Skaftfell Artist Residency Program. [English only] Skaftfell Art Center offers an international self-directed artist-in-residence program in Seyðisfjörður, a small fishing village located in the East Fjords of Iceland. The residency program’s remote setting provides artists the opportunity to work in relative seclusion in a place of extraordinary natural beauty that is also home to an international community of working artists. The residency offers space for contemplation, productivity, and collaboration and is ideal for artistic research and experimentation. The Skaftfell residency is a family friendly residency and we do not charge extra per family members. We encourage artists groups and duos to apply.
Living arrangements range from single residency facilities for living and working, to spaces that can be shared by artists working in pairs or groups whether they are working on a collaborative project or parallel projects.
The residency community is characterised by its context within Iceland’s subarctic climate. Winter brings snowstorms and darkness; the summer months, when the weather is mild the town transform from a quiet village of several hundred residents to a tourist destination. Seyðisfjörður is at once secluded and connected; it harbours the only ferry connection to mainland Europe but the town’s only connection to the nearest town and the ring road is a mountain pass that is often inaccessible in winter. This creates a particular duality isolation and connectedness.
For whom: Artists working in all media. Solo residencies, duo residency and group residencies up to 3 people.
Accommodation and work space: The artists will stay in two buildings in town within walking distance from the Skaftfell Art Center. Each house offers private rooms and accommodations for cooking and shared living and working spaces. Each accommodating 1-3 artists at a time. One of the apartments is situated above the newly established collaborative fine art print workshop Prentverk Seyðisfjörður, which Skaftfell is a part of. The workshop offers professional printmaking facilities with space and equipment for silkscreen, intaglio (linocut, woodcut, etching), letter-press and various hand printing techniques.
Community involvement: Artists have an opportunity to present their work in an open studio, artist talk or host a workshop. We encourage and assist artists to participate and present their work to the community.
Duration: 1-3 months. We encourage artists to stay for at least 2 months, which reduces annual travel emissions and we encourage longer stays by subsidising the second month with a 30% discount and a 50% discount of the third month.
Cost: Artists pay a residency fee that includes accommodation and work space, access to the print workshop and support from Skaftfell staff. Travel cost, project expenses, art supplies, and meals are paid by the artist.
The fee of 100.000 ISK per month covers shared living and workspace accommodations with private bedroom.
A fee of 150.000 is charged for a group residency up to 3 artists applying together with a collaborative project sharing a living and working space with private bedrooms.
A fee of 150.000 is charged for a solo residency with private accommodation, ideal for families f.ex.
Application procedure: Applications for a residency will be accepted in response to an open call. Applications will be submitted through Skaftfell’s online application form. Required attachments: CV/bio, Letter of intent for the residency / project or research proposal, website link / examples of work.
Selection criteria: The applications will be reviewed by a panel of two art professionals as well as two Skaftfell representatives – director and residency coordinator. The main evaluation criteria are: the artists dedication to their practice; the artistic quality of the applicant’s proposal; local relevance and potential synergy; the practical feasibility of the working proposal within Skaftfell’s local context; evidence of the applicant’s ability to work independently on a professional level.
The next open call will be published in spring 2024 and will be for the period November 2024 – November 2025.
