residencies

The central element of the R.A.R.O. Residencies is the opportunity to create, collaborate, and share with diverse creators within their own workspaces.

Our decentralized and itinerant nature allows residents, during a specific period of time, to work in two or more artists' studios in Bogotá. The program is open to any technique, project, or conceptual interest, which can mutate and transform with each workshop being used, allowing for a broad multidisciplinary exploration.

Thanks to the network of local studios that makes up the project, each resident has the freedom to choose in which spaces to develop their production and undertake collaborative processes. The selection of these locations depends on the technical needs of the artist, their current creative pursuits, and the availability of the participating spaces.

During their stay, residents not only expand their practice, but also have the opportunity to showcase their work and build close ties with local artists, curators, collectors, and researchers, connecting organically with the city's art circuit. Likewise, the program invites participants to explore Bogotá and its surroundings, living the city through its cultural dynamics, activities, and events.

Currently, the program features three residency formats:

Macro-Residency: The standard, full-immersion program.
Micro-Residency: A format specifically focused on technical production and studio work.
Micro-Residency - A Isla: A gathering on the outskirts of Bogotá designed for introspection, the exchange of processes, and community dialogue alongside the R.A.R.O. team and other residents.

residency formats

Our core format consists of a period of five (5) to six (6) weeks, structured as follows:

Studio Work (4 weeks): A month dedicated entirely to production. Artists may select and work in up to four (4) studios during the residency, allowing them to develop their creative processes and connect with other program participants and local artists. During this stage, visits to key locations, academic institutions, galleries, and museums are organized to broaden their vision of Bogotá's cultural ecosystem. Additionally, this period includes mentorship and tracking by a guest curator.

Final Exhibition (1 week): The program closes with a one-week collective exhibition. Together with the exhibition setup team and the curator of the edition, each resident will receive the necessary advice and support to design, plan the museography, and exhibit the processes and research developed. This exhibition takes place in prominent venues within the city's art circuit, such as academic institutions, self-managed spaces, galleries, or independent projects.

What does the residency fee include? The program fee covers access to the selected studios, curatorial tracking, and participation in the final exhibition, as well as workshops, city tours, and collective material and audiovisual documentation.

Scholarships and Financial Support: For each edition, R.A.R.O. offers its own scholarships. In addition, we provide specific incentives and support granted in collaboration with various government or academic institutions. Since these opportunities vary with each open call, we recommend carefully reviewing the guidelines of the specific edition you wish to apply for to learn about current financial aid.

Editions and Open Calls: We typically host two editions per year: the first begins between January and February, and the second between July and August.
A program tailored to each participant, maintaining the same intensity and support that define R.A.R.O. This format allows residents to work on their artistic disciplines with the backing and spaces of our studio network.

Unlike the Macro modality, this program focuses exclusively on technical production and individual studio work. For this reason, the dynamic is managed independently: it does not include a curatorial tracking program, a final exhibition, or certain collective calendar activities.

Key Features:

Temporal Flexibility: It can be completed at any time of the year.

Duration: It has a minimum duration of one (1) week and can be extended as long as the resident wishes or needs.

Studio Dynamics: Artists may work in a maximum of one (1) studio per week, with no maximum limit on the total number of studios for their entire stay (subject to the duration of their residency).

What does the fee include? Weeks of production within the selected spaces of the R.A.R.O. Network. Continuous technical advice and logistical support from the R.A.R.O. Team. Guided tours and visits through the city's art circuit.

Scholarships and Financing: As this is an on-demand and flexible format, R.A.R.O. does not offer scholarships for the Micro-Residency. The program must be funded entirely by the resident or through independently managed external funding.
A short immersion experience (approximately one week in duration) held once a year on the outskirts of Bogotá. The main objective of this format is to foster spaces for introspection, self-observation, and silence, complemented by project-tracking dynamics and the exploration of one's own creative processes within a community. All of this takes place in close coexistence with the group of residents and the team of managers, artists, and curators who make up the project.

The Environment and Location: The venue where the residency takes place may vary with each edition. Faithful to the program's spirit of disconnection, we always seek natural, peaceful environments away from the noise of the city that promote concentration and rest.

Each day proposes a specific dynamic designed for the care of body and mind, which includes:

Hours of silence and body practices.

Free time to inhabit the space (swimming, reading, or walking).

Creative writing exercises and explorations of the territory.

Self-management meetings.

Artwork clinics and collective feedback.

What does the program include?

Accommodation: Full stay at the selected venue for that edition during the entire week.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Logistics: Round-trip transportation from Bogotá to the residency location.

Content: All activities, workshops, dynamics, and mentorship within the program.

Group photographic record of the experience.

Scholarships and Incentives: Depending on the edition, there is the possibility of applying for scholarships directed at artists in general, alumni, or members of the R.A.R.O. network. Since the availability and conditions of these financial aids vary each year, we recommend checking the specific guidelines of the current open call.

important information

Calendar and Open Calls

Our annual calendar is designed to offer options for both collective immersion and flexible, individual production. Currently, our schedule is organized as follows:

Macro-Residency: We host two (2) editions per year. The first one takes place between January and February, and the second between July and August.
Micro-Residency: A Isla: This format takes place once (1) a year, usually during the second semester of the year.
Micro-Residency: The open call for this production format remains open permanently throughout the year. As a tailor-made program, start dates and duration are coordinated directly with the resident, subject to the availability of the studios in our network.

Who is it for?

The R.A.R.O. Bogotá residency program is designed for a wide diversity of profiles, disciplines, and backgrounds

Our open call is available to:

Creators and artists: With or without academic training, self-taught, emerging, or with an established career, working in any artistic medium, technique, or language.
Cultural sector agents: Researchers, curators, and cultural or social managers.
Other disciplines and knowledge: Human rights defenders, professionals from other fields, and anyone interested in developing projects situated in or directly linked to art and culture.

General requirements and conditions:

Age and nationality: The program is open to creators of any nationality, provided they are over 18 years old.
Languages: Residencies can be conducted in either Spanish or English. We understand R.A.R.O. as a multicultural space, where every member is willing to interact and enrich themselves with people from multiple backgrounds.
Collective applications: We accept proposals from artistic collectives or duos. Please note that studio management dynamics and fee values will vary according to the specific needs of the group proposal.

Fees, Grants, and Opportunities

The value of each residency is custom-calculated, varying according to the selected format (Macro, Micro, or A Isla) and the duration of the stay. If you wish to know the detailed cost for your specific proposal, write to us at bogota.raro@gmail.com or send us a request through our Contact section. We accept various currencies for payment, and the process is personally coordinated via email once the application is approved.

Funding Opportunities:

R.A.R.O. and Institutional Grants: We periodically award our own grants or partner with government and academic entities. We recommend following our active open calls to learn about the current support available for each edition.
External Funds and Grants: We encourage artists to apply for parallel funds, mobility grants from their home countries, or local incentives. In these cases, the R.A.R.O. team promises to provide institutional selection and recommendation letters, as well as all necessary supporting documentation to facilitate obtaining these resources.

Application Process Timeline: Please keep in mind that there is an estimated period of three (3) weeks between submitting your application and our final response. We suggest considering this timeframe if you plan to apply for external funding that requires our official letters.

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