Call for Artists – Artist Residency 2026
The University of Milan announces the artist residency “Crossing Paths: Stories of Vulnerability and Resilience”, a project dedicated to fostering dialogue between contemporary art and Earth sciences.
Organized by the Valchiavenna Alpine Environment Research Station (Department of Earth Sciences “Ardito Desio”), the residency addresses hydrogeological instability as one of the most emblematic indicators of climate change effects in mountain territories.
The mountain landscape becomes not only a geographic setting but a space of memory, adaptation, conflict, and transformation.
Art and Science in Dialogue
The residency offers a collaborative path involving artists, researchers, and the local territory through: interdisciplinary workshops, geological field activities, thematic mountain excursions, access to scientific archives and research spaces.
The project raises key questions:
- Are our scientific tools sufficient to understand natural forces?
- Should we adapt nature, or adapt ourselves to it?
- Can we still think in terms of nature versus humanity?
- Does a dualism between humans and nature still exist?
“Crossing Paths” aims to transform artistic practice into a tool for environmental awareness and collective reflection on vulnerability and resilience.
Residency Details
📍 Valchiavenna, Northern Italy
📅 June 19–28, 2026
Up to 8 individual artists (preferably aged 18–35) will be selected.
Accommodation will be provided at Ostello Il Deserto in Chiavenna.
Meals are not included.
The residency program includes:
- interdisciplinary workshops
- geological field activities
- thematic mountain excursions
- access to scientific archives and research spaces
Exhibition
Parco archeologico botanico del Paradiso
The residency will culminate in a site-specific open-air exhibition opening on September 4, 2026.
The exhibition will unfold as a narrative of the different stages of a hydrogeological event — from latency to memory — each interpreted through original artworks accompanied by scientific formulations and research-driven questions.
The exhibition may tour additional venues within 18 months.
Application Guidelines
Call open until 20 April 2026
Artists are required to:
- develop two project sketches during the residency
- produce final artworks afterward
- deliver works between August 29 and September 2, 2026
Travel, production, and transport costs are at the artists’ expense.
- travel expenses
- materials and production costs
- artwork transportation
📄 Full call: [link]
📄 Application form: [link]
✉️ Info https://valchiavenna.unimi.it/2026/02/24/crossing-paths-stories-of-vulnerability-and-resilience/
Contact: stazione.valchiavenna@unimi.it
