Created in 2016 on the initiative of the French Academy in Rome – Villa Medici, the Casa de Velázquez in Madrid and the Villa Kujoyama in Kyoto, ¡Viva Villa! was born of a common desire to offer a regular event bringing together in France the artists, creators and researchers hosted in these three French institutions located abroad.
Since its creation, ¡Viva Villa! has always asked itself a central question: how can we provide artists, creators and researchers in residence with the ideal springboard after their stay?
After 6 editions, between Paris, Marseille and Avignon, and an evolution from an annual to a biennial format, ¡Viva Villa! has never stopped reinventing itself over the years, with today’s ambitious and exciting new stage. While retaining the essential aspects of its identity, the event is reinventing its contours and taking on an unprecedented scope. On this occasion, the Villa Albertine is joining the project.
¡Viva Villa! a new format for a new edition
Today, ¡Viva Villa! is launching a major call for projects for the programming of the next edition.
It is a rethought formula, which, built in a collective and plural way, is part of a logic of large-scale influence. A diversity of events that will take place between 2024 and 2025 throughout France, keeping in mind the clear intention that has animated ¡Viva Villa! since its beginnings: to return to France the work and research of the artists in residence while offering them an exceptional professional platform, marking the first step of a post-residency career.
¡Viva Villa! launches a major call for projects for the programming of the next edition
¡Viva Villa! is launching a call for projects aimed at cultural structures (cultural institutions, art centres, festivals, stages and theatres) in France (metropolitan and overseas) with a view to co-producing exhibition or programming projects for the next edition of 2024 – 2025, integrating artists, researchers and creators from the four major French artists’ residencies abroad, the French Academy in Rome – Villa Medici, the French Academy in Madrid – Casa de Velázquez, the Villa Kujoyama in Kyoto and the Villa Albertine in the United States.
This call for projects is part of the post-residency programmes aimed at developing co-productions around their work and research.
The cultural structures supporting the project are invited to propose collective exhibitions, concerts, performances, readings, videos and films and/or colloquiums and meetings aimed at presenting the work of several artists, researchers and creators in residence in Rome, Madrid, Kyoto or the United States for the most recent promotions. Each project must integrate the desire for transdisciplinarity and dialogue between the practices of ¡Viva Villa!
Cultural organisations wishing to apply must submit a dossier outlining the project, a provisional budget, as well as the list of artists, creators and researchers selected. They may also provide information on planned activities for the public (residents, associations, schools, visitors, etc.). The planned project may develop links with other artistic scenes and research centres from all continents.
Who is this call aimed at?
The call for projects is aimed at cultural structures based in France (metropolitan and overseas).
These structures can be, without restriction, cultural institutions, cultural establishments, art centres, festivals, stages and theatres.
If other partners are involved in the project, they should be mentioned in the application.
Cultural organisations may also invite an external curator or programmer to design the project. If necessary, a curatorial grant may be awarded by ¡Viva Villa! at the discretion of the jury.
Application requirements
The project must be supported by a cultural structure with an identified venue;
The cultural structure supporting the project must be located on French territory (metropolitan and overseas);
The project must include at least two artists, researchers or creators from at least two residencies part of ¡Viva Villa!;
The selected artists and designers must represent at least 50% of the project participants;
The cultural structures must pay particular attention to the respect of a balance between the residencies and in particular ensure that they propose a similar number of artists, researchers or creators from each of the residencies;
The selected artists, researchers and creators must be from the latest classes of the four partner institutions:
for Casa de Velázquez, Villa Albertine and Villa Medici: classes of 2022-2023 and 2023-2024;
for Villa Kujoyama: classes 2022 and 2023; The list of artists, researchers or creators of the 4 residencies is attached to the call for proposals.
The project must best integrate the desire for transdisciplinarity and dialogue between the practices of ¡Viva Villa!;
Presentation of the cultural structure carrying the project as well as possible partners and/or curator (2 pages maximum);
A file presenting the motivations as well as the research areas and orientations of the project, including the list of selected artists, researchers and creators (10 pages maximum);
Summary of the artistic project (500 characters including spaces);
A provisional budget of the project presenting, on the one hand, the items of expenditure covered by ¡Viva Villa! and, on the other hand, those covered directly by the structure carrying the project and its possible partners. The provisional budget must show separately the contributions made from the project’s own funds and the value added. The budget must indicate the amount of funding desired and requested from ¡Viva Villa!;
Presentation of the communication tools used for the project (e.g. press kit, invitation card, dedicated page on the website), (2 pages maximum);
A complementary document may contain publications, videos, sound recordings and any document that the project leader deems useful to communicate to the selection committee, which must be transmitted via internet links (5 pages maximum).
The texts must be written in French. All documents must be submitted on the platform in PDF format (maximum 20MB per file).
Calendar
A presentation session of the call for projects by the organising residencies will take place on 6 April 2023 at 1pm (France). To register, click here:
Tuesday 20 June 2023, at 1pm (Paris time): deadline for sending the application file. The application file must be completed online via the platform accessible at the following link: https://candidatures.vivaviIIa.info/
End of July – August 2023: announcement of selected projects
2024 – 2025 : ¡Viva Villa!, first edition of the new formula
The French residences abroad organising the project
French Academy in Rome – Villa Medici
Founded in 1666 by Louis XIV, the French Academy in Rome – Villa Medici is a French institution located, since 1803, in the Villa Medici, a 16th-century villa surrounded by a seventeen-acre park, on the Pincio Hill, in the heart of Rome.
A national public institution under the authority of the French Ministry of Culture, the French Academy in Rome – Villa Medici fulfils three complementary missions: to welcome high-level artists, creators and art historians in residence for one-year or shorter stays; to set up a cultural and artistic programme that includes all fields of the arts and creation and is aimed at a broad audience; to conserve, restore, study, its architectural and landscape heritage, as well as its art collections, known to the public.
Casa de Velázquez is a French institution founded in 1920 which aims to promote artistic, cultural and academic cooperation and exchanges on bilateral and international scales.
Inaugurated in 1928 in Madrid’s Ciudad Universitaria, the building was largely destroyed at the outbreak of the Battle of Madrid in 1936. It was reopened in its present form in May 1959.
Since its creation, Casa de Velázquez has developed its activities on the basis of a unique model, supporting both contemporary artistic creation and scientific research in the fields of Human and Social Sciences.
It carries out this dual mission through the joint action of its two components: the Académie de France in Madrid (artistic section) and the École des hautes études hispaniques et ibériques – EHEHI (scientific section).
Nestled in the heights of Kyoto, Villa Kujoyama is a multidisciplinary artistic residence that has been welcoming established and emerging artists wishing to develop a project in connection with Japan since 1992. More than 400 artists have stayed there since its creation and have contributed to the recognition of its expertise as a place for intercultural cooperation and Franco-Japanese creation.
Villa Kujoyama is today one of the most prestigious artistic residences that France administers abroad, in coordination with the French Institute – the cultural operator of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. It is fully positioned in the accompaniment of artists’ mobility with research programmes, from 4 to 6 months, intended to promote a better understanding of practices, from the arts and crafts to digital creation, not forgetting the visual and performing arts. Supported by its main sponsor, the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation since 2014, Villa Kujoyama deploys an ambitious project on a daily basis in synergy with numerous professionals from all sectors.
Created by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, and supported by the French Ministry of Culture, Villa Albertine offers a novel artists’ residency model in which residents choose the location best suited to their work within the host country. With a permanent presence in 10 major US cities, it aims to foster in-depth exploratory residencies for artists, thinkers, and culture professionals hailing from all creative disciplines. In its inaugural year, Villa Albertine will host 80 residents for one- to three-month customized residencies.
Powered by a team of 80 people in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., Villa Albertine actively supports the endeavors of French cultural actors across the country through a bold and nimble program, in close collaboration with leading American cultural organizations.
