TRACES Art & Science @ Energypolis

TRACES is an Art&Science residency programme run by the FDDM1 in Switzerland, in partnership with EPFL-Valais2, Energypolis SA, the City of Sion and the Canton of Valais. For its pilot phase, TRACES invites an international visual artist to enter into dialogue with the Laboratory for Energy Materials led by Prof. Sascha Feldmann (EPFL), on the Energypolis campus in Sion (Valais, Switzerland).
The residency offers the selected artist privileged access to a cutting-edge research environment focused on tomorrow’s energy materials, together with scientific support, with a view to creating original works that will be presented to the public at the end of the residency.

TRACES aims to strengthen the links between art, science and society in the context of the development of the Energypolis Campus in Sion, Switzerland. The programme seeks to foster collaboration between artists and researchers through residencies, cultural and scientific events and outreach activities, exploring new forms of interdisciplinary creation while also making scientific issues accessible to the public.

The partnership with the Laboratory for Energy Materials anchors this pilot edition in the themes of the energy transition, sustainability and the materials of the future. The laboratory’s research explores the interactions between light and matter in order to design the next generation of “soft” semiconductors3 — materials at the heart of flexible solar cells, ultra-energy-efficient displays and emerging quantum technologies.

The laboratory’s research opens up a rich imaginative space between chemistry and physics. The very title of the programme — TRACES — invites reflection on what materials, light or energy leave behind as imprints, memories or becomings. Applicants are invited to put forward a proposal that resonates with one or both of the following open questions:

• How can we make perceptible what escapes perception — the transformation of light into energy, phenomena at the scale of materials?
• What forms, narratives or experiences can emerge from a dialogue between visual creation and the science of energy materials?

All visual arts disciplines are welcome (installation, sculpture, digital media, visual performance, photography, etc.). The proposal does not need to be fully developed at the application stage: the jury will assess the relevance of the proposed dialogue with the scientific laboratory and the originality of the artist’s overall approach.

Residency terms:

• Duration and dates: 3 months (11 January – 18 April 2027), including the public presentation.
• Residency location: Energypolis Campus, Sion (Valais, Switzerland), with access to the workspaces provided (studio, production space) and to EPFL’s scientific laboratories, under conditions agreed with the research team.
• Overall project coordination: FDDM
• Artistic and curatorial direction: Nicolas Rouiller
• Scientific support: collaboration with Prof. Sascha Feldmann and his team (Laboratory for Energy Materials, EPFL).
• Artist stipend: CHF 2,000 per month, i.e. CHF 6,000 in total (the stipend covers living expenses and research; production costs are covered separately).
• Production budget: the total amount of the production budget will be set by the project’s curator. An agreement will be drawn up between the curator and the artist.
• Accommodation: self-catering apartment at the Villa Les Pâquerettes in Sion, in collaboration with the Fondation Margherita (the conditions and house rules will be communicated to the resident at a later stage).
• Travel expenses: TRACES covers the artist’s travel costs from their home to the residency and back, up to a maximum of CHF 1,500.
• Important: on site, food, local transport and telephone costs remain the responsibility of the resident artist. Obtaining a visa or any other travel documents is the responsibility of the resident; the TRACES team nonetheless remains available for any administrative questions. Insurance covering medical assistance and accidents during the stay in Switzerland is required, and proof must be provided before the start of the residency.
• Public presentation: 15 April 2027

The application deadline is 22 November 2026, 23:59 Swiss time (CET). The applications must be submitted via the project website. The application, written in English or French, must include at least the following:

•  A cover letter of no more than one A4 page (3,000 characters).
•  A statement of intent of no more than two A4 pages (6,000 characters) presenting the envisaged approach in relation to the thematic framework.
• A portfolio representative of the artist’s recent work.
• An artistic CV.