“Shadow Architecture” - Reimagine Cemeteries as Cultural Landscapes. OASis Residency in Poland - from 13 to 23 August in Warsaw, Poland. Apply now!

What stories do cemeteries whisper to the city? Can we uncover their hidden layers of architecture, identity, and exclusion? What should the intercultural cemeteries of European metropolises look like?

This summer, the Other Space Foundation - the leader of the international project “OASis – Open Art Spaces in Synergy”, invites 4 international contributors to join a unique 7–10 day interdisciplinary art residency in the heart of Poland’s capital. Together, we will explore the overlooked urban ecologies of cemeteries – as spaces of memory, invisibility, and cultural intersection.

Inspired by the concept of “Shadow Architecture” (series of books and interdisciplinary activities around them) developed by Polish architect and artist Aleksandra Wasilkowska, this edition invites artists to delve into the margins of official urban narratives. Cemeteries – often hidden in plain sight – represent both architectural absence and deep cultural presence. They raise questions about belonging, sacredness, public space, and how we remember.

We are looking for proposals that:

• Engage with cemeteries as architectural, social, or symbolic spaces
• Explore the topic of death, passing, rituals, mourning
• Use artistic strategies to illuminate stories of exclusion, care, or remembrance
• Explore interdisciplinary forms: visual art, performance, storytelling, sound, design
• Are rooted in community-based, site-specific or research-driven practices
  
  

We are inviting:

• 4 international contributors - architects, researchers, artists who will work with local contributors  
  
  

Requirements for international artists:

• Interest and experience (expertise and/or practical) in the subject of the call,
• Fluency in English
• Availability between 13 and 23 August 2025 in Warsaw
• Experience in socially engaged or community-based art is a strong asset

What we offer:

For international artists

• €1300 gross artist fee
• Travel budget up to €200 
• Accommodation in Warsaw-based OASis - renowned Teatr Powszechny and stay allowances 
• Networking with local communities, researchers and other contributors,
• Agreed budget on production,
  
  

How to apply:

Please fill the form. 

Deadline: Monday, 13 July 2025

Evaluation criteria:

• Artistic vision and relevance to the theme
• Feasibility and originality of co-creation strategy 
• Openness to collaboration and local community involvement

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This call is part of the OASis project. Open Art Spaces in Synergy is a 3-year European project (2024–2027), co-funded by the European Commission in the framework of the Creative Europe Program  and the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, aiming to activate public spaces across 10 countries through open, community-driven art practices. The Warsaw residency is hosted by Teatr Powszechny, a bold and socially engaged cultural institution in the city’s vibrant east.