Artists in Exile: Launch of a new international studio scholarship

A new scholarship programme for refugee artists living in Europe, Artists in Exile, is being launched in Cologne. Since 15 January 2026, the new art scholarship has been supporting two scholarship holders every three months, who have the opportunity to work in a studio in the centre of Cologne and present their works there. The scholarship offers artists aspace for their artistic development. The first scholarship will be awarded on 1 March this year.

In addition to a studio workspace with an adjoining exhibition space measuring around 100 square metres, the scholarship also includes a monthly materials allowance of €1,000, a solo exhibition at the end of the three-month residency, and a joint final exhibition by both scholarship holders. The programme is complemented by accompanying press work and catalogues to ensure the long-term visibility of the artistic works. The scholarship is advertised and administered by the association Support Artists in Exile e.V. Interested parties can apply on an ongoing basis (see below).

‘Art needs freedom,’ says Dr Stephan Zilkens, who worked for several decades in insurance consulting for works of art and decided to establish the scholarship in 2025. ‘Artists in Exile addresses precisely this issue and creates space for artistic work across political and geographical boundaries.’ Exiled artists who are currently residing in Europe and whose work has been restricted in their countries of origin due to political circumstances, and who are either currently enrolled in or have completed an artistic education, are eligible to apply.

The works created as part of the Artists in Exile scholarship will be presented during the course of the programme at the Villa Minima gallery in Cologne, which has exhibition spaces for painting, sculpture and photography. At the end of the three-month residency, two separate solo exhibitions by the two artists are planned. In addition, a joint final exhibition will take place after two years, in which the works of all artists will be presented once again. Funding is secured for the next two years until the end of 2027.

The scholarship is aimed at refugee artists living in Europe who

• are restricted in their artistic work in their country of origin due to political circumstances
• can no longer pursue their artistic activities there have experienced persecution, repression or censorship

Artists who are currently residing in Europe and whose artistic freedom is restricted through no fault of their own are eligible to apply. Applicants must have completed an artistic education in accordance with the requirements of their country of origin, for example, at an art college, academy or comparable institution. Residence permits, accommodation and living expenses must be organised independently.

The application deadline is 1 April 2026. Applications must be submitted digitally and include:
• a portfolio of no more than ten pages
• a tabular CV
• a brief project idea
All documents must be submitted in a single PDF file.