Open Call: Rezidence at Künstlerhaus Bethanien Berlin

The International Centre for Contemporary Art MeetFactory, in cooperation with Künstlerhaus Bethanien Berlin, announces an open call for a 2.5-month residency at Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin for an artist based in the Czech Republic.

About Künstlerhaus Bethanien

Künstlerhaus Bethanien is an internationally renowned institution with over 50 years of history and a distinctive identity. As one of the world’s oldest and most established residency programs, it offers artists the opportunity to live, work, and present their projects in Berlin within long-term transnational networks and open institutional processes.

Located in the heart of Kreuzberg—a district known for its productive energy, diversity, and spirit of resistance—Künstlerhaus Bethanien understands art as a catalyst for reflection, exchange, and social engagement. Each year, the International Studio Programme brings together around 40 artists from across the world, fostering meaningful encounters, dialogue, and innovative artistic practices.

Theme of the 2026 residency program:

The residency will focus on the theme of persistent nationalism—the defense of borders, concepts of homeland and state, and symbolic narratives associated with tradition, security, protection, and stability. Some of these narratives are abused and manipulated. The project invites artists to critically examine these stories and reinterpret them from individual, alternative, foreign, or minority perspectives.

The residency includes:

• Accommodation and studio space in Berlin;

• Curatorial support and guidance throughout the residency;

• Return economy class train ticket from the Czech Republic to Berlin;

• Contribution to living expenses and project-related costs: €2,500 total (€1,000 gross per month)

• Opportunity to share the artistic work and research developed during the residency (open studio / discussion with the artist)

Residency dates:

• The residency will take place from April 15 to June 30, 2026. The residency cannot be completed in multiple parts.

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be active on the Czech art scene for at least 2 years;

• Have completed their studies;

• Have a good knowledge of English (German is welcome);

• Be available for the entire duration of the residency;

• At the end of the residency, a presentation of the work and/or results of the residency is required.

The application, written in English, must include:

• a CV;

• a portfolio (max. 10 pages);

• a letter of motivation (max. 1,800 characters) stating:

  • motivation for the residency;

  • project proposal and idea for its implementation;

  • how the residency would contribute to the applicant's artistic practice.

Selection process:

Applications will be evaluated by a committee composed of curators of the MeetFactory residency program and representatives of Künstlerhaus Bethanien Berlin.

The committee reserves the right to reject any project without justification. The committee's decision is final and cannot be appealed.

The partner institutions reserve the right to suspend, shorten, extend, or postpone the Call for Applications: Residency at Künstlerhaus Bethanien Berlin.

The deadline for submitting applications is February 10, 2026. Applications sent after this date will not be accepted for the selection process.

The results of the call will be published no later than February 28, 2026, on the MeetFactory website: www.meetfactory.cz.

Applicants will not be contacted by phone regarding the results of the selection process.

Please send your applications to the curators of the MeetFactory residency program, Tereza Havelková and Kateřina Pencová, with an accompanying email in English to opencall@meetfactory.cz.

Please include "OPENCALL Berlin 2026" in the subject line.