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Photo Credit: Ze Wei
Aomori Contemporary Art Centre Artist in Residence Program 2026 “EAT.”
| Deadline | 2026.04.10 |
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| Results Available Date | Late June 2026 |
| Website | Aomori Contemporary Art Centre Artist in Residence Program 2026 “EAT.” Website |
| More About Residency |
Aomori Contemporary Art Center
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Since its founding, Aomori Contemporary Art Centre (ACAC) has presented its Artist in Residence program almost every year through open calls, inviting practitioners from diverse backgrounds to engage with place through research, creation, and exchange. In 2026, the program takes “EAT” as its central theme, using food as a point of departure to explore broader questions of ecology, environment, memory, spirituality, labor, distribution, and coexistence. Set at the foot of the Hakkoda Mountains, ACAC is surrounded by a landscape rich in natural resources and local character, while also confronting the urgent realities of climate change and shifting relationships between human and non-human life. In this context, eating is no longer understood simply as a daily act, but as a vital lens through which to reconsider our connection to land, other species, and the social world.
This year’s residency is organized into two frameworks: the Creator Framework, centered on research, artistic production, and public presentation; and the Mediator Framework, designed for researchers, curators, and other practitioners whose work is not primarily focused on producing or exhibiting artworks. While Creator Framework participants may share their residency outcomes through exhibitions, performances, workshops, or other formats, Mediator Framework participants are encouraged to develop research grounded in active dialogue and collaboration with fellow residents and local communities. Across both frameworks, participants receive ongoing support from the ACAC team throughout the residency process, from research and project development to public programming and final presentation. Immersed in the surrounding environment, residents are invited to move between reflection and practice, shaping new creative responses to food, ecology, and the possibilities of living together.
| Duration | Core residency period: October 9 to December 9, 2026, for 62 days and 61 nights. Full program period (maximum optional stay): September 15 to December 15, 2026, for 92 days and 91 nights. |
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| Fields and Media | Community Development, Independent Curator, Visual Art |
| Funding | The organizer provides travel expenses, production/activity expenses, sub-program related expenses, and an accommodation allowance. |
| Provided by Host | The organizer provides staff support for research, production, event organization, and final presentation, as well as studio/presentation space, accommodation facilities, and the related financial support listed above. |
| Costs | If participants wish to bring family members, assistants, or others, they must consult ACAC in advance; if approved, the participant must cover the accompanying person’s travel and accommodation costs, and the accommodation fee is JPY 2,040 per person per night. If applying as a group or unit, the organizer provides expenses for one person only. |
| How to Apply | Applicants must submit the application form and portfolio via Google Forms by 17:00 JST on April 10, 2026. If they are unable to use Google Forms, they should contact ACAC through the inquiry form on the official website. |
| Selection Procedure | Screening is based on the application form and accompanying materials. The first screening will be conducted in early May 2026 by ACAC curatorial staff; the second screening will be conducted in late May 2026 by guest judge IWAMA Asako together with the ACAC director/curatorial staff; final results will be announced by email in late June 2026. |
| Expected Outcome | Participants in the Creator framework must publicly present the results of their residency during the results presentation period, such as through exhibitions, performances, workshops, or other formats. The participant in the Mediator framework must conduct research involving dialogue and collaboration with Creator framework participants and local residents, and must submit a research report. In addition, all participants must cooperate in exhibition/event installation and removal, and their residency activities may be shared publicly through the website, program catalogues, and related materials. |