The City as Forest Residency Program

The program offers an immersion for research and experimentation, meant for artists scientists interested in developing their work in the urban environment of Rio de Janeiro. The program will held between 16 May and 4 June 2022, in its first edition, by the Goethe-Institut in Rio de Janeiro, the Museum of Tomorrow, Swissnex in Brazil and Pro Helvetia South America.

The residency will take place in the Laboratory of Activities of the Museum of Tomorrow, one of the most visited museums in Brazil. There will also be tours and gatherings in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro. The residency will be conducted in Portuguese and English and will gather a total of six residents from Brazil, Germany and Switzerland.

This residency promotes an immersive experience in the urban space for artistic creation and experimentation in dialogue with science. The initiative proposes to create and facilitate new narratives, as well as speculate on future scenarios on urban dynamics and their potential for transformation, through a multidisciplinary dialogue between art, biology, botany, microbiology, ecological studies, physics and life sciences.

In this environment, artists and scientists interested in investigating and establishing a dialogue between art and science have the opportunity to work side by side, broadening their views and working beyond the practices and protocols of their laboratories and studios.

The residency offers an environment favorable to the exchange of knowledge, proposing on one hand that science can be transformed by art, with its references and ways of thinking and acting, and on the other hand, that art can have an active voice in the debate on scientific matters and their technological applications with high social impact. Even though they live, more often than not, in different universes, using diverse languages and approaches, using different creative and problem-solving processes, artists and scientists can benefit from the mutual sharing of experiences and perspectives, especially as they share a space of research and work.

Application procedure

Applications must be submitted using the following form:  here.

That link also requires the upload of 2 PDF documents.

  • PDF 1: Project proposal for residency with a work plan, designs, outlines, etc., as well as a list of the necessary resources for the development of the research/work (no more than three A4 pages of images and text); File name: PDF1-ApplicantName.pdf
  • PDF 2: Portfolio and CV with a list of publications. File name: PDF2-ApplicantName.pdf

Only proposals in Portuguese or English will be admitted.

Closing date for applications:  27 March  2022 at 11:59 p.m., Brasília Time (GMT-3).

For further details about the application procedure, the selection committee and the residency timeline please click here.

Organized by

  • Goethe Institut
  • Museu do Amanhã
  • Pro Helvetia
  • Swissnex