MODEM AIR

MODEM has inaugurated MODEM AIR, a new long-term artist and researcher residency. This program operates alongside the institution's short-term residency, drawing on its traditions and intellectual heritage. The residency is situated in one of the classic studio apartments within an artists' colony that was built in the late 1960s and remains active today. It takes advantage of the site's layered architecture and cultural-historical and ecological contexts, transforming the location into a dynamic space for research, engagement, and creative exploration. 

Institutional Roots & Local Genealogy 
The new short-term residency program continues the legacy of the Debrecen Artist in Residence (DAIR), launched in 2006, operating in parallel under the name MODEM AIR. The previous thematic programs and exhibitions of the DAIR—such as Garden–City–Structure (2006), Field Survey (2007), Imprinting (2016), Design Resistance (2018), and Botanica – Learning from Nature? (2024)—explored the intersections of art and science, reflecting on contemporary social and ecological issues. The program has continually drawn on a select group of researchers, architects, designers, and artists whose varied perspectives have enriched the collective process of inquiry and creation. These events have materialized not only in exhibitions but also in theoretical research, publications, and professional collaborations, strengthening MODEM’s international network and its research-based artistic profile. 

In its long-term residency format, the program positions itself at the crossroads of ecological, archival, and cultural-historical research, bridging past and emerging futures. 

Conceptual Frame & Engagement 
MODEM AIR approaches the site as a living archive, a layered terrain where ecological, architectural, cultural, and historical traces shape new narratives. Residents engage with the environment through walking, mapping, archival research, and collaborative actions that connect memory, community, and place. The built environment, surrounding landscape, and local community are active partners in the process, not merely a backdrop for inquiry. 

Rooted in Debrecen yet open to international exchange, MODEM AIR connects local contexts to broader Central and Eastern European and global networks. Its architecture, garden, and infrastructures serve as an experimental laboratory, a space for process-based research, reflection, and artistic exploration beyond fixed outcomes. 

Site, Infrastructure & Conditions 

Studios and living quarters occupy rehabilitated atelier buildings from the 1960s, located in the Debrecen's Great Forest, Hungary’s first natural protected zone 

Each residency cycle hosts up to two individual artists / researcher, or one small collective/duo  

Facilities are equipped with full utilities, living and working areas, heating, WiFi, workspace, and basic maintenance support  

The architecture retains traces of its past; walls, surfaces, patinas, structural elements are considered collaborators in the artistic process  

Family-friendly accommodations are included in the program and residents can request them as needed. 

Outputs, Legacy & Dissemination 
Projects emerging from each residency may take the form of open studios, public activations, exhibitions, workshops, or exhibition (subject to funding). MODEM will document and archive the work, integrating it into the museum’s programming and local cultural infrastructure. 

First Cohort / Ongoing Life 
The inaugural 2025 cohort comprises Alicja Wysocka, Gál Orsolya, Raluca Popa, Alex Bodea, and the duo Aterraterra. Their practices will probe resonances between ecology, memory, architecture, and heritage. 

Administration, Networks & Partnerships 

MODEM AIR is managed by MODEM Center for Modern and Contemporary Art in Debrecen, in cooperation with local archives, universities, and cultural institutions. Its goal is to function as a local laboratory and one of the centres of Central and Eastern European art networks. 

Participation & Future Cycles 

MODEM AIR is now alive and inviting, pulsing with the promise of emergent dialogues. Details on upcoming cycles, precise dates, and pathways to participation will soon unfold. We extend a warm invitation to artists, curators, researcher-practitioners, foundations, and institutions eager for collaboration, site explorations, or enduring partnerships—reach out to us and let us weave the threads together. 

Contact: residency@modemart.hu