Open call for Art and Technology residency

About the call

This residency offers two Swiss artists active in all disciplines supported by Pro Helvetia (design, game design, literature, music, performing arts, visual arts) the opportunity to develop projects where technological or digital elements play a central role, whether through the materials and tools employed or the conceptual inquiries that drive their practice. It encourages innovative and critical thinking across diverse fields such as bio-art, data art, artificial intelligence and ethics, as well as other cross-disciplinary approaches that push the boundaries of creative exploration.

Emphasising process and experimentation, the residency aligns with Hangar’s commitment to art as a space for research, inquiry, and knowledge production. Rather than prioritising outcomes, it supports artistic experimentation, interdisciplinary dialogue, and the development of new methodologies.

To be eligible, artists must be firmly embedded in the Swiss cultural scene and hold Swiss citizenship or be permanent residents of Switzerland.

The two selected artists will receive a grant for a three-month residency, split between one month of online activities and two months on-site in Barcelona (Hangar). The first month will serve to draw up a work plan to optimise the resources available for the chosen project, arrange studio visits and interviews with the mentor, individuals, and institutions, and set up a support plan for the artist’s processes. During the two months on-site, the artists will carry out their research projects.

Hangar facilities

Studio
30 m² individual workspace or 60 m² studios shared between two artists. While there are walls for visual separation, there is no acoustic or climatic separation. It is important to note that the nature of the space does not accommodate practices that generate persistent noise, odors, or suspended materials that may disturb others.

Accommodation
Accommodation is provided at La Caseta, a house dedicated to Hangar programme participants and residents. This two-storey house has two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, and a kitchen on each floor, accommodating up to four artists at a time.

Resources and spaces
1. Free use of the following services: Digital Image and Video Laboratories, Hangar Rooms (Antigues oficines, Ricson and Polivalente Rooms) and audiovisual equipment hire. The rooms are shared tools and, as such, are subject to reservation and availability procedures in order to guarantee their shared use.
2. Free advice on issues related to artistic production (advice on production planning, preparation and management of budgets, etc.). Hangar has three laboratories available as free services for artists through a limited-hour bank system:
― Construction Lab – Specializes in the integral production of projects of any creative nature.
― Interaction & Soft/Hardware Lab – Supports artistic projects that require hardware and software development.
Interfaces and Networks Lab – Focuses on projects based on open-source principles.
3. Free access to the activities that take place in Hangar under reservation.
4. Relevant networks: Hac Te, XarxaProd, Barcelona Art Factories.

Residency period

Autumn residency
― Online pre-residency: October 2025
― On-site residency: 3 November – 19 December 2025

Hybrid residency format

Virtual orientation
A pre-residency virtual orientation or a brief online introductory programme will be organised in September to introduce selected artists to Hangar’s facilities, staff, and networks.

Mentorship pairing
Each resident will be matched with a Barcelona-based professional specialising in their project’s technological or thematic field. The mentorship will include:
― One virtual meeting before the on-site residency
― One on-site meeting during the residency
― A 1,000-word text related to the artist’s project or practice, written by the mentor
― A short feedback session by the mentor during the Paratext event

Coaching and networking on-site
― Activity calendar: Artists will receive a curated calendar highlighting relevant Hangar activities and major events in Barcelona, facilitating networking and exposure to the city’s creative community.
― Meetings: Scheduled group meetings with the Hangar team and resident artists, one communal meal with resident artists, and a bi-weekly meeting with Veronica Valentini, Head of international residencies and research networks.
― One-on-one sessions and documentation: Artists will have one individualised session with a professional, supported by a 1,000-word text to help articulate their project’s development and future trajectory.

Paratext presentation
Paratext is a 20-minute public presentation conceived as a place to share the process, not so much the final work. It is an opportunity to show what happens while thinking/making. The Paratext presentation will take place within the first month of the on-site residency, followed by a five-minute feedback session facilitated by the selected professional.

Selection criteria and disciplines

1. Interdisciplinary focus: The residency is intended for artists working at the intersection of art and technology, with a focus on innovative ideas in areas such as bio-art, data art, AI and ethics, and other cross-disciplinary approaches.

2. Process and experimentation: Emphasis will be placed on projects that prioritise process-oriented experimentation, reflecting Hangar’s commitment to art as a form of research and knowledge production.

Grant and support

Each artist will receive:
― a grant of CHF 3,000
― travel expenses of CHF 1,000
― CHF 1,500 as daily allowances for the time spent in Barcelona
― contribution towards production/material costs of CHF 1,500

Timeline for artist selection process

Call open: Five weeks, from 12 March to 16 April 2025

Results announcement: 1 June 2025

Application process

Applications must be submitted in English, in a single PDF document (attached to an email) and named according to the following format: Grant_ProHelvetia_FIRST NAME_SURNAME. The PDF document must include the following:

― Project proposal
― Project image or video
― Timeline
― Proposed methodology/development
― Detailed CV
― Contact information
― Portfolio (PDF) of previous work (optional)
― Name or profile of a local professional to engage with during the project (optional)

All applications must be sent to veronica(at)hangar.org.

Application submission period

From 12 March to 16 April 2025, 12:00 noon (GMT+1).

Selection Committee

The selection board comprises:
― Veronica Valentini, head of international residencies and research networks at Hangar, Barcelona
― Magda Drozd, composer, musician, sound artist, Zürich

About Hangar

Hangar is a centre engaged in maintaining (generating, updating, reviewing and supporting) the necessary conditions to facilitate art research and production, specifically in the sense of critical exploration and artistic practices that address the urgent issues currently facing society and contribute to the associated debates. For Hangar, art is a way of producing knowledge. It therefore regards art research as a research category in its own right, with its own way of finding and producing knowledge. Hangar seeks to support content creators at every stage of their art research and production processes, by providing them with a wide array of tools and services (some of which are managed by Hangar and others by its resident collectives), helping them access the conceptual, contextual, semiotic, material and technical resources they need, and offering a setting for experimenting and for the free transfer of knowledge.

For further information
Veronica Valentini
veronica(at)hangar.org
Tel.: +34 93 308 40 41

 

In cooperation with:

 

Photo credits: AV Show by Noémi Büchi, recipient of the Art and Technology residency 2024. Actress: Joséphine de Weck. Location: Mutek Barcelona, 2024