Slowly but surely, artists and art is being given more and more space, not only theoretical but also physical. Historical Italian villas are used as creative spaces, transforming themselves into artistic residences where artists find the freedom to feel as such, far from outside interference. Thus Singulart introduces 5 Italian Residencies to discover.
In these residences scattered all over Italy, those who create, invent, experiment, have immersed themselves completely in a world that we can only remember from the stories in history books. For example, 19th and 20th century Paris became the center of European culture, its cafés crowded with intellectuals and the ateliers stormed by the creatives of the time, who in those second homes painted, discarded, and approved future masterpieces.
Artists back then saw themselves as the storytellers, recognized and highly placed by a world paradoxically more accommodating to artists than the contemporary one. In this article, we will discover together five Italian residencies that welcome artists from all over the world. Let the journey begin.
1. Palazzo Monti, Brescia
Palazzo Monti is an 18th century noble villa surrounded by lawns and white cobblestones. The interior is perfectly consistent with the architecture of the building, recalling an intangible past. Frescoed ceilings, classic furnishings, and ubiquitous marble are all display within this beautiful building. Yet, for some time now, this magnificent Italian art residence has opened its doors to contemporary artists from all over the world.
Edoardo Monti, grandson of the founder of the villa, has created a non-profit program for those who live and feel they cannot do without art. Young creatives thriving on ideas and initiatives that, once welcomed, will be able to immerse themselves in a unique experience in a fairytale context.
No payment to enter the structure, just a request to be satisfied. Once the stay is over, the artists will have to leave a work created by them at the residence. The past meets the present – a perfect combination.
2. Villa Lena, Toscana
Deep in the Tuscan hills lies the Villa Lena. Engrossed in green landscapes illuminated by an amber sun, you will never want to leave this picturesque setting. Villa Lena is one of Italy’s most beautiful Italian art residencies. An artistic residence different from the others – the hand of man has worked delicately, trying to make room for woods, vineyards and the precious chirping of sparrows. From April to November for one or two months, this idyllic dwelling welcomes and supports international artists in need of a place in the world where they can create in complete freedom, stimulated by constant contact with nature.
3. CRIPTA747, Torino
In Turin, the beating heart of an avant-garde youth, you will find the Crypta747 Italian art residency open to artists, curators, and researchers from every field of contemporary culture. This space is dedicated to them, continuously exposed to their creative flow, almost victims of passionate stylistic and conceptual research.
There are two scholarships for these Italian art residencies for those wanting to live and work in Turin for two months, from September to November. The autonomous atmosphere and the open spirit that has always characterized Crypta747, encourages growth, experimentation, and exchange between local and foreign artists, art professionals, and the public.
4. BoCS Art, Cosenza
Although the South is often described in stories as a place marked by the absence of young people looking for opportunities in the North, the South is experiencing a renaissance. Typical of the strong and long-lived culture of this region, people have recovered and learned to get back up and move on. This is leading to new possibilities and opportunities that are making the South more charming again.
And just as flowers bloom every now and then in the desert, even in the South of Italy, so often forgotten and underestimated, precious initiatives are born. BoCs Art – Residenze Artistiche Cosenza is a prime example of this: a creative space opened five years ago where artists from all over the world come together to design, conceive, experiment, and share their works with the city that welcomed them.
5. Mandranova, Agrigento
A minimal and refined building protected by the surrounding Mediterranean maquis, Mandranova is a well-kept and cozy little eden on the hills of Palma di Montechiaro, a few kilometers from the archaeological site of the Valley of the Temples. In Mandranova’s artistic residence, international creatives meet, from May to June or from September to October for three weeks, to concentrate on their work projects without being distressed by daily tasks, assorted in the different processes of creation in an environment of heavenly appearance.
