Onassis AiR Open Call 2023/24

Like any living organism, Onassis AiR constantly evolves in order to support the needs of its artistic community. Onassis AiR, invites artists, curators, designers, dancers, chefs, gardeners, activists, writers, educators, legal advocates, performers, economists, architects, filmmakers and other practitioners from any medium of expression or discipline, from anywhere in the world, to apply for a tailor-made residency running between September 2023 and July 2024 in Athens, Greece.

Onassis AiR opened its doors in 2019 grounding its mission in supporting the artistic process by fostering cross-disciplinary thinking and exchange of an ever-growing community of artists and other practitioners that participated in its various programs. After completing a three-year programming cycle, Onassis AiR embarked on a new chapter that brings together each and every creative practitioner within the Onassis Foundation arts ecosystem, either through individual research residencies via the yearly Open Calls of Onassis AiR, through research and development fellowships commissioned by Onassis Culture or awarded via our International Networks in partnership with other institutions.

As their programs expand, so does their urge to stay relevant to the needs of their artistic community, as they arise, while being part of larger discussions that are happening worldwide regarding issues that concern societies today -democracy, human rights, and mental health. Their aim is to cultivate a common ground where our mixed perspectives that come from our different practices and the geographies we live in can coexist. For them, this ground begins in Athens—from our engagement in exploring the urban and street culture of the city they live in with its many communities, its present and past histories,—and radiates outward, to their peripheries, the rural areas, rituals, crafts, food culture, and vernacular knowledge produced outside of the metropolitan centres, while in dialogue with the wider Balkan and Mediterranean region where they are located.

The tailor-made residency is a programme of individual residencies, each lasting for a maximum of three months. Each residency stems from the participants’ needs. This program is for anyone in need of support who is yearning for space, focused time, and stimulating conversations that can help to kick off, further develop, or finalize a project and who is interested in engaging with the locale of Athens. All participants are invited to use the Οnassis AiR space and resources to develop their thinking and practices without the expectation of presenting a final work. Additionally, the programme offers professional development activities including mentoring sessions, presentations and peer-to-peer feedback sessions, organized site visits to local art spaces and other institutions, and opportunities to meet and connect with local artists and arts professionals. Founded on the principles of learning and doing with others, Onassis AiR fosters the conditions for dialogue and exchange between peers through collective activities addressed to the Onassis AiR Community. These can take the form of a workshop, an in-progress presentation, a lecture or screening, or any other format the Fellows wish to propose.

Apply here to join the AiR community.

The selection for the ONASSIS AiR OPEN CALL 2023/24 will be done in three phases. Phase I follows a peer-to-peer blind-selection method by the current and former participants of Onassis AiR. During Phase II the selected applications will be reviewed by the Onassis AiR team in collaboration with an external selection committee consisting of Sepake Angiama and VASKOS. In Phase III all shortlisted applicants will do an interview with the Onassis AiR team.

The working language of the program is English.

All accepted participants will receive a research fee, housing, travel to/from Athens, a research budget, and other resources.

The deadline for submission of all applications is Monday, March 20, 2023. All applications must be submitted no later than 12:00 pm Eastern European Time (UTC +2). All applicants will be informed by email about the result of their application, by June 12, 2023.

If you have general questions during the time that the Open Call online platform is open (between February 20 – March 20, 2023), about the application or the program, please email [email protected].

Onassis AiR is run by Nefeli Myrodia, Head of Onassis AiR, together with Myrto Katsimicha and Sotiria Smyrnaiou.