The Art Explora Foundation engages with public and private stakeholders to support creation and its circulation in society at large. It consists in reaffirming the central role of artists in addressing the major contemporary issues and mutations.
Thus, Art Explora has established a lasting partnership with the Cité internationale des arts, in close collaboration with the city of Paris, to co-construct a new biannual residency program for international artists and researchers in Montmartre, just a stone’s throw from the Sacré- Cœur.
The Art Explora - Cité internationale des arts residency program offers the possibility for artists and researchers to carry out research and creation work in the heart of Paris, in connection with the French artistic and professional scene. It encourages creation in all its forms while facilitating its distribution to the general public. Outreach to all audiences, including the most remote, and the encounter with artists will play an important role in this program, in line with Art Explora’s global mission.
This program is part of the residencies of the Cité internationale des arts, one of the most important of its type in the world. The Montmartre site, which is owned by the city of Paris, is managed by the insitution since 1971. The Cité internationale des arts develops on this site residency programs in about 40 studios surrounded by a large wooded garden. Willing for a long-term commitment, the Art Explora foundation signed a 10-year partnership. In addition to the residency program co-constructed with the Cité internationale des arts, Art Explora has invested 1.2 million euros for the refurbishment of 10 studio-accomodations in order to create 8 artists’ studios and a new common room opened to all the residents that will facilitate collaboration, sharing and dialogue among artists. This renovation, while respecting the existing facilities, has been designed to offer the artists the best working conditions. Special attention has been provided to the environmental aspect of the renovation.
About twenty residents will be selected every year to participate in two programs:
• a 6-month SOLO residency program for artists?
• a 3-month DUO program designed for a colla- boration between a researcher and an artist.
Both programs are open to artists and researchers of all nationalities, with no age limit, who can jus- tify a minimum of five years of professional activity. The eligible artistic disciplines are visual arts, per- forming arts, digital art and the areas of research are the humanities, social sciences, sciences, technological innovation and sustainable development, art criticism and exhibition curating. The goal is to select profiles that explore tomorrow’s world and which take into account the social and environmental issues of our societies. Thus, all resi- dents must defend a project that questions the links between art and science and such themes as scientific exploration, technological exploration and the exploration of the world through the promotion of emerging artistic scenes.
Every year, residents who meet the requirements will be chosen by an international committee consisting of 6 renowned professionals from the artistic and cultural sector. This selection com- mittee will evolve over the years.
Finally, each resident will be provided with a fully equipped and furnished studio-accommodation of approximately 50 sq m, a grant for living expenses of 1,000 euros per month and a pro- duction grant of up to 3,000 euros for the whole period according to the needs and requirements of the project.