CLOSED. Open Call for International Artist Residency in Rural Romania / 2025
Deadline for Applications: 21 February 2025
Residency Duration: 1 Month - June / July / August / September 2025
We are happy to announce an open call for the International Artists Residency in Rural Romania / 2025 in Marin village, Salaj County, Romania.
This residency offers a great opportunity for writers, researchers, photographers, painters, ceramists and illustrators to develop new work and focus on their project in a rural context.
About the Residency
The residency is located in the beautiful village of Marin, in Salaj County, known for its rich engagement of the local community in cultural and folk activities. This program invites artists to explore the rural life in an interethnic community, together with Romanians, Hungarians an Roma inhabitants.
It is designed to provide a peaceful and inspiring setting for creative work, allowing artists to focus on their projects. We believe that the absence of heavy tourism in the area allows artists to truly connect with the locals and we encourage artists to explore the intersection of their practice with the Romanian rural context, while offering the possibility of collaborations with the local community and craftspeople.
About the village
Marin is a village situated in Sălaj county, Transylvania, S-V of Romania, surrounded by hills and deciduous forests, inhabited by more or less than 600 people. A large part of the population is working abroad in agriculture, constructions or transport, and the people who decided to stay or who came back are commuting for work in the city of Zalău, 25km from us, or have their own little business in construction or small farm. The elder women in Marin are working the land, the gardens or doing embroidery, while their kids are going to work.
Our village has the same history as most of the villages in the region regarding slow depopulation and then modernization, as a result of political and social changes. The village school was closed around 12 years ago, and this is another reason why some young families decided to move to Zalău or other cities, but during the weekends, religious celebrations and especially during summer, the streets are full of kids who spend their holidays in the village, visiting their grandparents. In the past five years the built landscape of the village has changed quite a lot. Many of the old traditional houses have been renovated or demolished, being replaced by modern ones, but the village still preserved its rural spirit by the rich gardens that old people care for, animal sounds and women with headscarves.
In Crasna, the nearest village, you can have a better view on the multiethnic dimension of the area, meeting also Hungarians and Roma people, especially at the local market happening every Tuesday morning when people meet to sell vegetables, milk, cheese, domestic birds and second hand clothes. Sălaj county, situated between Bihor and Maramureș, has a rich lanscape dotted with centuries old wooden churches and tiny blue houses, the hidden gems of the area, that we are eager to introduce you to.
Localization and transport:
Main airport: Cluj-Napoca CLJ - 110 km
Closest city: Zalău - 25 km / 30 min by car
Crasna - Village Hall & local market every Tuesday, Supermarkets and Restaurants - 7km (different village)
Șimleu Silvaniei - town - 23 km
Nusfalău - village - the main bus station to come directly from Cluj-Napoca or back (buses are going almost every hour) - 10 km
To arrive in Marin you will have to fly to Cluj-Napoca, and we will pick you up from the airport.
There is no bus or local transport in Marin, but people use to do carsharing or hitchhiking to Crasna, from where is a better connection by bus to other villages and cities in the area. We can also help you with transport during your residency.
After your arrival, we will have a one day tour to get to know the area and find inspiration for your project in the villages nearby.
Residency Details
Available Residency Periods:
Period 1: June 2025
Period 2: July 2025
Period 3: August 2025
Period 4: September 2025
Duration: 1 Month
Location: Marin village, Salaj County, Romania
Accommodation: Private room in the main residency wooden building where the library is / Private room in a Romanian house in the village* (*if more than one artists will be selected on the same period)
Studio Space: Dedicated workspace in a library, suitable for visual artists, writers, researchers, photographers, painters, ceramists and illustrators
Community Engagement:
The residency offers the opportunity to meet and collaborate with local people, creating relationships with the community.
Artists will have the option to participate in community-focused activities, such as sharing their knowledge through informal workshops, talks, or presentations.
Artists are encouraged to engage with locals, whether through creative collaborations or social exchanges.
At the end of your residency, you may choose to host a final event or exhibition to share your work with the local community. This could take the form of a presentation, a public exhibition, or another form of expression.
What We Offer
Accommodation: A private room in the main residency wooden building, with the studio / Private room in a Romanian house in the village* (*if more than one artist will be selected on the same period), offering a peaceful place to live and work.
Studio Space: A dedicated workspace located within a shared library building, providing both the physical space to work and the intellectual resources to inspire you.
Community Connections: We will help introduce you to local people and groups who can contribute or help to your process.
Option for Workshop: If desired, you are encouraged to offer a workshop or creative activity for the locals during your residency. This is entirely optional but a great way to interact with the community and share your artistic knowledge.
Promotion through social media
Contribution of the Artist:
Travel expenses
Health insurance
Materials, supplies, firing fee for ceramists
Food (however, we will facilitate connections with local families who may offer home-cooked meals at an additional cost)
Local transport
800 euros/ person / month
Who Can Apply
We welcome applications from writers, researchers, photographers, painters, ceramists and illustrators who are interested in working in a rural setting.
How to Apply
Interested applicants should submit the following documents:
Project Proposal (max. 500 words): Describe the project you plan to develop during your residency and please mention the period you prefer.
Portfolio (max. 10 images or 3 samples of your work)
CV/Resume (max. 2 pages): Include your artistic background and relevant experience.
Web/social media page - optional
All applications must be submitted to office.madeinsat@gmail.com by 21 February 2025:
Selection Criteria
Applications will be reviewed based on the following criteria:
Originality and feasibility of the proposed project
Applicability to the rural context
Social/cultural dimension of the project is considered a advantage, but is optional.
THE FINAL LIST OF ARTISTS HAS BEEN PUBLISHED
For any inquiries, please contact us at office.madeinsat@gmail.com
Past residencies:
Sofia Nelega, documentary filmmaker - Scene din vârste diferite
Bogdan Cosa, writer, author
De la croitoreasă la porcăreasă și de la badantă la funcționar public:
About Bogdan Cosa’s residency
Sofia Nelega’s short documentary: