Made in Sat (grown from MarinArt local project) was created to build a local cultural infrastructure in a rural area where opportunities for creative exchange were extremely limited. Since 2015, the team has been developing cultural, community, and artistic projects in Marin with a commitment to:

• ethical documentation of local stories, craft practices, and everyday life,

• curating a textile collection and documenting the practices around textiles

• strengthening intergenerational and intercultural dialogue,

• providing access to cultural experiences for children and adults in the village,

• supporting collaborative practices between artists and local craftspeople,

• developing long-term archives related to textiles, traditional knowledge, material culture and contemporary rural lifestyle.

Between 2016–2019, we organized gatherings and a local festival; in 2021, we opened the MarinArt village library, which also functions as a studio space and hosted micro-residencies for Romanian artists leading art-education workshops with local children.

Starting from the winter of 2024, the residency opened to international artists, aiming to create a space where contemporary art, documentary practices, anthropology, environmental studies, and rural life can intersect in a respectful and mutually beneficial way.

During the year, we focus on long-term documentation of traditional practices, textile knowledge, crafts, and the work of regional artisans. We organize workshops with local embroiderers, cultural heritage and textile tours, collaborate with artisans and researchers, and produce documentary films and visual materials. Our mission centers on ethical ethnographic work, cross-cultural exchange, interdisciplinary collaborations, and the integration of artistic practices within documentation and research. 

We welcome multidisciplinary artists, especially those working at the intersection of visual arts, cultural studies, environmental research, and social sciences.

The residency is based in Marin, a village in Sălaj County, North-West Romania, with around 600 Romanian inhabitants, mostly elders, small-scale farmers or families who divide their time between Romania and Western Europe. Marin is surrounded by multiethnic villages inhabited by Romanians, Hungarians and Roma communities, creating a diverse cultural background.

Although the village has become more dynamic in recent years, with locals returning from abroad to renovate houses, open small businesses, and bring their children home for the summer, the format of the residency primarily offers a focused, slow rhythm, suitable for artists who want time, and mental space for their practice.

Both residency houses, The Main House and The Blue House, are located on the main street, within walking distance of hills, fields, and forests. The surroundings are ideal for outdoor work, field research, writing, photography, or long walks.

Studio – MarinArt Library & Workspace

The studio is located in the same building as our textile collection and the courtyard of The Blue House.
Residents have access to:

• One shared studio room

• Work tables, chairs, benches, couch, twin-size day-bed

• Traditional 2 pedals loom, with cotton yarn for weaving

• Basic tools and materials for painting, collage, crochet and embroidery

• A-frame painter’s easel + 10 wooden easels for displaying paints, textiles or other types of work

• Microscope

• Full access to books

• On-going access to MarinArt textile collection, upon availability

• Two outdoor working areas (with table, hammock)

• Shared kitchen

• Shared bathroom

The Grandparent’s House, former local family house - for individual artists

• Two private bedrooms for residents (+1 for the residency organiser)

• Shared kitchen

• Two bathrooms with hot water

• Common living space

• Transit room for each bedroom

• Washing machine

• Courtyard and orchard

• 3 minutes to the fields, 15 minutes’ walk to the forest

Rural Art Residency in the the Blue House - for artist duos

traditional house from 1903, restored in 2015 by Marina and her mum, preserving the architecture and design of an authentic local house.  

• Two bedrooms

• One bathroom with hot water (wood-heated; must be heated before showering)

• Shared kitchen

• Private outdoor area, courtyard and orchard
  Find out more about this location here - The Blue House in Marin

Dining & Groceries

On the location:

• Fully equipped kitchens (induction, electric oven, utensils, spices, shared fridge)

Local options:

• One small grocery shop in the village

• Supermarkets in Crasna (7 km) and Valcău de Jos (4 km)

• Weekly markets: Tuesday & Saturday in Crasna

• Local farms offering cow/buffalo cheese, milk, eggs (availability varies depending on the seasons or requests)

Transport

• Nearest airport: Cluj-Napoca (CLJ)

• Direct hourly buses from Cluj-Napoca to Vârșolț (10 km from Marin)

• Train/bus line Budapest – Ciucea (with onward travel to Cluj)

• Free pickup available from: Vârșolț, Zalău, Ciucea, Nușfalău

For weekly markets, hitchhiking from Marin to Crasna is common and safe, practiced by local elders as well. When possible, we accompany residents by car, especially during the first visit.

Materials

Artists are expected to bring their own materials, although the studio provides basic supplies (acrylics, paper, some brushes, simple ceramic tools- no throwing wheel). Nearby towns Zalău and Șimleu Silvaniei (25 km) have arts & crafts shops; we can help with transport when needed and online orders from Romania. Please get in touch with us if any specific materials are requiredfor your practice

For ceramicists:
We collaborate with Szabo Attila Ceramic Studio (Zalău) for firing (the first one is covered by the residency).

Duration & Available Periods

Minimum two weeks - maximum three months residencies between 1st of June - 1st of October

Costs:

• Individual artist - the Main House

  2 weeks: €650

  4 weeks: €1200

• Artist Duo residency - in the Blue House

  2 weeks: €1200

  4 weeks: €2200

Additional costs to consider:

• Travel from your location to Romania & return

• Groceries, personal expenses, travel insurance, VISA, art supplies

Made in Sat is a woman-artist-run, self-funded initiative. The residency fee directly support the maintenance of the space, the team, and the continuation of cultural and documentary projects in the village.

Selected artists are encouraged to apply for grants; we are able to provide:

• Official invitation letter

• Residency confirmations

Applications will be reviewed by the Made in Sat team based on the following criteria: openness to working within a community setting, interest in rural contexts and the relevance of the project to the themes and facilities of the residency. 

We review applications on a rolling basis.

Selected artists will receive an acceptance email, schedule a video call with the curator of the residency, and must confirm their participation within 10 maximum days.

Please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/MMszgT3cmQ4KmnSB7

for additional information or questions, contact us at office.madeinsat@gmail.com