Our Artists-In-Residency is located in a peaceful rural milieu, close to nature, in between Jakobstad and Nykarleby, in Western Finland.

The Artist-in-Residency program is run by Anneli, Jukka and Rita. Our aim is to reach out to the general public to incite cultural dialogue in the field of contemporary art and the current society. OUR AIR offers an excellent opportunity to focus undisturbed on creative work in the scenic surroundings of Ostrobothnia *, as well as opportunities for interaction with other residents.

ACCOMMODATION

Residents stay in a traditional two-story Finnish House, containing a living room area, dining room, and a modern kitchen on the first floor, with private, nicely furnished single-bedrooms on the first and second floors. The small bathrooms (one on the first floor / one on the second floor) are common areas which are shared between guests and are provided with locks for privacy. The house has a Finnish sauna and a large garden.

CRITERIA

OUR AIR is intended for individual professional artists and anyone who’s creative, adventurous, and willing to come to Ostrobothnia to create new bodies of work that are informed by their experience here. We are especially keen to have artists who have a socially collaborative art practice, and have experience working collectively.

SELECTION

Residents are selected through our application process, or by invitation. 3 artists are selected for each period.
Prospective residents with standout applications will undergo an interview via Skype.

* Geographically, Ostrobothnia is mostly former seafloor brought to surface by post-glacial rebound. The Kvarken Archipelago, situated in the Gulf of Bothnia is a northern extension of the Baltic Sea. The 5,600 islands of the Kvarken Archipelago feature unusual ridged washboard moraines, formed by the melting of the continental ice sheet, 10,000 to 24,000 years ago. The Archipelago is continuously rising from the sea in a process of rapid glacio-isostatic uplift, whereby the land, previously weighed down under the weight of a glacier, lifts at rates that are among the highest in the world. As a consequence islands appear and unite, peninsulas expand, and lakes evolve from bays and develop into marshes and peat fens. (extract from whc.unesco.org).

  • Fäboda, the archipelago of Jakobstad
  • Ostrobothnia is often referred to as “Pampas”
  • Town Hall and the market square in Jakobstad
  • Jakobstad’s Water Tower, architect Lars Sonck
  • The Strengberg tobacco factory was one of the
    largest and most successful tobacco firms in Finland
  • Towards Skata, the old town of Jakobstad
  • The road between Jakobstad and Nykarleby
  • Winter road outside Nykarleby
  • Zacharias Topelius’ childhood home Kuddnäs, Nykarleby,
    built in the 17th century which is now a museum
  • The coast at Winter
OUR AIR, in between Jakobstad and Nykarleby
(in Finnish: Pietarsaari and Uusikarlepyy)