Residency Programme

The main focus of Platform has been to present or produce contemporary art in Vaasa with emphasis on site specific art, community art, or art projects that somehow connect to local circumstances. Since an important part of Platform's activities are creating local interaction it gradually made sense to emphasize the residency program. It turned out that the projects and exhibitions made on site by artists that stayed a longer period in Vaasa somehow seemed to work better - in the sense that they got more local attention and usually also were more interesting to ourselves. For more information on past projects please check exhibitions & projects.

We offer the artist a stay in Vaasa for minimum 6 weeks up to maximum 6 months. A studio space, accommodation, travel expenses (cheapest possible covered), and living expenses is offered. We also offer a small production budget, usually up to 800 euros, which the artist may be reimbursed by presenting original receipts of purchases.

The studio is located in old military barracks in central Vaasa. The building hosts local artists as well. The accommodation is a loft located in an old soap factory, a 10-minute bike ride from the city centre. In addition, there are two bikes, a set of tools and equipment available for the artist. There is wireless broadband access in the studio. The artist has a contact person who is in charge of different arrangements, but note that this is voluntary work so if any additional assistance is needed it has to be agreed upon well in advance.

We ask the artist for a project which can be presented either during the residency or at a later stage. After the project is finished the artist should submit documentation of it. There is also a possibility for the artist to give a public talk about his/her work, which is normally done in the beginning of the stay, in order to get to know people.

For selection process please consult the two different programs: the Nordic and the International Program.

Nordic Program: An open call for 2-3 Nordic artists each year is announced in autumn.

International Program: The selection is based on invitation conducted as a co-operation between similar art spaces or initiatives around Europe – and sometimes also inviting previous artists in residence to suggest coming artists. Co-operation partners have been Vector (Iasi, Rumänien), Skuc (Ljubljana), Space (Bratislava), Via (Dublin), Platform Garanti (Istanbul) and 1:1 (Rome.)

The deadline for the open call for Nordic artists as well as for the international residencies is usually in September. The selections are done for a one year period starting in March the following year.

For both residencies we require the artist to send a digital application to info@platform.fi. Anything sent by snailmail is unfortunately not considered.

The application should be a pdf (or word document) that consists of:

1. an informal project plan or motivation letter, max one A4. The aim of the letter should be describing the kind of project the artist imagines doing in Vaasa and the motivation to apply for this residency. It should also include the preferred period of time, as well as what time isn't suitable at all.
2. a digital portfolio of 5 projects (please compress to 72 dpi - they will only be read/watched online, not printed). For videos, please add direct links to websites.
3. a cv of max one A4.