Apply Now! This is BAU's Final Call for submissions for the June Otranto residency. Final deadline is May 1, or until filled.
BAU Institute’s Otranto Arts Residency is a competitive summer program for artists to pursue independent work within a community of peers. The majority of residents have been visual artists, but cultural producers of varied backgrounds and interests are encouraged to apply. In addition to visual artists, BAU has hosted architects, filmmakers, writers, performing artists, curators, sound artists, and composers. Many fellows hold faculty appointments and have been sponsored by their academic institutions.
The BAU Institute residency is available to artists from June 1 to June 30. The majority of residencies are one month long, but two-week sessions may be requested.
Fellows are given individual studios on the top floor of the Castle. They live in charming apartments within the ancient walls of the pedestrian-only center. All apartments are a ten minute walk from the studios, beaches and all necessities.¬ Apartments house one to three residents with private bedrooms. A support staff is always available to assist residents and provide program orientation and translation services.
Residents work on their own terms with no requirements. The residency program offers opportunities to meet with visiting critics and artists as desired. Past visiting critics include Carol Becker, Lucio Pozzi, Lilly Wei, John Peacock, Mark Harris, Tom Lutz, Peter Benson Miller, Lydia Matthews and Stephen Westfall.
Guided field trips to the neighboring towns of Lecce, Galatina and to ancient Neolithic sites are offered, as well as introduction to an international community of peers and local citizens. Fellows enjoy music and dance festivals traditional to the area. Special dinners of the local cuisine are given at each session.
Location
Apply Now! This is BAU's Final Call for submissions for the June Otranto residency. Final deadline is May 1, or until filled.
BAU institute is a non-profit organization based in New York that operates an international artist residency with studios in the Aragonese Castle in Otranto, Italy. The month-long residency takes place every June.
Since 2001, almost 300 artists and cultural producers have found the residency to be a haven for uninterrupted work, reflection and research. The BAU Institute creates a supportive community for artists to generate new work inspired by the unique culture of Otranto.
Otranto is located at the eastern-most point of Italy in an under-known region called Salento. This vibrant seaport attracts visitors for its antique culture and artisanal cuisine. Otranto was once a powerful port city connected to Crete and Magna Grecia.
The region maintains its roots in the Grecanico language, an ancient Greek spoken in many villages. The Romanesque Cathedral of Otranto is paved with a fantastic mosaic from 1065AD that is a favorite resource for artists, as are the prehistoric standing stones that dot the olive groves.
Fabled winds from all points of the compass maintain a breeze throughout the summer. Adriatic light bathes the unique architecture of this tiny walled city- an easy walk to the countryside. It is a special place for artists to focus intensely in their studios or work in the landscape. Otranto offers new perspectives to inspire innovative contemporary works.
The distinctive location of the studios inside a classic castle, attracts hundreds of visitors per day. While the majority of artists work in seclusion, the visitor traffic to the castle provides the rare chance for artists to open up their studios to massive new audiences. The city’s festivals and cultural community provide unique prospects for the formation of socially engaged work.
Past Residents & Quotes
Installation artist, Suzanne Silver wrote: “The most remarkable part of the program was my fellow BAU artists and writers. This was a communal experience in which work was accomplished individually, but the exchange of ideas with the group at the final conference was vital and rewarding.”
“Otranto’s rich history and natural beauty is certainly memorable, but best attributes are contributions made by the founders Paola Iacucci and Marthe Keller who are dedicated to incorporating multiple enriching experiences in a short space of 2 weeks. I made significant new connections which will have a long term influence on my art”, said painter, Lynn Sondag.
— Suzanne Silver, Lynn Sondag
Additional expectations / opportunities
Residents work on their own terms with no requirements. The residency program offers opportunities to meet with visiting critics and artists as desired. Past visiting critics include Carol Becker, Lucio Pozzi, Lilly Wei, John Peacock, Mark Harris, Tom Lutz, Peter Benson Miller, Lydia Matthews and Stephen Westfall.
