Künstlerhaus Kunsthalle Kulturlabor

Dates & Procedure

Application window for the year 2026 (stays from February through November 2026):

closes on Sunday, June 8th, 2025 at 12pm CET

Applicants will be informed of the decision by the end of July at the latest.

If accepted, applicants will receive an offer for a stay at the Fundaziun Nairs for the year 2026. The Fundaziun Nairs will try to match the information provided by applicants in the application process as closely as possible.

The Fundaziun Nairs maintains a waiting list, which will not be carried over to subsequent years.

TO THE APPLICATION FORM

Application

A google/gmail account is required to fill out the application form. No @gmail.com address is required. All correspondence will be sent to the email address provided in the application form. Please ensure that this is up to date and working.

We ask all applicants to carefully read the information provided on this website.

The following documents are required for the application

• Portfolio (pdf, max. 10MB)
• Letter of application (pdf, max. 1MB)
• Artistic CV, incl. education, etc. (pdf, max. 1MB)
• [Optional] Project proposal (pdf, max. 10MB)

Letters of recommendation (not mandatory) or other supporting documents are attached to the “Portfolio” document.

We encourage applicants to keep their applications simple and honest in terms of style, attitudes and beliefs. We don’t want to contribute in any way to the idle time created by overly complicated application processes. When we say that something is not mandatory or optional, we mean it.

Selection criteria

The Fundaziun Nairs has a historical and traditional affinity with contemporary visual arts, literature and music. At this point, however, it should be noted that the Fundaziun Nairs invites artists and cultural practitioners from all fields to apply.

As a cultural and artistic institution, we wish to reflect the valuable diversity of cultural actors within our artist-in-residence program. This can relate equally to artistic practice, biographical background, experiences made or desired, or current life realities.

The following questions are used as guidelines for the jury:

• Is the artistic work independent and professionally developed? [Portfolio, artistic curriculum vitae]
• Does the motivation for the residency at the Fundaziun Nairs match what the Fundaziun Nairs can offer? [Letter of motivation, project proposal if applicable]
• Is the social competence, the desire to live together with other artists and to exchange ideas guaranteed? [Letter of motivation, artistic CV]
• What does the biography look like in terms of experience, artistic activity and general career? [Artistic CV, portfolio, letter of motivation]

Costs

The Fundaziun Nairs endeavors to keep the costs for guest artists as low as possible. At the moment, however, it is unavoidable to charge a contribution towards expenses of CHF 950 per month. This does not cover the costs of a residency, the rest will be covered by the Fundaziun Nairs. In addition to accommodation, this also includes shared meals in the house.

Costs per month: CHF 950.
Living/marriage/collaboration partner in the same room per month: CHF 475.
The costs for children depend on their age.
Alumni/former guest artists per month: CHF 1,100.

Due to possible allergies of other guest artists, it is not permitted to bring pets. In the case of assistance animals, we kindly ask you to let us know during the application process so that we can make the necessary arrangements.

Various partner organizations offer residencies at Fundaziun Nairs in connection with scholarships. The application processes and dates are coordinated by the partner organizations:
– Pro Helvetia (field offices)
– Stichting Stokroos
– Aargau Kuratorium

If necessary, we recommend applying for scholarships from public or private institutions at an early stage. We are happy to offer letters of invitation. A fee of CHF 500 is payable on acceptance of the studio place and will be deducted from the total costs. If the residency is not taken up, the amount will be retained by the Fundaziun Nairs for administrative expenses. If the residence is terminated, we will try to take the individual situation into account and find a solution that works for all parties. In principle, however, the amount is owed for the entire period of residence stipulated in the contract.

Facilities

Accommodation
The Fundaziun Nairs offers space for up to nine artists at a time. Depending on the artistic practice and the resulting needs, various living and working arrangements are possible:
– Smaller rooms, living and working
– Larger rooms, living and working
– Separate rooms for living and working

Beds, mattresses, bedding, bed linen and towels as well as simple basic room equipment are provided by Fundaziun Nairs. The weekly cleaning of the shared rooms (with the exception of the shared kitchen) is carried out by Fundaziun Nairs.

Catering
The Fundaziun Nairs offers the artists in residence a well-stocked pantry with many basic foodstuffs (vegetarian, no alcohol). The artists‘ community also receives a small budget for special products that are not included in the basic equipment. The artists cook and eat together in the evening.

Material & Tools
The Fundaziun offers a basic selection of tools, materials and equipment on request.
A printer (color laser, A3, duplex) is available to artists.

Activities
Occasionally, joint activities take place on a voluntary basis.

Location & Language

The Fundaziun Nairs is located in the Lower Engadine, in the municipality of Scuol. The Lower Engadine is a well-developed yet somewhat remote alpine region in the south-east of Switzerland and the canton of Graubünden. The nearest urban centers are Chur (cantonal capital, approx. 1.5h), Innsbruck (Austria, approx. 2h), Zurich (approx. 3.5h) and Milan (Italy, approx. 4.5h).

The Fundaziun Nairs itself is not directly accessible by public transport. The nearest train station is Scuol-Tarasp. The nearest international airports are in/around Zurich, Innsbruck and Milan. The walk to/from Scuol takes around 15-20 minutes, depending on the season and weather.

The seasons in the region are very distinct. Summers are warm to hot and very sunny with little atmospheric protection due to the altitude. The altitude also brings long winters and can bring unexpected cold snaps (even in summer).

The locally spoken language is Rumantsch/Romansch. The local idiom is Vallader. This language, spoken by only a few thousand people, is the everyday language in the region. In the Lower Engadine in particular, preserving and maintaining the language is a communal, cultural activity. Almost all inhabitants of the region also speak Swiss German or German. English, Italian and Portuguese are also spoken by some people in the region.

The staff at Fundaziun Nairs mainly speak German and English. General communication with the guest artists takes place in English. Individual communication takes place according to the needs of the guest artists. Fundaziun Nairs cannot provide in-depth support in languages other than German or English.

Arrival/Departure & Visa

Travel costs
Guest artists are responsible for their arrival and departure and bear the travel costs themselves.

Air travel
Flight connections to Zurich, Innsbruck or Milan are possible from almost all airports in the world. Scuol is easily accessible by train (Rhaetian Railway/SBB). However, the duration of the journey should not be underestimated.

By train
The journey by train to and from Zurich normally takes around 3-3.5 hours. The last connections are in the early evening.

By car
The Fundaziun Nairs is easily accessible by car. Parking spaces are available for guest artists.

Visa
Artists are responsible for their own visas. Unfortunately, the Fundaziun Nairs cannot offer more than the most basic assistance in this regard.

Dates
The stay at the Fundaziun Nairs depends on the calendar month. The exact arrival and departure dates will be communicated in good time.

Further information

Length of stay
The minimum stay at Fundaziun Nairs is two months. The maximum length of stay is 10 months.

Public use
The Fundaziun Nairs is open to the public. Events take place regularly at the Fundaziun Nairs and are attended by a wide audience. The private rooms of the guest artists are architecturally separated from the publicly accessible areas, but it cannot be ruled out that these activities influence everyday life in the building. On the one hand, the Fundaziun Nairs team strives to ensure that the balance between public and private use of the spaces is never to the detriment of the guest artists in the house. On the other hand, the artists are also required to respect the publicly accessible spaces at all times.

Gir d’AiR
The “Gir d’AiR” (artist-in-residence tour) event takes place approximately once a month. This format is designed to make the work of the artists in residence accessible to a broad public. The artists in residence open their studios and allow visitors to participate in their processes and thoughts, with the tour being accompanied and moderated by Fundaziun Nairs staff.

Guests / Guest rooms
The Fundaziun Nairs has several guest rooms that can be booked by guest artists for visits from friends and family. Prices vary according to use and number of people. Availability is dependent on the operational business.

Collaboration in Nairs
Resident artists have the opportunity to take on tasks within the operation (e.g. exhibition supervision / visitor service, support for new residents, assistance with events, etc.). The assignments are remunerated. Most tasks allow you to pursue other activities in the building on the side and do not take a whole working day. There is no entitlement to assignments.

Families
A stay with children is generally possible, but depends on the family situation, the timing and other organizational considerations. We encourage artists with children to apply, but ask that this is explicitly noted in the application.