For 2024, Urbane Künste Ruhr is awarding six research stays for guest artists for three months each in Dortmund, Duisburg and Bochum. The selected artists will be in the Ruhr region from 1 August to 31 October and 1 September to 30 November respectively. During their stay, they will develop a context-specific project that will be presented to the public in an exhibition in 2025. The guest artist programme is aimed at artists and collectives who are interested in working in the Ruhr area and in a contemporary perspective on the region and its themes.
The programme is implemented together with the regional cooperation partners Stiftung Geschichte des Ruhrgebiets and Stiftung Industriedenkmalpflege und Geschichtskultur and with different focal points. The connection to one of the cooperation partners or different focal points creates work opportunities and work locations for different artistic practices as well as different thematic approaches to the Ruhr area. The newly conceived guest artist programme builds on the open-ended residency programme Zu Gast bei Urbane Künste Ruhr, which has existed since 2018, under the same title. With the new programme, the on-site research will lead to an exhibition in the region, unlike before.
Artists and collectives were able to apply with their context-specific project via an open call until 31 March. A total of six positions (two per focus) were selected from the submissions by an expert jury.
