Multidisciplinary Residency
The location of our residency, Montparnasse, is known as a historic hub for international artists, writers, performers, and musicians working and living alongside each other in this prominent artistic neighbourhood of the French capital. Montparnasse became the heart of intellectual and artistic life in the 1920s, a safe haven for international artists during the interwar period of Ecole de Paris, referred to as Les Années Folles, or the Roaring Twenties.
Artists came to Montparnasse from all over the world, from Europe, including Italy, Spain, Russia, Hungary and the Ukraine, from the United States, Canada and Mexico, Central and South America, and from as far away as Japan. Visual artists including Russians Marc Chagall, Chaim Soutine and Marie Vassilieff, Spanish Pablo Picasso, Italian Amadeo Modigliani, Japanese Tsugouharu Foujita, Mexicans Diego Riviera and Frida Kahlo, Hungarian Brassai, Dutch Piet Mondrian, Romanian Constantin Brâncuși and Swiss Alberto Giacometti, Americans Lee Miller and Man Ray, as well as writers and literary figures including Ernest Hemingway, Henry Miller and Gertrude Stein were hosted by their French contemporaries such as Fernand Leger, Guillaume Apollinaire, Jean Cocteau and Henri Matisse, to name only a few.
Revisiting the Roaring Twenties: Art, Culture and the École de Paris
The year 2020 marked the 100th Anniversary of the prolific period of intercultural artistic exchange during the 1920s. To commemorate its legacy, L’AiR Arts is pleased to offer a multidisciplinary residency for artists and cultural professionals dedicated to the celebration of intercultural exchange through the arts and the realization of a series of open and inclusive cultural events, including open studios, workshops, talks and showcases – each built on the generosity of the Paris based artists and cultural professionals and the curiosity and solidarity of international arts community.
This residency is open to artists and cultural professionals working in all art disciplines, including but not limited to visual arts, music, dance, theatre and literature.
Artists came to Montparnasse from all over the world, from Europe, including Italy, Spain, Russia, Hungary and the Ukraine, from the United States, Canada and Mexico, Central and South America, and from as far away as Japan. Visual artists including Russians Marc Chagall, Chaim Soutine and Marie Vassilieff, Spanish Pablo Picasso, Italian Amadeo Modigliani, Japanese Tsugouharu Foujita, Mexicans Diego Riviera and Frida Kahlo, Hungarian Brassai, Dutch Piet Mondrian, Romanian Constantin Brâncuși and Swiss Alberto Giacometti, Americans Lee Miller and Man Ray, as well as writers and literary figures including Ernest Hemingway, Henry Miller and Gertrude Stein were hosted by their French contemporaries such as Fernand Leger, Guillaume Apollinaire, Jean Cocteau and Henri Matisse, to name only a few.
Revisiting the Roaring Twenties: Art, Culture and the École de Paris
The year 2020 marked the 100th Anniversary of the prolific period of intercultural artistic exchange during the 1920s. To commemorate its legacy, L’AiR Arts is pleased to offer a multidisciplinary residency for artists and cultural professionals dedicated to the celebration of intercultural exchange through the arts and the realization of a series of open and inclusive cultural events, including open studios, workshops, talks and showcases – each built on the generosity of the Paris based artists and cultural professionals and the curiosity and solidarity of international arts community.
This residency is open to artists and cultural professionals working in all art disciplines, including but not limited to visual arts, music, dance, theatre and literature.
I had a wonderful experience at the Multidisciplinary Residency in January, 2020. It was a chance to be immersed with a group of international artists while learning about the artists who lived and worked (and flourished) in Montparnasse in the 1920s, while thinking about what art can do now, 100 years later, when we are in a similar moment of world crisis. The busy schedule took us all around Paris to museums, cultural institutions, bookstores, and elsewhere, while also offering us walking tours, workshops, classes, and even instruction on marketing. This was one of the most unusual and engaging experiences I've ever had.
- Debra Spark, United States (writer-in-residence, January 2020)
Program Overview and Objectives
The idea of this residency is to revisit and develop the open and creative energy of the 1920s as well as the spirit of solidarity and unity that allowed arts community to thrive in the heart of France and of Europe during this politically and socially strained war-torn period.
During the residency period, artists exchange ideas with their fellow residents from other countries, participate in relevant professional development events and showcase their work. To encourage networking and professional development, cultural professionals from around the world are invited to join the artists, visit Paris-based arts organizations, and meet local arts professionals. In addition to professional visits and showcase events, participants will also have the chance to hear from historians and political scientists, specialized in the interwar period and current affairs, who will contribute to the ongoing dialogue about the impact of arts and culture on society.
The residency will be co-hosted together with Paris-based artists, who will serve as co-organizers and will be asked to build on this mission of unity, openness and liberty in the artistic programming of cross-cultural exchange. To borrow French scholar Michel Espagne’s concept of “cultural transfers,” artists are often “vectors” in the cross-cultural exchanges that fuel the evolution of culture, politics and society. “To become attentive to cultural changes,” Espagne writes in his recent article on the subject, “implies revising, at least virtually, the structures of collective memory … seeking imported elements, which are often marginalized.”
Identities, values and visions of the future can be shared and shaped by the arts, which is a vital platform for intercultural dialogue and debate. This program provides an opportunity to build lasting connections, share experiences, ideas, and meals, getting to know one another not only as colleagues but as people. Invited artists and cultural professionals from around the world will be asked to reflect on ways in which the inclusive aims of the residency provide a counterbalance to contemporary social and political divisions, and will be encouraged to implement related initiatives in their communities back home.
The goals of this residency is not only to highlight the important role that international artistic community has played in Paris during the 20th Century inter-war period, but also to support international dialogue towards an open and free society of today. Today’s Europe must remain open to the globalized world, including emerging countries, and artistic exchanges are an ideal platform to facilitate this urgent and complex goal.
See the detailed residency program for 2020, which culminated in an inter-format symposium including a special benefit dinner and a series of talks, panel discussions and artistic interventions.
The idea of this residency is to revisit and develop the open and creative energy of the 1920s as well as the spirit of solidarity and unity that allowed arts community to thrive in the heart of France and of Europe during this politically and socially strained war-torn period.
During the residency period, artists exchange ideas with their fellow residents from other countries, participate in relevant professional development events and showcase their work. To encourage networking and professional development, cultural professionals from around the world are invited to join the artists, visit Paris-based arts organizations, and meet local arts professionals. In addition to professional visits and showcase events, participants will also have the chance to hear from historians and political scientists, specialized in the interwar period and current affairs, who will contribute to the ongoing dialogue about the impact of arts and culture on society.
The residency will be co-hosted together with Paris-based artists, who will serve as co-organizers and will be asked to build on this mission of unity, openness and liberty in the artistic programming of cross-cultural exchange. To borrow French scholar Michel Espagne’s concept of “cultural transfers,” artists are often “vectors” in the cross-cultural exchanges that fuel the evolution of culture, politics and society. “To become attentive to cultural changes,” Espagne writes in his recent article on the subject, “implies revising, at least virtually, the structures of collective memory … seeking imported elements, which are often marginalized.”
Identities, values and visions of the future can be shared and shaped by the arts, which is a vital platform for intercultural dialogue and debate. This program provides an opportunity to build lasting connections, share experiences, ideas, and meals, getting to know one another not only as colleagues but as people. Invited artists and cultural professionals from around the world will be asked to reflect on ways in which the inclusive aims of the residency provide a counterbalance to contemporary social and political divisions, and will be encouraged to implement related initiatives in their communities back home.
The goals of this residency is not only to highlight the important role that international artistic community has played in Paris during the 20th Century inter-war period, but also to support international dialogue towards an open and free society of today. Today’s Europe must remain open to the globalized world, including emerging countries, and artistic exchanges are an ideal platform to facilitate this urgent and complex goal.
See the detailed residency program for 2020, which culminated in an inter-format symposium including a special benefit dinner and a series of talks, panel discussions and artistic interventions.
L'AiR Arts Multidisciplinary Residency provided a rare opportunity for creators and catalysts to meet, exchange and build on each other's work. The experience has already proved pivotal for my practice and I suspect I will revisit my learnings and reflections for years to come. Thank you L'AiR Arts for a dynamic and high quality residency experience.
- Crystal Willie, Canada (cultural professional in residence, January 2020)
Residency Offer
The details of each residency are indicated in the invitation letter issued to the selected candidates and usually include:
The details of each residency are indicated in the invitation letter issued to the selected candidates and usually include:
- Accommodation in either a private or shared room (based on your preferences and availability)
- Flexible meal plan on-site, based on half-board of buffet breakfast and either lunch or dinner of traditional French cuisine (with a to-go option)
- Welcoming and closing dinner / reception at a historic restaurant or an artistic venue
- Curated cultural program (professional visits, meetings and other facilitated group events co-hosted by Paris-based artists and program partners)
- Communal studio space (access to specialized production facility can be provided based on the program)
- Meeting and showcase space (open studio, performance/stage space, sound, technical assistance)
- Access to the Centre's facilities including, plenty of common areas, cafe, an outdoor terrace and garden, laundry facility, meeting rooms and internet access (wifi) for personal laptops
- Support to encourage integration
- Paris Museum Pass and/or admission to a special venue/event
- Paris metro tickets
- Exposure on L'AiR Arts website and social media
- One-year membership and invitation to participate in residency projects and exhibitions
My experience at the L’AiR Arts Multidisciplinary Residency is one I will cherish for life. A comprehensive engagement within a variety of genres and disciplines, and the good fortune to engage with Paris in-depth. Art is an open world and there is so much more to understand and discover. I believe such an experience is conducive in a visual artist's career.
- Shireen Ikramullah, Pakistan / The Netherlands (artist-in-residence, January 2020)
Program Fees and Funding
As L'AiR Arts is a registered not-for-profit organisation, our residency fee only aims to cover the costs, already subsidized by our individual and institutional partners. The residency fee covers all the components, from the accommodation, most meals and local transportation, to creative space and curated programming. The exact fee depends on the particular program offer, its duration, accommodation preference and funding support.
Limited scholarship opportunities are available through our program for artists based in less economically developed countries and artists chosen by art collectors / patrons on our selection committee.
All the selected candidates receive an invitation letter indicating the specific fee of their residency, which can be used for further funding search through national and international agencies. For more information, please see our Funding page.
Application and Selection Process
Inclusivity is one of the core values and the guiding principle of our programs. This multidisciplinary residency is open to artists and cultural professionals from diverse cultural backgrounds, of different ages and genders, working in all art disciplines and at all stages of their professional careers. Intermediate level of English is required to be able to understand and interact with others.
Applications are reviewed by a panel of international and Paris-based professionals. Selections are made from an open call application and panel process to nominations or by invitation.
As L'AiR Arts is a registered not-for-profit organisation, our residency fee only aims to cover the costs, already subsidized by our individual and institutional partners. The residency fee covers all the components, from the accommodation, most meals and local transportation, to creative space and curated programming. The exact fee depends on the particular program offer, its duration, accommodation preference and funding support.
Limited scholarship opportunities are available through our program for artists based in less economically developed countries and artists chosen by art collectors / patrons on our selection committee.
All the selected candidates receive an invitation letter indicating the specific fee of their residency, which can be used for further funding search through national and international agencies. For more information, please see our Funding page.
Application and Selection Process
Inclusivity is one of the core values and the guiding principle of our programs. This multidisciplinary residency is open to artists and cultural professionals from diverse cultural backgrounds, of different ages and genders, working in all art disciplines and at all stages of their professional careers. Intermediate level of English is required to be able to understand and interact with others.
Applications are reviewed by a panel of international and Paris-based professionals. Selections are made from an open call application and panel process to nominations or by invitation.
Image: Anonymous. Among the revelers: visual artists Moïse Kisling and Marie Vassilieff, writer André Salmon, and Kiki. Montparnasse, 1924