Anastasia Patsey
Museum of Non-Conformist Art; Saint Petersburg Art Residency, Russia
Art residencies start their history from the second half of the 17th century, when the French Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture founded the “Prix de Rome” that allowed outstanding artists to undertake trips to Rome.
During the 20th century the art residencies appeared in museums, galleries and educational institutions around the world and started to play an important role in the international cultural process. As a result of a consistent instituonalization of art residencies professional networks were created. Participation in such programs became widely available and assumed different forms. The intensive development of art residencies indicates an increasing popularity of this format of work and also reflects important changes that take place in contemporary culture in global context.
Today the functions of art residencies are permanently expanding beyond traditional cultural exchange and improvement of professional skills.
The forming of new cultural and social values in Russia after 1991 played an important role in the development of local art residencies. Cultural institutions obtained more independency, professional mobility increased, necessary conditions for international exchange were secured.
Contemporary Russia still remains an “exotic” destination for many specialists, thus an opportunity to work here in the framework of an art residency attracts a lot of attention of the international professional community. In the current political situation art residencies are an effective tool for cooperation in culture and arts. They play an important role in supporting the world’s cultural balance.
This report presents an overview of existing local residency programs as well as tendencies and perspectives of their development in the current Russian context.