Bridges of Practices is a collaborative project of Nahirna 22 and Le Garage Moderne. We invite visual artists from the Nahirna 22 community based in Ukraine to apply for a 2-month residency in Bordeaux (France), hosted by Le Garage.

CONDITIONS

The residency will take place at Le Garage Moderne from January 11, 2027 to March 11, 2027. The residents will work in a studio space provided by Le Garage Moderne for two months, learning the skills practised at Le Garage, interacting with the local community (including the Ukrainian community in Bordeaux) and other cultural institutions in the city and producing the work to be shown at the Open Studios event at the Garage at the end of the residency period. The artists will receive a per diem payment of €30 (amounting to €1800 for the whole residency period) and €600 for the travel expenses. The accommodation is provided by Le Garage Moderne, and while in the residency, the artists are encouraged to seek the assistance of Le Garage Moderne staff to work with the workshops and tools available at the organisation. The production costs are allocated by Le Garage according to the needs of the artist.
The artist must be able to speak English or French well enough to be able to freely communicate.
The artist is responsible for finding an insurance plan (basic tourist insurance) for the residency, and Le Garage will cover its cost.
Visa support documents will be issued by the Garage Moderne if needed.
Accessibility assistance available at the residency:
Visa top-up : €120
Family top-up : €200 per child under 18
Accessibility support : A fixed amount of €375, €675 or €1.200, based on the duration of the project

TIMELINE

The application deadline is September 12, 23:59 (UTC +2). The results will be announced on September 25 via email.
All of the residents will arrive at Le Garage at the same time, on January 11, 2027 and will stay till March 11, 2027.
Artists will spend the first week of the residency getting familiar with the community of and around Le Garage and the city of Bordeaux.
Weeks 2 and 3 are allocated for getting acquainted with the workshops and tools available at Le Garage, to possibly be incorporated into their final projects.
Weeks 4 to 6 are to be spent on free creation.
The final two weeks (7–8) are for preparation for the Open Studio Event, reminiscent of the Open Studio Events at the Institute of Automation.

FOCUS & CONTEXT

The cooperation between Nahirna 22 and Le Garage Moderne began after the first time the Institute was hit by the missile, and Le Garage reached out to offer help. Since then, Le Garage has raised the funds for Nahirna to install the windows, written multiple letters of support and engaged their partners to do the same during the eviction of the community from the Institute building. The present collaboration is meant to further this cooperation and offer the residents of Nahirna 22 the opportunity to work safely in the winter and get acquainted with the community of Le Garage Moderne.
Le Garage Moderne hosts studios and workshops of different scales, ranging from small studios to large workspaces. It’s equipped with woodworking and metalwork tools, and the staff can provide assistance with these techniques. Additionally, partners of Le Garage Moderne can be involved in the process for ceramics, photography, screenprinting, and DIY printing techniques. Le Garage is also interested in interactive art that will involve the community of Bordeaux and has partners that work in the field of socially engaged art and will help the artist if they choose to pursue that direction with their project.

DELIVERABLES & MEDIATION

The residents are expected to present their work to the local community during the Open Studio Day at Le Garage Moderne. The format of the presentation of the work is to be determined by the artists themselves, guided by their experience of presenting their work within the framework of the Open Studio Day at the Institute of Automation (exhibition, project presentation, direct conversation with the community of Bordeaux alongside the work, artist talk, workshop, etc.).
The outcome of the residency must be made public in some way, it must be possible for the public to experience the artists’ work and process.