Arnis Residency is an annual residency programme for contemporary artists on a peninsula in Northern Germany. Arnis lies close to the Baltic Sea in a fjord called Schlei and is the smallest town in Germany, both by population (281 habitants) and by area (0.45 km2).
Arnis was founded in 1667 by working families moving from Kappeln, a nearby town, in order to avoid the increasing subjugation of indentured servitude. In the 19th century, Arnis turned into a prosperous harbour town, known beyond German borders for its maritime trade. Arnis’ shipyards, alongside tourism and yachting, still represent a significant part of the region’s current economy.
The residency in Arnis encourages to engage with the region’s local and remote context in order to encounter a world characterised by connections and flows beyond cities. Aiming to expand the notion of residencies in rural places as opportunities beyond mere retreats, the organisers encourage practical applications that engage with the region’s economic, historic, socio-political or geographical conditions.
Applicants are invited to submit a brief description of a project they would like to realize and exhibit at the end of their residency. The residency is open to contemporary art disciplines such as performance, film, painting, sculpture, photography, writing, installation, sound and new media. Arnis Residency seeks to create an inclusive, safe space for people of all ability backgrounds, lineages, cultural and religious beliefs, sexualities, and gender expressions. Applications by couples and duos are welcome.
Selected residents will participate in a final public exhibition located throughout various sites across Arnis. Each selected applicant (duos count as one) will be provided an individual room as well as a space to work in locations suitable to one’s project (a small studio space, a shed, and a sailing boat) as well as a travel allowance of 100€ and a small production stipend of 50€. Depending on the nature of the artistic work and weather conditions, there are various exhibition sites, including a local beach, a residency sailing boat, an old water boat wharf, a floating raft, the residency house’s back garden and a small car ferry.
This year's residency takes place from 18 September to 3 October. Applications can be submitted unti 25 July. More information can be found here.
