“Creation & Transitions” call for projects

The Fondation d’entreprise Martell is launching its “Creation & Transitions” call for projects for the 2026–27 residency programme in Cognac, France. The Foundation is seeking artists, designers, architects, writers, curators, and humanities and social sciences researchers whose work engages with the major challenges of our time through creative practice, research and experimentation.

The call for projects is open to applicants of all nationalities and at all career stages, including collectives. The Foundation particularly encourages interdisciplinary approaches that connect artistic, scientific, and social inquiry.

The selected projects will address, each from its own perspective, the major challenges of our time. Interpretations of the theme “Creation & Transitions” may include, but are not limited to, ecological and social transition, transformations of landscapes and environments, interspecies relations, challenging materials and production methods, tensions between craft and industry, memory and transmission, etc.

The programme offers residency fellowships lasting an average of six weeks across three areas: research and experimentation, production, and writing or curating.

Selected residents receive financial support through living and production grants. They also benefit from privileged access to the Foundation’s production workshops—including glass, wood, ceramics, moulding, textile facilities and a fablab—providing a dedicated environment for experimentation and making. Residents are supported by the Foundation’s team and local partners, and have access to a library and the Living Archive, a guide to local resources. Accommodation is provided in a shared house in Cognac city centre.

The Foundation supports projects before, during, and after the residency, helping residents prepare their stay, develop their work, and share their research with wider audiences. Residents are also invited to contribute to the Living Archive and to present their work publicly at the end of the residency, fostering exchange with local communities and professional audiences.

Rooted in the Charentes region and in the history and expertise of Cognac, the Fondation d’entreprise Martell  combines local engagement with international perspectives. Its residency programme offers a distinctive setting for projects that test ideas, develop new forms, and imagine alternative futures.

The Call for projects is now open, with submissions due by August 23, 2026.

The selection committee is composed of six professionals from the fields of art and design. It will meet in September 2026 to preselect applicants based on the quality and relevance of their projects, before final selection interviews are conducted by the Director of the Foundation.

About the Fondation d’entreprise Martell
Created in 2017 and located in the heart of Cognac, the Fondation d’entreprise Martell is a unique space for contemporary creation and innovation. Reflecting Maison Martell’s commitment to nurturing the vitality and visibility of the region, the Foundation seeks to initiate, develop, share and circulate forward-looking approaches and innovative forms of creation, across the Charentes region and beyond.

Open to all and free of charge, the Foundation encourages experimentation and cross-fertilization among various disciplines, through its residencies, workshops, exhibitions and cultural events. It particularly supports designers, artists and researchers whose work engages with the major challenges of our time. Rooted in the history and traditional know-how of the Cognac area, it combines local and global perspectives to promote projects able to effect real change.