WIP LAB RESIDENCY OPEN CALL

About the Open Call

WIP Lab is seeking proposals for its upcoming residency program in Cyprus. Under the theme “Invisible Waters” , we welcome creative practitioners working at the intersection of art, design, technology and science, to engage with one of the most pressing environmental issues of our region: water. Cyprus faces acute challenges — from recurring droughts and diminishing groundwater to inefficient irrigation and water pollution. The residency invites you to critically and creatively engage with water’s materiality, its politics, its absence or abundance, and the stories it carries. Whether you’re interested in experimental practices, community-based work, design interventions, or speculative futures, we are looking for ideas that provoke, connect, and inspire. Important Note: Every selected artist will collaborate with a Cyprus-based scientist to explore the environmental challenges together, combining creative and scientific knowledge. Water shapes our landscapes, cultures, and daily practices — yet in Cyprus, it also reveals deep environmental tensions: aquifer depletion, recurring drought, salinization, unsustainable land use, and the impacts of climate change. This residency invites creative and scientific practitioners to respond to these conditions, engage with place-based knowledge, and develop new modes of thinking or making around water. We’re looking for proposals that explore or give solutions (but are not limited) to: Drought resilience and sustainable water practices; Aquifer depletion and invisible hydrological systems; Agricultural water use and inefficiencies; Urban water infrastructures, flooding, and rainwater management; Traditional knowledge and community-based practices; Water as memory, ritual, or cultural resource; Water contamination and citizen science; Artistic or scientific methods to visualize, sense, or narrate water flows. A defining aspect of this residency is the close collaboration with a local or regional scientist. This person will act as a scientific consultant on your selected water-related challenge. The scientist will be matched to your proposal theme and support your research with site visits, knowledge exchange, and potential data collection. You will co-shape part of the research journey together, embedding scientific insights into your creative process. The selected resident artist will be asked to: Have a clear direction for their project or artwork, including the intended format or medium they wish to explore, research and implementation plan. Engage in close collaboration with the selected scientist throughout the residency, including site visits, information exchange, and shared research. Develop and implement a research-informed artistic project, using the facilities and equipment of Thinker Maker Space (e.g., digital fabrication, prototyping tools). Be present on-site Monday to Friday, 08:30–16:00, for the duration of the residency (reasonable exceptions for external research, fieldwork, or community engagement are acceptable and encouraged). Deliver a public talk and a workshop during their stay, engaging local communities, peers, or audiences. Present their work in a final exhibition/showcase hosted at the exhibition space of Thinker Maker Space and at WIP Arts & Technology Festival 2026) (The exhibition will be co-curated by the WIP team). We’re looking for resident artists who are open to interdisciplinary processes and committed to producing thoughtful, site-aware work that bridges art, science, and public engagement.

What is Offered

2-3 months residency (October to December), 1500 euros per month (stipend allowance), Additional production cost upon discussion, Residency support including mentorship, workspace, and access to local networks, A collaborative working environment with other residents and WIP partners, Opportunities for public engagement and co-creation with local communities, Production support for presenting the outcomes(exhibition, event, prototype, or publication).

Requirements

Applicants should be Designers, Artists, Architects, Makers, Engineers, Creatives and Cross-Disciplinary thinkers. The selected resident artist will be asked to: Have a clear direction for their project or artwork, including the intended format or medium they wish to explore, research and implementation plan. Engage in close collaboration with the selected scientist throughout the residency, including site visits, information exchange, and shared research. Develop and implement a research-informed artistic project, using the facilities and equipment of Thinker Maker Space (e.g., digital fabrication, prototyping tools). Be present on-site Monday to Friday, 08:30–16:00, for the duration of the residency (reasonable exceptions for external research, fieldwork, or community engagement are acceptable and encouraged). Deliver a public talk and a workshop during their stay, engaging local communities, peers, or audiences. Present their work in a final exhibition/showcase hosted at the exhibition space of Thinker Maker Space and at WIP Arts & Technology Festival 2026) (The exhibition will be co-curated by the WIP team).

How to Apply

Submit your proposal (max. 500 words), short bio, and relevant portfolio or previous work by 18.07.2025.