RESONANCE

With our partner ART X Lagos

With our partner French Embassy in Nigeria

With our partner Institut français du Nigeria

Presentation

ART X Lagos, the Cité internationale des arts in Paris and the Embassy of France in Nigeria / Institut Français du Nigeria have co-constructed an annual residency programme for visual artists, designers and curators of all nationalities based in Nigeria, called RESONANCE.

Initiated in 2020 by Cité internationale des arts and the Institut Français du Nigeria, the aim of the programme is to facilitate mobility and support research, as well as the expansion of the professional network of actors within the Nigerian art scene.

In 2025, by partnering with West Africa’s leading international art fair, ART X Lagos, the programme was opened to visual artists, curators, and designers living in Nigeria.

During the three-month, fully financed residency, the selected visual artist, designer and curator will be in dialogue with a mentor based in France and benefit from professional networking, with the support of the Cité internationale des arts.

The residencies

Residents will benefit from:

Dedicated support and conversation on artistic, curatorial and design practices with a France-based professional;
Visits and networking opportunities organized by the Cité internationale des arts;
A live-in-studio on the Marais site of the Cité internationale des arts;
A monthly living allowance (1200 euros);
Travel fees to and from Paris covered (visa and insurance to be covered by the artist).

Closed

Calendar

Forwarding of applications:

From 07 to 31 May 2026

Residency dates

Curatorial Residency: from October 2 to December 28, 2026
Design Residency: from November 3, 2026 to January 28, 2027
Visual Arts Residency: from November 3, 2026 to January 28, 2027

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

The programme is open to:

Curators

of all nationalities who live and work in Nigeria;
who are aged over 23 on January 1st of 2026;
who can justify at least 5 years of experience in curatorial practices (minimum of two exhibitions curated and two publications in referenced art media);
who can fully commit during the residency period to the development of their research project with the mentor, and to connecting with the Cité’s environment.

Artists of all disciplines within the field of visual arts (plastic arts, digital arts, photography, performance)

of all nationalities who live and work in Nigeria;
who are aged over 23 on January 1st of 2026;
who can demonstrate at least 2 years of experience in artistic practices in their portfolio;
who can fully commit during the residency period to the development of their research project with the mentor, and to connecting with the Cité’s environment.

Designers of all disciplines (furniture, object, digital and print):

of all nationalities who live and work in Nigeria;
who are aged over 23 on January 1st of 2026;
who can demonstrate a commitment to the practice as a professional and a researcher;
who can fully commit during the residency period to the development of their research project with the mentor, and to connecting with the Cité’s environment.

All applicants should be in possession of a valid passport and able to travel abroad and fully commit to the residency at the dedicated period of time.

In addition to assessing the professional background, the members of the jury will pay particular attention to:

the quality of their residency research project;
their ability to identify their needs and goals for this residency, as well as their interest in connecting with a designated curator / designer based in France;
their experience and background in the field;
their past and current works presentation document’s clarity and design;
the anticipated working schedule and protocol and aim during the three months residency, paired with the contacts or partnerships already established with a view to developing a residency project;
their professional connections in France or the ones they have identified and wish to develop.

Various questions

How to apply?

Required documents:

A Resume presenting your academic and professional background, and your contact and postal address (maximum 4 pages)
A Portfolio explaining your curatorial, artistic or design approach and presenting one or more recent projects representative of your work (5 to maximum 20 pages)
A Research Focus statement explaining the research angles that you want to develop during your residency, including a residency brief with a list of artists, experts or cultural institutions with whom you wish to collaborate with (maximum 3 pages)
(Optional) One of the following files: A video link representative of your work (maximum 3 mins) OR a letter of recommendation supporting your curatorial, design or artistic project at Cité Internationale des Arts (maximum 1 page)
A valid passport (with 6 months of validity after travel)

Terms and conditions (EN)