Open call for artists: Saari Residence 2027

Application period: 1–31 March 2026
Saari Residence
Mynämäki, Finland

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Apply for Saari Residence 2027 in March

The Saari Residence is pleased to announce an Open Call for the 2027 Residency Program. We invite professional artists, artistic duos, and artistic working groups to apply to the international Saari Residence in 2027. The residency periods for individual artists are two months long, and the residency includes accommodation and a working grant. Artists groups can apply for group residencies in the summer of 2027. During the summer season, working groups may also be granted access to a workspace.

In 2027, a major renovation project will be underway at Saari Manor, which means that the residency’s separate working spaces and one of the residential buildings will be out of use.

Due to the renovations, fewer residency places than usual will be available in 2027, and artists will work in their apartments.

The renovation will affect the residency’s operations as follows:

Five individual residency places are available for each of the four individual residency periods.
During individual residencies, no separate workspaces are available; artists work in their apartments. These periods are primarily suited to so-called “clean” work conducted at a desk.
Summer working groups may apply for one of two types of workspaces: an unheated outbuilding for space-intensive work, or a meeting room suitable for seminar-style work.
The size of working groups for the summer 2027 group residencies is 3–10 people.
The renovation may cause minor noise disturbances on weekdays.

Saari Residence, an International Artist in Residence

Saari Residence, maintained by Kone Foundation, is an international residence for artists in Mynämäki, Southwest Finland. Located in a culturally and historically significant countryside setting, the Saari Residence offers an excellent and inspiring working environment supporting artistic development and creativity.

Professional artists and artistic workgroups from all disciplines can apply for residency. Residence participants are encouraged to delve into their artistic work and to develop potential new directions for it side by side with the other residents.

Residencies are available for both individuals and workgroups. Selected residents receive a working grant, and accommodation is included.

The four two-month-long working periods for individual artists and artist duos take place in spring and autumn.

During the summer months, artistic working groups (minimum three, maximum ten people) work in the residency for periods of 2–4 weeks.

The residence’s long-term activities and thinking are underpinned by an ecological approach, which also covers social and psychological sustainability. The keywords are slowness, insight and change. Working with ecological topics is not a requirement for artists selected for the residency. Instead, our focus on ecology is reflected in the residency’s overall activities.

The residency comes with no obligations, such as exhibitions, performances, or networking objectives.

We encourage applicants travelling from outside Finland to apply for support for ecological travel expenses.

Artists arriving from Global South can apply for flight support and visa fees (processing and possible travel). Otherwise, we do not provide support for air travel.

The travel support must be applied as a part of the residency application and cannot be applied or granted retroactively.

Half of the selected residents live in Finland and half come from abroad, representing a wide range of artistic disciplines and career stages, from emerging to established professionals.

Application period

The annual application period for residencies taking place in 2027 begins on Sunday, 1 March and ends on Tuesday, 31 March 2026 at 4 p.m. Finnish time (Eastern European time, UTC +3). Only applications with attachments submitted through the online service during the application period will be considered.

Applying

Residency places are always applied for one year in advance.

The two-month individual residency periods are January to February 2027, March to April 2027, September to October 2027 and November to December 2027. We do not grant residency periods longer or shorter than two months, nor do we offer individual residencies during the summer months.

From June to mid-August, all residency facilities are reserved for 2–4 week working periods for artist groups.

Submit your proposal during the application period through the online service.

Please read our application instructions carefully before submitting your application.

Who can apply?

The residencies are intended for individual professional artists and artist duos, fiction writers, poets, translators, composers, curators, critics and artistic collectives (i.e., a workgroup or established organisation with a Business ID) of all disciplines and all nationalities for the purpose of carrying out a project proposal presented in advance. We welcome artists at all stages of their professional life from emerging to well-established.

Work partners must apply with a joint application.

Researchers, non-fiction writers, and students are not eligible to apply.

The residencies are intended for artistic work. Priority is given to interdisciplinary, new, or non-mainstream themes and fields of art.

The Saari Residence considers diversity, inclusion, and equality in residency selections. We continuously improve accessibility in our operations and aim to implement positive measures in the application process to promote diversity.

The language used in Saari Residence is English.

What We Offer:

Funding

The two-month residencies include a monthly grant, determined by experience (€2,700 / €3,200 / €3,800 per month). The residency grant is intended to cover living expenses, travel costs, and other expenses.

Groups may apply for a 2–4 week residency period. We grant each group member working at the residency a weekly residency grant intended to cover living expenses, amounting to €800 per week per person

Support for ecological travel

We encourage residents to travel ecologically by avoiding air travel and other environmentally unsustainable means of transport. A travel plan must be included in the application.

Support for travels from Global South

As part of the Saari Residence’s social sustainability, diversity, and accessibility, artists travelling from Global South can apply for support for the flights and the fees for visas (processing and possible travel). Global South refers to Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Asia (excluding Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan and Singapore). A travel plan must be included in the application.

Accommodation

In 2027, all individual residents will work in their apartments, which should be taken into account in the work plan. During the renovation, the residency cannot offer alternative workspaces.

During the summer group residencies, workgroups share accommodations.

The apartments at Saari Residence include a basic kitchen or kitchenette. During an individual residency, the apartment is for the exclusive use of one resident, and each apartment has a private shower and toilet. One of the apartments is wheelchair accessible.

For further information regarding accessibility, please contact saari@koneensaatio.fi.

Workspace for Summer Groups

From early June to mid-August, artistic working groups may apply for a spacious, unheated outbuilding or a meeting room suitable for seminar-style work.

Residency places may also be applied for at the planning stage of a project.

A fruitful working environment

The Saari Residence is located in a beautiful and unique rural setting surrounded by nature, situated on the shore of Mynälahti, 30 km north of Turku in Southwest Finland. The peaceful countryside surroundings offer excellent conditions for focused work.

The opportunity to meet other artists

The Saari Residence also gives artists a platform to meet each other and share their thoughts and ideas at the Saari Well, which is one part of the residence that makes it unique. The Saari Well is a metaphor for the shared residency experience for the Saari Fellows.

The two-month individual residency periods, provide plenty of opportunities for interaction that crosses the boundaries between different art forms.

During the individual residencies, the residency organises weekly optional shared activities, mainly at the beginning of the week, including presentations, feedback sessions, and a weekly communal lunch. Residents may also participate in the work of the community artist, such as community art workshops. Participation in the programme is voluntary, and time spent on shared activities should be taken into account when planning one’s work.

Group residencies in the summer focus on the group’s own work and projects, and the Residence does not organise a joint program during these periods.

Mentoring programme

We offer each artist the opportunity for two mentoring meetings conducted remotely during the residency period. Mentoring sessions take place between early September and late April. No mentoring is offered during the summer.

Application Guidelines

Applicants are required to fill in an electronic application form on our online service. Please note that we do not accept applications by email or other means outside the online service.

The applicants’ ability to successfully implement the project will be assessed on the basis of the work plan, CV (or CVs), portfolio, and certificates submitted with the application. The evaluation is based on peer review.

Residency places for 2027 will be announced on Wednesday, 17 June 2026.

Each year, approximately 50 individual artists, researchers, or working groups work at the Saari Residence. Since its founding, the residency has hosted around 850 artists and researchers from more than 50 countries.

Last year, 1,034 individual artists and working groups from 86 countries applied for residency. Residency places were awarded to 3.5% of applicants.

Application guidelines

About the Saari Residence

More information

Enquiries about the Saari Residence and the application process:
Residency and Communications Coordinator Pirre Naukkarinen, pirre.naukkarinen@koneensaatio.fi, tel. +358 44 031 4201

Artistic work at the Saari Residence and media enquiries:
Residency Director Leena Kela, leena.kela@koneensaatio.fi, tel. +358 40 732 3628