Learning Materials Artists in Residence 2026 – for artists based in the Nordic and Baltic countries

Learning Materials partners HIAP, Bioart Society, Koynẽ Program, SWAMP: Art Material and Waste Management Point, and TUO TUO, invite applications for a new pilot residency programme focused on socially engaged, process-orientated and material-driven practices. Altogether 3 artists from Baltic and/or Nordic (excl. Finland) countries will be selected to undertake a 3-month residency at HIAP Helsinki International Artist Programme (Suomenlinna Studios). The residents and partners will visit TUO TUO residency in Joutsa for a 3-day evaluation retreat in the final week of the residency. The artists will be paired with SWAMP, Bioart Society or Koynẽ Program for research and curatorial support during their residency. The selected artists will receive funding for travels, materials, and more. The residencies will respond to one or more of the following themes under the Learning Materials umbrella: 1. Waste and circular economies 2. Material legacies and biomaterials 3. Tourism and greenwashing Each theme has been generated in response to a material challenge the project partners are investigating, which relate to their locale and communities. Artists will need to demonstrate expertise in material and socially-engaged practices (as opposed to artists looking to learn or experiment for the first time). The residency focuses on research and experimentation, with no designated output. Residents have the opportunity to share their practice through the delivery of a Learning Materials Lab and through publishing one text (or other format) online via the partners websites at the end of the residency period. The artists also have the option to participate in HIAP’s broader residency programme, including Open Studios. During the residency, artists will have support from and access to the expertise and facilities of each partner and their networks. This activity will be the first time the project partners have collaborated to pool expertise, resources and facilities in this way.