BEK Nordic & Baltic Residency: 2026
Published
BEK announces a funded three months residency for Autumn 2026
Deadline: 15 February 2026, selected artists will be notified in March 2026
Residency period: 3 months, mid-August until mid-November 2026 (with flexible starting date, if need be)
BEK Nordic & Baltic Residency opens the opportunity for artists to develop and deepen artistic practice in a creative and supportive environment. Located in one the most culturally vibrant cities of Norway, emerging and established artists get the chance to realise new ideas and to immerse themselves in research over a long duration. This three-month production and research stay in Bergen invites two artists or collectives to develop new artistic projects or research at the intersection of contemporary art, technology, and social critique.
About the Residency
With support from Nordic Culture Point, BEK is able to offer funded residencies to artists who rely on financial support and require flexibility or additional resources. This includes artists traveling with family, artists with accessibility needs, and those who require an extended period to fully commit to production or research.
During the residency artists are free to work independently, immersing themselves in one or more studios while benefiting from a professional network of technicians, artists, and curators, as well as specialised workshops.
Artists in residence have 24/7 access to BEK’s premises, studios, and equipment. BEK has four studios: Sound, Video, Electronic Lab, and Project Room. Each studio is modular depending on the artist’s primary needs of focus and is bookable in dialogue with the BEK team.
Practical information:
Deadline : 15 February 2026, selected artists will be notified in March 2026
Residency period: 3 months, mid-August until mid-November 2026 (with flexible starting date, if need be)
- Stipend: €4,000 total for the full-time residency in Bergen.
- Production support: €2,000 for project- or research-related production costs.
- Accommodation: Covered and organised by BEK; flexible depending on family or accessibility needs. We can find accommodation in Bergen center or surroundings in accordance with our budget allocated.
- Travel: up to €500 travel support
- Studio: The three months residency will be organised as 1 month in our video studio, sound studio or electronic lab and 2 months with desk space/project space depending on the project’s needs. Please specify your preferred working conditions and desired studio in the application.
- Artistic support: feedback sessions and advice, letters of support to help with funding applications, and, depending on the scale of the project, production advice.
- Community: The centre is a lively place with weekly common lunches, other residents, local artists and practitioners being part of our larger community using the centre’s facilities, in addition to joining BEK’s workshops and public events.
- Presentation: During the residency, resident artists are expected to share their research and work-in-progress through a public presentation. This may take the form of a lecture, performance, sound or field walk, screening, or other format suited to the artist’s practice.
Eligibility and selection
This residency welcomes all artists based in Nordic and Baltic* with the exception of Norway, to submit their proposals.
*Nordic Region (Sápmi, Denmark, Finland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Sweden, Åland) or the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) and the invited artists must have a permanent address in one of these countries. However, you do not need to be a Nordic or Baltic citizen.
The program is not available for artists(s) based in Norway.
The program is not available for artists(s) that are full time students or artists(s) that are enrolled in an artistic PHD program at the time.
Please note, the artist is expected to reside in Bergen during the residency, any planned absences must be stated in the application and agreed upon with BEK.
The selection committee includes two to three members of the curatorial and production team of BEK and one additional independent jury member, to be announced.
Application
The application must include the following:
- This filled out google form. This is automatically submitted to us when you press “Submit” on the form page.
- Application material should be gathered into one single PDF and must include:
– A portfolio of maximum of 5 works. Please put the most relevant works to the application first and focus on the direction your work has taken over recent years.
NB: video and audio material should be linked from within the portfolio, preferably as short 2-3 min excerpts or please specify the parts you would like us to focus on.
– A short description of your practice, maximum 250 words.
If in doubt, focus on what you are working on now. What are your current interests? How do you work with technology?
– A short motivation text and project description of the artistic research, maximum 500 words.
Why are you interested in applying for this residency ? What does your residency timeline look like? Please let us know which studio(s) you are interested in working in, and for how long? Are there other partners or collaborators you wish to involve ?
– CV, maximum 3 pages
Please send the PDF via email to resources@bek.no with subject
“BEK Nordic & Baltic Residency: 2026 [+name of applicant]”
For further enquiries about this call, please contact us at lars.ove.toft@bek.no
About BEK
Situated in Bergen, BEK – Bergen Centre for Electronic Arts – has a strong network both locally and internationally of collaborators working within contemporary art and technology. Critically examining technologies’ role in our societies and everyday lives as well as the dynamics of power and politics embedded in the infrastructures of technology.
Since 2000, BEK has been committed to fostering productive working conditions for artists through workshops, shared resources, and dedicated workspaces. The centre is a lively meeting point and hosts approximately 40 self-funded studio residencies each year, encouraging exchange and collaboration between local and international artists.
In recent years, BEK has collaborated with and commissioned works by internationally profiled artists such as Elizabeth Povinelli, Susan Schuppli, Marwa Arsanios, and Mark Fell. As part of our biannual symposium, BEK has presented lectures by renowned scholars and artists including Stephanie Dinkins, Wendy Chun, Anna L. Tsing, and Catherine Malabou.
BEK is also in close contact and collaborating with the other cultural institutions in Bergen and our international partners such as Rupert, Semibreve, Sonic Acts, Tunefork Studios, Ràdio Web MACBA, Another Sky Festival, Beirut Synthesizer Center, Disruption Network Lab, Elevate Festival, INA GRM, KONTEJNER, Kontrapunkt Skopje, Paradiso, Parco D’Arte Vivente and more. This offers a larger community that the residents have the possibility to engage with during their stay.
About Bergen
Bergen is situated on the west coast of Norway and offers close access to nature, including mountain hikes and fjord excursions. The friction between the development of green technology and the preservation of nature is visible in the region. Bergen is a vibrant cultural city with weekly artistic events and is home to renowned platforms and venues such as Bergen Assembly, Borealis, Bergen International Festival – Festspillene, EKKO, Bergen Kunsthall, BIT, Lydgalleriet and Hordaland Kunstsenter.
ACCESSIBILITY
BEK is unfortunately not wheelchair accessible. BEK is situated on the 9th floor, with access through a small three person elevator, or a large industrial elevator and a staircase. There are 17 steps between the 8th floor elevator and the 9th floor. Our space has all gender toilet facilities, but not an universal, accessible toilet. Service dogs are welcome. We also provide the option of a quiet room.
Please send us an email at bek@bek.no if you would like to know anything more, have any questions and we’ll do our best to facilitate your needs.
CARE POLICY
BEK follows a no-tolerance approach to racism, harassment and discrimination. Any prejudice on ageism, homophobia, sexism, transphobia, ableism, ethnicity, nationality, class, gender, gender presentation, language ability, technical capabilities, asylum status or religious affiliation does not belong at BEK.
Images: 1) Graphic design by Blank Blank Studio 2-5) Studios, photo: BEK
BEK has received funding from the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture to establish this project.