Open call for artists: Saari Residence 2026

Application period: 1–31 March 2025
Saari Residence
Mynämäki, Finland

Kone Foundation's Saari Residence welcomes applications from professional artists from all fields of art for the international artist in residence in 2026. Two-month residencies offer free accommodation and a working grant, and there is a possibility to apply for support for ecological travel or travel from the Global South.

Located in a culturally and historically significant countryside setting in Mynämäki, Finland, the Residence offers an excellent and inspiring working environment and a platform to meet each other and share their thoughts and ideas.

In the summer of 2026, a major renovation project will begin in the old stone barn where the residency’s separate working spaces (studios, dance studio and workshop) are located. The renovation will create more workspaces that better meet the needs of the artists, as well as communal spaces for enjoyment. You can read more about the renovation project here. 

The renovation will impact working in the residency in 2026. 

• No group residencies will be offered in summer 2026 due to the renovation of the workspaces. 

• In spring 2026, individual artists or artistic duos can apply for workspaces outside their apartments. However, in autumn 2026, separate workspaces will not be available, and all work will take place within the apartments. During this time, the residencies will be suitable for “tidier”, desk-based work that requires little space.  Please note that the renovation may cause some noise disruption during weekdays. 

The residence’s long-term activities and thinking are underpinned by an ecological approach, which also covers social and psychological sustainability. The keywords are slowness, insight and change.  Working with ecological topics is not a requirement for artists selected for the residency. Instead, our focus on ecology is reflected in the residency’s overall activities. 

The main purpose of the residency is not to network within the field of art or to host exhibitions or performances. No exhibition or performance is required at the end of the residency period.  

Half of the residency spots are given to artists living in Finland, and the other half are allocated to artists coming from abroad. The selection will represent various art fields, including both emerging artists and artists with longer careers. 

We encourage those coming to the residence from outside of Finland to apply for support for ecological travel to cover their travel expenses.  

Artists arriving from Global South can apply for flight support and visa fees (processing and possible travel). Otherwise, we do not fund flying or other unsustainable means of transportation. 

The travel support must be applied for at the same time as the residency grant; you cannot apply for it retrospectively. 

The annual application period for residencies taking place in 2026 opens on 1 March and ends on Monday, 31 March 2023 at 4 p.m. Finnish time (Eastern European time, UTC +3). Only applications submitted via the online service during the application period will be considered.