artist-in-residence

Artist-in-residence, or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs which involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs which provide artists with space and resources to support their artistic practice. Contemporary artist residencies are becoming increasingly thematic, with artists working together with their host in pursuit of a specific outcome related to a particular theme. Definitions History Artist groups resembling artist residencies can be traced back to at least 16th century Europe, when art academies began to emerge. In 1563 Duke of Florence Cosimo Medici and Tuscan painter Giorgio Vasari co-founded the Accademia del Disegno, which may be considered the first academy of arts. As the first iteration of an art academy, the Accademia del Disegno was the first institution to promote the idea that artists may benefit from a localised site dedicated to the advancement of their practice. In the 17th century, the state of France funded the Prix de Rome, a scholarship financing artists to train for three to five years in institutions such as the palazzo Mancini in Rome and the Villa Medici in Florence. During the 19th century in Europe, artist communities began emerging in the countryside, where the outdoor setting was considered a catalyst for inspiration and the collaborative development of artistic ideas among the communities. A century later in 1919, the Staatliches Bauhaus emerged as a “counter-reaction to the model of academic education, where the artist is isolated from society”. The mid-20th century saw a large wave of artist residencies, particularly during the 1960s. The Artist Placement Group (‘APG’) is widely considered to be one of the earliest iterations of an artist-residency, and was the first of its kind in the United Kingdom. The APG was founded in 1962, by visual artists Barabara Steveni and John Latham. The group is significant to the history of artist residencies, as it was one of the first major residencies to introduce visual artists into institutions. Steveni conceived the idea of an artist residency program whilst sourcing material to use in her artistic practice from a factory. The visit led Steveni to consider what benefits might come from a program which directly engaged artists in private institutions.