THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ICELAND CALLS FOR ARTISTS FOR A RESIDENCY ON PRESERVATION

Overview

The National Gallery of Iceland offers a residency within the CUSP program (Creative Understanding, Saving and Preserving Time-Based Media Art), a transnational cooperation project co-funded by the European Union's Creative Europe program. The call targets artists working in complex media or emerging technologies: generative AI, custom sensors, sound, software, blockchain, and physical-digital hybrids, among others.

Key Dates

• Application deadline: September 3, 2026
• Residency dates: Early 2027 (exact dates to be arranged with selected artist)

Eligibility

Applications are open to international artists based outside Iceland who reside in any of the 27 EU member states or in eligible associated countries, including EFTA/EEA members, candidate countries, and European Neighbourhood Policy countries.

Residency Details

The residency will last up to four weeks and includes accommodation, working space, travel and subsistence stipend, and an artist fee for participation in the open lab/masterclass. During the residency, the artist will meet with a conservation specialist in time-based media art for an in-depth interview focused on the preservation needs of the media the artist works with. The artist will also present their practice and working methods publicly in an open-lab masterclass, designed in collaboration with the museum.

Application Requirements

• Artistic statement
• Motivation letter
• Masterclass proposal
• CV
• Portfolio

About CUSP

CUSP brings together the National Gallery of Iceland with Nasjonalmuseet (Norway), LI-MA (Netherlands), Vasulka Kitchen (Czechia), and Mystetskyi Art Arsenal (Ukraine). The project addresses the full lifecycle of time-based media artworks — from creation to long-term digital preservation — and responds to the growing need for shared methodologies for conserving works that depend on rapidly obsolescing technologies.