About AiR
The MQ Artist-in-Residence Program invites approximately 60 international artists each year to live and work at the MuseumsQuartier. The program fosters exchange with the local art and cultural scene and brings international inspiration to Vienna.
The program has been in existence since 2002 and is implemented in cooperation with long-standing institutional partners such as the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Austrian Ministry of Culture, and the tranzit.org ERSTE Foundation network.
All eight studio apartments are located directly within the MuseumsQuartier, whose historic architecture bears the mark of Johann Fischer von Erlach. Numerous museums, institutions, and art initiatives make the MQ a central hub of Vienna’s art and cultural life.
Special attention is given to providing personalized support to the artists by the MuseumQuartier team, which connects the visiting artists with one another as well as with the local art and cultural scene.
Key Areas of Focus
In keeping with the overall thematic focus of the entire MuseumsQuartier, the MQ Artist-in-Residence Program also centers on two main areas:
Art & Ecology:
Through sustainable projects and a focus on ecological issues as part of the MQ goes Green initiative, we aim to make a significant contribution to the transformation of our society, with the goal of becoming a climate-neutral arts and culture district by 2030.
This focus on environmental issues is also reflected in the artistic program. Since 2023, a studio has been dedicated to the theme of “Art & Ecology,” inviting artists who explore environmental themes to participate.
Socially relevant issues and solidarity with Artists at Risk: The
MuseumsQuartier deliberately offers artists from countries at war or where the free practice of art and freedom of expression are suppressed a place to develop their work and exchange ideas. Artists are always selected based on their artistic merit and individual perspectives, not on their nationality.
Terms and Conditions
The terms and conditions are the same for all guest artists. MQ Artists-in-Residence live rent-free in one of the eight studio apartments on the campus and receive a stipend of €1,300 per month. In addition, grant recipients from EU countries receive a travel allowance of €300, while those from non-European countries receive a travel allowance of €500.
Open calls are posted on this page on an ongoing basis.
Studios
tranzit.org ERSTE Foundation Studio
tranzit.org/ERSTE Foundation Studio for artists from Croatia, Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine, and Hungary
The MQ Artist in Residence Studio tranzit.org ERSTE Foundation is part of the ERSTE Foundation’s long-term commitment to promoting critical contemporary art, particularly in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. The partnership with the MQ has been in place since 2002 and is implemented in collaboration with the ERSTE Foundation’s cultural partners, including the tranzit network, the Igor Zabel Association, and the Kontakt Collection in cooperation with the WHW Akademija in Zagreb.
The residencies are open to artists from Croatia, Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, and, since 2022, Ukraine as well. Selected participants, chosen through an open call, are offered a two-month residency with a clear research focus, providing space for concentrated work away from the pressures of production.
The selection is made by a jury composed of representatives from the ERSTE Foundation and its partner institutions.
Writer-in-Residence Studio
In cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (BMEIA)
The Writer-in-Residence Studio, established in cooperation with the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA), has been in operation since 2010 and has since offered six writers the opportunity each year to spend a two-month residency at the MQ. During their stay, the writers can work on their current projects and present them at public readings. Residencies are awarded through an open call.
Information on this will be published on the State Department's website.
MQ Art & Ecology Studio
In line with the MQ’s overall focus, one of the eight artist-in-residence studios was dedicated in 2023 to artists whose work addresses ecological themes. Every two years, through an international Art & Ecology open call, artists from all over the world are invited to come to Vienna for a two-month residency. The artists of the MQ Art & Ecology Studio embody the international character with which the MQ conducts its discourse on ecological and artistic issues.
Information about the current Art & Ecology Open Call will be posted on the website in advance.
ASoP (Artists Solidarity Program) Studio
In cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (BMEIA)
Another key focus of the MQ’s artistic and curatorial work is reflected in the dedication of one of its studios to artists who, for political or social reasons, are unable to address or present their art publicly—or can do so only at considerable personal risk. This may apply to artists from war zones as well as from countries where free artistic expression is suppressed. This program pays particular attention to the European cultural space east of the European Union’s borders. The program is organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (BMEIA).
Nominations are made by a panel of experts from the Cultural Affairs Section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Focus International
Fokus International is a program for cultural workers from Kosovo and South Africa, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture (BMWKMS)
Launched in 2023 as a pilot project for Kosovo and expanded to a second country, South Africa, starting in 2025, the “Fokus International” program represents a new tool for the Ministry of Culture (BMWKMS) in its international bilateral cultural work. For a period of three years at a time, the BMWKMS focuses its international efforts on a specific country. Within the framework of this country focus, the program for cultural workers at the MQ plays a central role.
As part of the program, young cultural professionals from Kosovo (2023–2025) and South Africa (2025–2027) will be invited to Austria to complete two-month internships at selected Viennese art institutions, gain work experience, and contribute to the host institutions through their participation.
Nominations are made on the basis of a public call for applications.
Studios in partnership with smaller arts and cultural organizations
The MQ is particularly committed to the small and medium-sized arts and cultural initiatives based on its premises. With their expertise, they make an indispensable contribution to the diversity of artistic life. To support their work, the MQ funds residencies for individual artists whose work is artistically and thematically integrated into the initiatives’ programs. Collaborations include partnerships with ASIFA Austria, EIKON, TONSPUR_passage, Tricky Women/Tricky Realities, and Vienna Shorts.
