Top Artist Residencies in Switzerland
Switzerland offers a remarkably diverse landscape for artistic research and production, where internationally renowned cultural institutions coexist with remote alpine regions, small towns, and rural communities. From major cultural centres to mountain villages, artists can engage with a wide range of contexts, perspectives, and working environments.
To help you navigate this landscape, we’ve compiled a selection of some of the most compelling residency opportunities in Switzerland currently open to international artists and designers.
Villa Sonnenberg | Artist-in-Residence Programme
The Villa Sonnenberg Foundation annually invites professional artists from the fields of visual arts and music to apply for a three-month residency. For each residency period, the foundation selects one artist to stay at Villa Sonnenberg in the small town of Lenzburg.
Location: Lenzburg
Rewards: Accommodation, CHF 600 monthly stipend, and more
Image: Villa Sonnenberg
La Becque | Principal Residency Program
Every year in March, La Becque opens a call for applications for its Principal Residency Program. The residency program dedicates particular attention to projects that focus on the interplay between nature and technology—two notions that are more than ever intertwined and lie at the heart of contemporary concerns. It is open to both accomplished practitioners and up-and-coming candidates with a high potential for artistic growth.
Location: La Tour-de-Peilz
Rewards: Accommodation, studio, and travel
Image: La Becque
TaDA - Textile and Design Alliance | Artist Residency Programme
Each year, six candidates, coming from Switzerland and abroad, have the opportunity to work with textile companies in Eastern Switzerland, use a local studio in Arbon and extend their own individual networks over a period of three months.
Location: St.Gallen
Rewards: Accommodation, studio, stipend, and travel
Image: TaDA - Textile and Design Alliance
Arts at CERN | Artistic Residencies
The residencies are designed for artists who are deeply interested in art, science, and technology. During their residency, artists immerse themselves in CERN’s cutting-edge research, gaining first-hand understanding of experimental sites. The residency programmes run through open calls for applications or by nomination.
Location: Geneva
Rewards: Travel, accommodation, stipend, and more (varies based on program)
Image: Arts at CERN
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Gastatelier Gleis70 | Residency for Visual Artists & Designers
The Gleis 70 guest studio is located in Zurich Altstetten in a former factory building in an industrial area. They host Europe-based visual artists and designers for three-month live/work stays at the studio.
Location: Zurich
Rewards: Studio, accommodation, and funding
Image: Gastatelier Gleis70
Jan Michalski Foundation | Residency for Writers
The Jan Michalski Foundation’s residency for writers is designed to provide an environment for literary creation and to support those involved in the written word. Residents are hosting in a small village at the foot of the Swiss Jura Mountains in Montricher.
Location: Montricher
What’s included: Accommodation, travel, weekly stipend of CHF 400, meals, and more
Image: Jan Michalski Foundation
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