Open call for two artwork production residencies

Fondazione Pistoletto Cittadellarte and UNIDEE Residency Programs, in collaboration with UniCredit Group, announce the third edition of Ecosystems as Living Communities, an open call supporting two production residencies for emerging international artists working with socially engaged artistic practices that address contemporary ecological issues.

The two selected artists, one Italian and one international artist residing in Europe, will take part in a residency dedicated to the creation and production of new artworks, which will become part of the UniCredit Art Collection.

Rooted in the mission of Fondazione Pistoletto Cittadellarte, the vision and work of Michelangelo Pistoletto, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the project reaffirms its commitment to environmental protection and sustainability. It encourages emerging artists to take on a pivotal role in the process of social and ecological transformation, engaging with the urgent challenges posed by climate change and the environmental and social crisis.

The third edition, continuing under the theme “Ecosystems as Living Communities”, invites artists to further explore global, contemporary, and future ecological challenges, fostering positive and regenerative visions of desirable futures. Artists are encouraged to propose projects that investigate ecosystems as interconnected communities of humans and non-humans, challenging anthropocentric perspectives and promoting an ecocentric mindset.

Proposals may address one or more of the following areas:
–Technological approaches to ecological transformation;
–Community engagement and environmental awareness;
–Circular and regenerative ecologies;
–Water, natural elements, ecosystems, and sustainable futures.

Conceived as spaces for collaborative and cross-disciplinary research, the residencies will encourage dialogue between the selected artists and experts from different fields. Through research, field visits, exchanges and production, each artist will develop a new artwork that will be publicly presented at Cittadellarte and will become part of the UniCredit Art Collection.

The residencies will take place at Cittadellarte in Biella, Italy, between December 2026 and April 2027. The programme and schedule will be tailored to each selected project and developed in dialogue with the artists.

What we provide
Each selected artist will receive a gross fee of 6,500 EUR, together with a production budget of up to 2,500 EUR and a research budget of up to 500 EUR. The programme will also cover round-trip travel and research trips through a combined budget of 1,000–1,500 EUR, depending on travel distance. Accommodation at Cittadellarte and a daily allowance of 25 EUR will be provided for up to 60 days, alongside curatorial, technical and organisational support throughout the residency.

Eligibility
–The open call is addressed to emerging artists, designers, architects, fashion designers, musicians, filmmakers and other cultural practitioners whose work engages with contemporary ecological issues. Applications are welcome from all disciplines, media and methodologies, including interdisciplinary, cross-disciplinary and experimental approaches.
–Two artists will be selected; one Italian artist and one international artist residing in Europe, including EU Member States, EFTA/EEA countries, the United Kingdom and EU candidate countries.
–English will be the main working language of the residency, and candidates should have a sufficient level to participate in the programme.

Selection process
Applications will be evaluated by the Advisory Board of UNIDEE Residency Programs: Andy Abbott, Beatrice Catanzaro, Juan Sandoval, Alessandra Saviotti and Angela Serino, in dialogue with Paolo Naldini, Director of Cittadellarte.

The selection will consider:
–Relevance to the thematic framework;
–Artistic quality and originality;
–Strength of the research and methodological approach;
–Potential for interdisciplinarity and collaboration;
–Feasibility and clarity of the proposed final artwork.

Please read the complete open call carefully for further information on the thematic framework, detailed application instructions, guidelines for the production and presentation of the final artworks, and access to the online application form.

The deadline for submissions is Sunday, September 6, 2026 at 11:59pm.