Call for applications: Art Explora – Cité internationale des arts Residency programme 2026

Art Explora, the international foundation that fosters new encounters between arts and audiences, locally, nationally and internationally, is pleased to announce that the call for applications for the Art Explora – Cité internationale des Arts Residency Programme 2026 is now open.  

Committed to supporting international artists, Art Explora created in 2021 a biannual residency programme in collaboration with the Cité internationale des arts in Paris. Since its first edition, this residency programme has welcomed more than 114 residents, from 52 ountries, of all ages and disciplines. 

The international impact of Art Explora was further strengthened this year with the expected opening of Vila 31 x Art Explora in Tirana, combining artist residencies with a rich cultural programme. 

Until October 31st 2025, artists and collectives of artists, researchers and curators from all around the world are invited to apply for this unique residency programme, with projects that question relations between art, science and technology, and address social and ecological issues of our time. 

The sixth edition of the residency programme will be divided in two sessions of six months, respectively starting in March and September 2026.  

Three programmes are proposed: 

• SOLO programme for artists only; 

• COLLECTIVE programme for collectives of artists, researchers and curators  

• Paris – Tirana CROSSED-RESIDENCY programme with Vila 31 x Art Explora in Tirana, Albania 

2 solo artists will be selected for this crossed-residency programme, offering a 3-month residency in Tirana and a 3-month residency in Paris. 

All residents benefit from a fully-furnished studio for 3 or 6 months, production and living grants.  

A new joint residency programme with Lafayette Anticipations - Fondation d'entreprise Galeries Lafayette, was inaugurated in 2025. As part of this new collaboration, each year, two artists hosted within the Art Explora Residencies will also benefit from access to Lafayette Anticipations' production workshops, additional support and a production budget of up to €3,000. 

The selection committee is composed of leading figures from the international art world and scientific research :  

• Hoor Al-Qasimi (United Arab Emirates): President and Director of Sharjah Art Foundation   

• Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev (Italy & United States): Curator, writer and Honorary Guest Professor at FHNW University in Basel.   

• Stuart Comer (United States): Lonti Ebers Chief Curator of Media and Performance at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)   

• Adriano Pedrosa (Brazil): Artistic Director of Museu de Arte de São Paulo - Assis Chateaubriand  

• Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung (Cameroon): Director of the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) in Berlin  

• Hans Ulrich Obrist (Switzerland & United Kingdom): Artistic Director of the Serpentine Galleries in London  

• X Zhu-Nowell (China & United-States): Director and Chief Curator of the Rockbund Art Museum (RAM) in Shanghai 

Applications are open until October 30th, 2025, 11:59pm (GMT+02:00, Europe/Paris)