AiR 351 is a non-profit, independent organization based in Portugal, established in 2015. A visual arts residency program, AiR 351 is committed to promoting art residencies and public programs. Its mission is to expand critical mass while furthering artistic projects and exchanges. This studio-based program brings together international and national artists, curators and other professionals, opening up space for research, sharing and presentation. Activities held at its headquarters in Cascais and in other partnering venues always derive directly from the residencies. Through a collaborative methodology, meetings with invited guests and partnerships result from the intense dialogue with its residents. The same approach applies to research trips, studio visits, publications, commissions and public events such as talks, open studios and exhibitions. Therefore, AiR 351´s structure is an elastic framework: our modus operandi follows individual ways of working and focus of interest while it adapts to the project´s specificities, namely in terms of scale, media and context.
The organization has hosted more than 50 international artists and curators from over 25 countries. Gary Hill, Ellie Ga, Vittorio Santoro, Emily Wardill, Veit Stratmann, Ohan Breiding and Shoghig Halajian, Katarína Poliačiková, Thiago Honório, Maria Trabulo, Cécile Bourne-Farrell and Mathilde Walker-Billaud are among its alumni.
AiR 351´s professional development program anchors itself on the thriving local art scene and stretches over a national and international network. Its team provides regular curatorial and technical expertise, consolidating the production of new works. Through institutional partnerships, AiR 351´s activities encompass a variety of contexts such as museums, universities and art schools, where a diverse range of public programs take place.
There is an ongoing application process and applications are reviewed by an independent international committee (Nathalie Anglès, Isabel Carlos and Sébastien Pluot). In parallel, AiR 351 creates grant opportunities through partnering with sponsors and applying for public funding. As a consequence, AiR 351 periodically launches calls for fully sponsored residencies. Aware that these initiatives are crucial for art practitioners AiR 351 works actively towards increasing them.
Applications for DGARTES / AiR 351 grants can be sent until November 12, 2022. This call is made possible by Direção-Geral das Artes through the funding program “2021 Apoio a Projetos, Artes Visuais – Criação e Edição”. It includes three fully sponsored grants, aiming for 4 months long residencies, especially targeted for artists and curators who, independently of where they are based, derive from the PALOP—Portuguese-speaking African countries. Artists and curators at any stage of practice are invited to apply.
These residencies should occur in 2022 and during the first semester of 2023, exact calendar to be determined between the organization and the grant recipients.
The grant recipients will benefit from a stipend of 1150 euros/month to cover accommodation and other living expenses and are exempt from the member fees to become associates of AiR 351 during that period. In case of an artist coming from abroad this grant offers a travel fee of 600 euros. Other benefits include: access to an individual studio and to communal spaces; integration in the local artistic community; technical and curatorial assistance; possibility of working within AiR 351 partners network (namely art school workshops); regular studio visits, participation in the open studios and other public presentations when possible. AiR 351 do its best efforts to help the recipients find suitable and affordable accommodation.
Through the creation of DGARTES / AiR 351 grants the organization intends to: contribute to cultural diversity through the access to opportunities; facilitate mobility for these art practitioners and to promote their integration within the arts community.
Please note that: all materials of application should be written in English; only digital material is accepted; candidates should not be enrolled in another residency during the same period; the working language is English; the residency timeframe is four months and cannot be shortened.
Applications should be sent to the following email: applications [at] air351.art, with the subject DGARTES / AiR 351 Grants. Deadline: November 12, 2022.
