Deniz Villaları

• Residency period: Between September and December 2025, for a duration of two  months.
• Selected artists will receive:
  • Coverage of round-trip travel expenses between their country of residence and Turkey or another partner country in the Mediterranean.
  • Accommodation provided by the residency venues.
  • A €2,000 production grant.
  • Per diem or a living allowance of €2,000.
  • Access to a fully equipped workspace.
  • Artistic and logistical support on-site.
  • A potential stay at sea, depending on project requirements and available boats.
• Disciplines considered: Visual arts, music, dance, public space, audiovisual arts, media, journalism, literature, art criticism, and curatorial practices.

Applications must be submitted via email to denizvillalari@ifturquie.org before May 31, 2025, as a single PDF file (maximum 10 MB).

Eligibility Criteria:

• Must be a French, German or Turkish national or have been residing in France, Germany or Turkey for at least three years.
• Must provide proof of civil liability insurance.
• Must have a good command of English.

Required Documents:

• Curriculum Vitae (max. 4 pages).
• Artistic portfolio with approximately ten images of artworks including full captions (max. 15 pages). If applicable, links to videos on Vimeo, YouTube, or SoundCloud should be included.
• Residency project proposal (2 to 4 pages), outlining the applicant’s motivations, research theme, expectations regarding the residency, and the desired residency location.

Applicants may select up to two residency locations from the program’s partner network. A jury composed of art professionals and representatives from hosting institutions will carry out the selection process.

• • • Application deadline: May 31, 2025.
    • Results announcement: June 20, 2025.
    • Online preparatory seminar: July 2025.
    • Residency period: September-December 2025.
    • Public presentation and closing event: Following year.

    A committee of experts and representatives from the partner institutions will evaluate applications based on the following criteria:

    • Artistic quality and relevance of the project.
    • Alignment of the project with the residency themes.
    • Candidate’s adaptability to a new environment and ability to engage with local stakeholders.

📧 Contact: denizvillalari@ifturquie.org

Turkish and Mediterranean Institutions:

For french or german artists : 

• K2 Urla Breathing Zone (Urla)

K2 Urla Breathing Zone (K2UBZ) is located on a fourty-five-decare plot of land surrounded by forest in the Kuşçular District of Urla, İzmir, Türkiye. It serves as a campus where artists can accommodate and work in close connection to nature. The site features handcrafted wooden structures and landscaping tailored to the natural environment. K2UBZ includes eight bungalows that fonction as bıth living spaces and studios for resident artists. Additional facilities include a high- ceilinged common area suitable for gatherings and performances, a spacious communal kitchen, a gazebo, and a small pond. The compound is also equipped with a wood workshop, a ceramic kiln, and an upright piano.

Maquis Projects (Izmir)

Maquis Projects is inspired by the maquis landscape, a Mediterranean scrubland ecosystem. Maquis, originally associated with the Mediterranean region, can also be found in parts of California, South Africa, coastal Chile, and South Asia. It is the climate of Izmir, Turkey. Maquis Projects draws inspiration from the idea of Maquis as a unique ecosystem, where specific climatic and topographic conditions shape distinct fauna and flora to explore ecologies of disconnected locations that share common textures and scales.

• Studio MAHAL (Çanakkale)

Opened in the fall of 2013, MAHAL is Çanakkale’s first independent art center. Alongside international projects initiated by CABININ, MAHAL serves as a versatile and open space, infrastructure, and communication network for original, non-profit projects spanning different disciplines of art from Çanakkale, Turkey, and around the world. It hosts productions, exhibitions, screenings, and civil society activities, and functions as an archive of contemporary art and culture.

StudioMAHAL is another registered stone warehouses along the Sarıçay River. These stone buildings, typical examples of 19th-century maritime trade architecture in the Northern Aegean region, reflect Çanakkale’s multicultural past.

The aim of the StudioMAHAL artist-in-residence program is to host artists with professional, theoretical, and pedagogical experience from various artistic disciplines. It seeks to create an environment in which these artists can both share their knowledge, experience, and insights with young local artists and cultural professionals, and also focus on their own research or production.

During the Artist-in-Residence Program, an interface will be created to facilitate interaction with various local NGOs, experts and researchers in the fields of culture, art, archaeology, history, and ecology, as well as different archives, libraries, cultural institutions, and local art production workshops.

For turkish artists : 

• Cité Internationale des Arts (Paris) – already selected

Located in the heart of Paris, the Cité Internationale des Arts hosts over 300 artists each year from all disciplines and around the world. It offers an environment conducive to creation and professional exchange, along with tailored support. The Cité will contribute to the visibility of the Deniz Villalarıprogram in France, host an artist working on ecological themes, and support the public presentation of their artistic journey.

• Camargo Foundation (Cassis) – on specific criterias with scientifics

The Camargo Foundation offers research and creation residencies at the intersection of the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Located in Cassis, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, it will host an artist or researcher engaged in an interdisciplinary approach. This residency will be awarded based on specific criteria related to scientific research, the Mediterranean focus of the project, and its ecological grounding. The Camargo Foundation will oversee the hosting, mentoring, and integration of the resident into its public and curatorial programming.

Friche la Belle de Mai – Résidences Méditerranée (Marseille)

Since 2015, Friche la Belle de Mai and the Institut Français of Morocco have launched the “Résidence Méditerranée” program. In 2017, it expanded to include the Institut Français offices in Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Armenia, and Jerusalem (Ramallah office). This residency program is designed to welcome emerging artists from Morocco, Algeria, Iran, and Egypt to Marseille and support their mobility across the Mediterranean. The Friche offers them a tailored research and creation framework to develop their artistic practice and (re)connect with the French contemporary art scene. Residents receive mentoring from a professional, a research grant, a living allowance, accommodation, and a studio at the Friche. Public open studios, professional encounters (with curators, critics, journalists, etc.) are organized throughout the residency to foster new collaborations and enhance the visibility of the artists’ work in progress.

This residency program presents a unique opportunity to explore the ecological challenges of the Mediterranean through artistic creation while fostering sustainable collaborations across the region’s evolving landscape.

         

Call for Applications Document PDF : Deniz Villaları

1. Who can apply?
Artists who are nationals of France, Germany, or Turkey, or who have been residing in one of these countries for at least 3 years.

2. What disciplines are eligible?
Visual arts, music, dance, public space art, audiovisual arts, media, journalism, literature, art criticism, and curatorial practices.

3. When will the residency take place?
Between September and December 2025, for a duration of two months.

4. What is the application deadline?
May 31, 2025

5. How can I apply?
Applications must be submitted by email to denizvillalari@ifturquie.org as a single PDF file (max. 10 MB) including all required documents.

6. What documents are required?
– Curriculum Vitae (max. 4 pages)
– Artistic portfolio (max. 15 pages, include video/audio links if applicable)
– Residency project proposal (2–4 pages): motivations, research theme, expectations, preferred location(s)
– Proof of civil liability insurance
– Good command of English

7. What support is provided?
– Round-trip travel expenses
– Accommodation
– €2,000 production grant
– €2,000 living allowance
– Fully equipped workspace
– Artistic and logistical support
– Potential stay at sea depending on the project and availability

8. Where will the residencies take place?
📍 In Turkey (for French or German artists):
– K2 Urla Breathing Zone (Urla, İzmir)
– Maquis Projects (İzmir)
– Studio MAHAL (Çanakkale)

📍 Abroad (for Turkish artists):
– Cité Internationale des Arts (Paris)
– Camargo Foundation (Cassis – subject to specific criteria)
– Friche la Belle de Mai – Résidences Méditerranée (Marseille)

9. What is the goal of the program?
To explore the relationship between art and ecology through creative projects that engage with the environmental challenges of the Mediterranean, while promoting cross-cultural collaboration and artistic mobility.

10. How can I get more information?
📧 Contact: denizvillalari@ifturquie.org