency program and 16 cultural sites all over Upper Austria as well as the Linz Palace Museum and the museums at Francisco Carolinum and OK Linz. In cooperation with the Academy of Ceramics Gmunden, Gmundner Keramik and the New Taipei Yingee Ceramics Museum, OÖ AIR offers a residency in Taiwan, China, and in return, residencies in Gmunden. Together with Energie AG, OÖ AIR has awarded the “Traumstipendium” grant under which the trip itself is the subject since 2011. In cooperation with the BMEIA and the Austrian cultural forums, OÖ AIR.GOV is offered. In addition, OÖ AIR awards free travel grants. All the residencies include exhibition and presentation opportunities.
Outgoing programs offer art residencies abroad to theorists and artists working in Austria (or a specific province.
Program – Some studios give artists the opportunity to use institutionalized networks developed in ongoing programs by local co-operation partners for exchanges with experts and/or for obtaining curatorial advice.
Residency – In the context of art, a residency is a grant for individuals or collectives that makes available a studio for temporary use as well as know-how and the following resources: in some cases affiliation with a studio program offering curatorial support and promoting artistic networking on site; reimbursement of travel expenses; monthly payment for covering fixed costs at the main domicile; support before and during the residency.
S – Residency projects of the City of Salzburg are marked by the letter “S” on this website. Since 1986, the City of Salzburg has offered artists the opportunity of working abroad within the framework of its AIR exchange program. In return, it hosts international artists. The City of Salzburg closely cooperates with public and private institutions in Europe and the USA and has established regular artist exchanges with selected artists. As a host for international artists-in-residence, the City of Salzburg operates an incoming studio at the Salzburger Kunstverein.
SBG – Residency projects of the Province of Salzburg are marked by the abbreviation “SBG” on this website. The Culture Department of the Province of Salzburg has successfully implemented its exchange program since 1987 and offers outgoing studios for artists and curators from Salzburg at the following locations: Paris, France; Varanasi, India; Merida, Mexico; Paliano and Sardina, Italy, Budapest, Hungary; Ahtopol, Bulgaria; Tirana, Albania and Vienna, Austria. Incoming artists can apply for a residency at the studio of the Province of Salzburg at the Salzburger Kunstverein.
Salzburger Kunstverein, based at Künstlerhaus Salzburg, is the institutional hub for residencies and fellowships in Salzburg. In cooperation with the BMKOES, it offers residencies for international artists; together with the Ocula Magazine (also supported by the BMKOES), it organizes a writer-in-residence place for authors to promote writing about contemporary art; a biennial curator residency provided in collaboration with the City of Salzburg is understood as an impulse for curatorial discourse in Salzburg. The artist-in-residence program of Salzburger Kunstverein has been an internationally well-positioned exchange program for the City and Province of Salzburg.
Short-term residency – Residencies scheduled for periods shorter than one month are called short-term residencies by most organizations.
Specialization – Historically, studios for visual and media artists were usually dedicated to the core genres of painting, sculpture or photography. As the boundaries between genres became blurred, many studios deliberately opened up for interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary use. Nevertheless, some studios remain reserved for specific domains and artistic specializations owing to their technical equipment, the affiliation with genre-specific programs or funding from different budget lines.
STMK – Residency projects of the Province of Styria are marked by the abbreviation “STMK” on this website. At present, the Province of Styria offers artists and theorists of all art disciplines from Styria or working in Styria twelve studios in Europe and Africa. The focus of the program is on intensive networking with artists and theorists from southeastern Europe.
An incoming studio in Graz implemented by the Province of Styria (St. A.I.R.) in cooperation with local artists and initiatives of the art scene of Graz is addressed to artists and theorists across all genres.
Stories from Abroad – Title of the exhibition in which Away Art Residencies presented the artistic outcomes and the history of the International Residency Program of the BMKOES to a wider public in 2016.
Studios – Under the menu item “Studios”, Away Art Residencies shows all destinations of the participating partner organizations in Austria and abroad and provides links directly to the application pages of the relevant awarding institution.
SZ – Residency projects of the City of Schwaz are marked by the abbreviation “SZ” on this website. In cooperation with Kunstraum Schwaz, the City of Schwaz offers an incoming residency.
T – Under the term theorists, Away Art Residencies groups together those people eligible for studio places who do not create art but rather deal with art in theoretical terms, such as curators, scientists and critics. On this website, theorists among the grant beneficiaries are identified by the letter “T”.
TI – Residency projects of the Province of Tyrol are marked by the abbreviation “TI” on this website. In cooperation with other federal provinces, the Province of Tyrol offers the “Domus Artium” studio for outgoing residencies in Paliano near Rome. Together with the Federal Ministry f or European and International Affairs (BMEIA), the Province of Tyrol additionally offers a three-month curator-in-residence grant for Sarajevo (Bosnia-Herzegovina) for curators, urban planners and architects with ties to the Tyrol from 2024 on.
With financial support of the BMKOES, the Province of Tyrol and the City of Innsbruck, the Künstler:innenhaus Büchsenhausen makes available four temporary live-in studios for international fellows as well as six studios for domestic artists and serves as a hub for interdisciplinary exchanges on visual arts in the Tyrol.
Transdisciplinary – The term “transdisciplinary” is used to describe the networking of artistic-theoretical research with representatives of science and/or art practitioners.
VBG – Residency projects of the Province of Vorarlberg are marked by the abbreviation “VBG” on this website. Under the cross-genre GO grant program, the Province of Vorarlberg supports stays abroad for currently ten individual artists or artist collectives regardless of place and time per year.
With the Comeback Grant, the Province of Vorarlberg also invites artists with roots in Vorarlberg to a temporary work stay in their home province. At present, an apartment and a studio are offered in cooperation with the City of Bregenz in Bregenz.
VI – Residency projects of the City of Villach are marked by the abbreviation “VI” on this website. In cooperation with the City of Villach, the Province of Carinthia has offered an incoming residency for filmmakers in Villach since 2015. The works produced during that residency are presented at the K3 film festival in Villach.
Visual art and media covers the branches of printing, photography, installations, ceramics, painting, performances, sculptures, sound, textiles, videos and drawing as well as digital and media art for Away Art Residencies.
W – Residency projects of the Province of Vienna are marked by the letter “W” on this website. The City of Vienna currently offers several studios for local artists as well as incoming studios for international writers such as “Writers in Exile – Vienna as a city of refuge”.
Together with partners, MuseumsQuartier has operated an incoming artist-in-residence program since 2022. Under this program, around 60 international artists work in the MQ studios every year. It promotes international exchange and enriches regional cultural life. The ongoing transformation of MQ into a carbon neutral cultural area (MQ goes Green) also shapes the new MQ RESIDENCY – ART & ECOLOGY.
