Open call: Saari Residence 2022

The Saari Residence, maintained by Helsinki-based Kone Foundation, is an international residence located in Mynämäki, Southwest Finland. It offers an excellent opportunity for professional artists of all disciplines and nationalities to focus undisturbed on creative work in the scenic surroundings of a rural manor house, as well the chance to interact with other residents.

Ecological sustainability, which includes social and mental sustainability, is an essential aspect of the thinking and the activities of the residence. An ecological approach is not a criterion in the artists’ selection process: the ecological focus is on residence activities.

The Saari Residence has been able to be operate despite the coronavirus pandemic. Some residencies have taken place remotely, but if the coronavirus situation allows, the Saari Residence will provide its usual residencies in Mynämäki, Finland in 2022.

The Saari Residence hosts approximately 35–50 residents or workgroups each year. Since the residency opened in 2008, nearly 600 artists from 50 different countries have participated in the program.

THE SAARI RESIDENCE OFFERS:

A grant. An individual residency spanning two months includes accommodation, a workroom and a monthly grant, the sum of which is determined by the applicant’s experience (€2,500/€3,000/€3,600 per month). The purpose of the grant is to cover the costs of living, travel and other expenses. Groups can apply for grant and support for travel expenses for a work period of two to four weeks.

Support for slow travel. “Slow travel” refers to travel that avoids flying in favour of more ecologically unsustainable means of transportation. You can apply for slow travel support if you are arriving at the Saari Residence from outside of Finland and travelling out of Finland upon departure. If the journey takes more than a week in total, you may also apply for a work grant such travel.

Accommodation. The Saari Residence apartments have a kitchen or kitchenette with basic amenities, and one of the buildings has a shared kitchen. Each resident has an apartment to themselves, including an en suite shower and toilet. Groups stay in more compact accommodations and often share apartments.

Working space. The Barn at the Saari Residence has been renovated as a diverse workspace for various artistic practices. The building contains a dance studio, two studios for visual artists, a sewing machine and a woodworking shop. The rooms for literary work are located in the apartments.
The residence does not have a darkroom, media room or equipment for printing, pottery, graphics or textile work. Artists may also apply for a residency for the planning stage of their work.
Groups working at the residence during summer months may also work in the unheated outbuildings. Residents will not have to share workspaces with others.

A peaceful working environment. The Saari Residence is located in a tranquil rural setting surrounded by nature, situated on the shore of Mynälahti, 30 km north of Turku. The diverse workspaces and peaceful countryside surroundings provide a productive setting for focusing on one’s work. The Saari Residence is not intended for networking within the field of art or for hosting exhibitions or performances. No exhibition or performance is required at the end of the residency period.

The opportunity to meet other artists. The Saari Residence is also a meeting place for artists and researchers. The two-month individual residency periods, which typically host seven artists from different fields and a researcher working under a Kone Foundation grant, provide plenty of opportunities for interaction that crosses the boundaries between both different art forms and the arts and sciences. At the same time, the Saari Residence offers a peaceful and unique setting where residents can focus on their work. The Saari Residence’s Community Artist works at the residence throughout the year.

Mentoring programme. We offer every artist at the Saari Residence two mentoring sessions carried out through a remote connection during their two-month residency. Our mentors are key professionals in their fields of art who live in Finland. They have a career spanning at least a couple decades and are skilled listeners and conversationalists. Each one also has a personal relationship with the Saari Residence. The mentoring sessions will be carried out in connection with the two-month periods of individual residencies – that is, from the beginning of September to the end of April. No mentoring sessions will take place in the summer.