Open Call for a Research Residency at Pivô in São Paulo, Brazil

Hangar, in collaboration with Pivô and with the support of the Ramon Llull Institute, is now announcing the open call for the three-month Pivô Research Residency in São Paulo.

This residency offers an artist based in Catalonia a research residency from Agust to October 2025 and a unique opportunity to engage with the vibrant artistic and cultural scene of São Paulo.

Pivô Research is the residency and research programme of Pivô that provides local and international artists – as well as curators, researchers, educators, writers and other cultural agents – with an open space for experimentation fostering production, dialogue and collaboration.

With an emphasis on experimentation and process, the programme offers mentorship, individual guidance, meetings with guest professionals, workshops, and group sessions. The aim is to create a space for collective learning and critical support that strengthens residents’ practices while encouraging new ideas and unexpected collaborations.

Pivô’s environment is defined by its inclusive nature and commitment to diversity, ensuring a space where cultural exchange and critical thinking are the driving forces of the residency.

The general coordination of Pivô Pesquisa 2025 will be led by Fernanda Brenner, a Brazilian curator, art advisor and writer. As director and founder of Pivô, her recent projects include the Present-Future section at Artissima, Turin (2020 and 2021), in collaboration with Ilaria Gianni, and solo exhibitions such as It’s Night in America by Ana Vaz (2022) and Vuadora by Paulo Nazareth (2022), co-curated with Diane Lima. Brenner has extensive national and international experience in curating artists and coordinating public programmes.

The residencies are tailored to each participant, and the programme offers a series of activities designed to establish connections on multiple levels, including:

1. Access to the spaces of Pivô Research, during the institution’s opening hours, from Monday to Friday, from 11am to 7pm, and Saturdays, from 1pm to 7pm.
— An individual studio with basic furniture (table, chair, and trash cans) in a shared area;
— a living area with a work table;
— wifi Internet;
— access to the Pivô Library, with titles available for borrowing;
— accompaniment by a producer and an assembly technician for advice and small projects, as well as use of tools that are available in the workshop (upon request);
— water tanks and lockers;
— shared kitchen.
2. Curatorial follow-up throughout the residency.
3. Participation in the activities proposed by the programme, such as: masterclass with a guest; one-on-one conversations with guest speakers; debates, workshops and meetings that will constitute the programme’s series of public and educational activities. The schedule will be announced by Pivô at the beginning of each semester. All residents will have free access to all the programme’s activities throughout the year, regardless of the length of their residency period.
4. Participation in Open Studios, a moment for public sharing of research processes. The format and date of the Open Studios will be discussed and determined jointly by the residents and the Pivô team.
5. Communication: website, video channel and social networks.

Commitments
— Make a public presentation of the research at Hangar after the residency;
— submit a final report (max. 1000 words and 2 images) on the project and an evaluation of the residency within one month of the end of the residency;
— include the logos of the following organisations in the communication of the project: Hangar, Pivô, Institut Ramon Llull. If it is not possible to include the logos, please include the following: developed during a residency at Pivô organised by Hangar with the support of the Institut Ramon Llull.

Terms and conditions
The selected resident will receive:
— Fee of €1500;
— living expenses of €1500;
— a development grant for the research/project production of €1000 managed by Pivô;
— a round-trip economy ticket between Barcelona and São Paulo including the insurance up to €1800;
— accommodation, studio space and mentoring for the entire residency period.

Selection process
Applications must be sent as a single PDF attached to an email with the subject line in the format: Residency_Pivô_FIRST NAME_SURNAME, to veronica(at)hangar.org. Applications may be submitted in either English or Spanish.

The document must contain the following information :
1. Personal details:
— First and last name;
— full address (including city and country);
— telephone number;
— e-mail address;
— date of birth;
— Nationality.
2. A brief biography of the applicant, setting out their main lines of work and research (maximum 500 characters, including spaces).
3. The applicant’s CV (maximum 1,500 characters, including spaces).
4. A summary of the project (maximum 2,000 characters, including spaces).
5. A detailed work plan specifying the planned activities.

Evaluation Criteria
The selection committee will assess each project based on the following criteria:
— The relationship of the research and/or creative project with the Brazilian context;
— the relevance, importance, and interest of the research practice;
— the artistic trajectory or research experience of the applicant.

Selection Committee
The selection board consists of:  Veronica Valentini, Head of International Residencies and Research Networks Programmes at Hangar  and Fernanda Brenner, General Coordinator of the Pivô Research Residency Programme.

Calendar   Application
Submission period: from March 27 to April 28, 2025, at 11:59 pm (GMT+1).
The results of the selection process will be announced by mid-May 2025.
Residency programme: three months, August-October, 2025.

For further information
Veronica Valentini
+34 93 308 4041
veronica(at)hangar.org

Image: Ana Pigosso