Currently 9 active visual and media arts grants, fellowships and residencies open to applicants in Asia. Hand-curated and updated weekly. Almost every entry is funded; a few notable unpaid open calls and festival submissions are included as clearly flagged exceptions. Browse the list below, or use the interactive desk for filtering and shortlisting.
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Mondriaan Fund-supported working period at Inside-Out Art Museum (IOAM) in Beijing, one of China's leading independent platforms for contemporary art and research. The museum combines exhibitions, critical inquiry and public programmes, giving residents room for in-depth research, experimentation and exchange within a Chinese art scene that is otherwise hard to access from Europe. The residency is framed as cultural exchange rather than production to deadline: IOAM works with a flexible model that takes the resident's other obligations into account and sets the exact start date in consultation with the selected candidate. WHO: visual artists, curators and critics based in the Netherlands or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. Duos and collaborations may apply (two artists, two curators/critics, or a combination who structurally make work together, submitting a joint plan for the work period that leads to a single result, and who live and work together in the same space during the residency), but each individual must submit a separate application; the apartment is well suited to duos or partnerships. WORK PERIOD: one period of three months, 1 March to 30 May 2027, with room for one artist or duo; you can state a preference for the work period in the application form. Selection is by advisory committee; read the Mondriaan Fund Residency explanation for the conditions, assessment and checklist, plus the fund's general terms and conditions, before applying. DEADLINE: Thursday 27 August 2026, before 16:00 Dutch time / 10:00 Caribbean time.
Water Bodies & Ecology 2026 is a 40-day multidisciplinary initiative from the Dot Line Space Art Foundation in Mumbai, bringing artists, researchers, collectives and communities together across research activities, installations and exhibitions at two venues. The premise is artistic engagement with water, ecology, climate, memory and environmental consciousness, and the programme is explicitly after research-based and site-responsive approaches rather than finished gallery objects, aiming for dialogue between contemporary practice and ecological concerns. WHO CAN APPLY: individual artists, artist groups, interdisciplinary practitioners, community-based initiatives, and collectives and collaborative practices, working across all mediums and disciplines. WHAT IS OFFERED: selected artists receive grants towards travel and production expenses. Be aware that the published call does not give amounts, does not mention an artist fee, and does not mention accommodation, so confirm the terms with the foundation (info@dotlinespace.co.in) before committing to travel. Applications go through a Google Form linked from the project page. ABOUT THE HOST: Dot Line Space was co-founded in 2015 by Gourmoni Das, Piyush Bavalia and Shruti Bhosle, all graduates of Sir J.J. School of Art in Mumbai.
Touch Some Grass is an open-call poster exhibition responding to the growing presence of AI-generated imagery and its impact on creative labour, authorship and visual culture. At a time when images can be produced instantly and consumed just as quickly, the exhibition reclaims the poster as a space for ideas, intention and public conversation, inviting artists to make work that questions, challenges or reflects on this changing landscape. As the organisers put it, the question is no longer whether machines can make images, they can; the question is what kind of world we build when speed matters more than thought. NOTE: this call offers exhibition and visibility only, with no artist fee or stipend. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: artwork size A3 (297 x 420 mm), portrait orientation, 300 DPI, CMYK recommended, print-quality PDF preferred, maximum file size 1 GB, one submission per artist. CAP: participation is limited to 60 artists and the submission form closes automatically once all slots are filled, so the effective deadline may fall well before 31 August 2026 (10 of 60 slots were taken at the time of listing). Inato Gallery is an artist-run space in Iligan City, Philippines, which began as a solo street exhibition by KaraTula and now runs concept-driven solo and group shows, open mics, talks and workshops built on openness, participation and the belief that art should exist where people already are.
A research fellowship from Impart, an online platform building accessible resources on South Asia's art histories, in collaboration with Nalli Silks, a heritage textile brand established in 1928. The programme has supported two research projects a year since 2024-25; for the 2027-28 cycle two fellowships are awarded, each carrying a grant of up to INR 5.5 lakhs for one year of independent research and project development. AREAS OF FOCUS: underexplored textile-related histories, practices and traditions across South Asia. Any textile-centric subject may be proposed; the call particularly encourages textiles in religious, literary, liturgical and mythological contexts; the environmental impact of textile production and consumption; endangered or disappearing textile traditions; critical perspectives on textile revivalism, digitisation, archives and material afterlives; labour in textile production with attention to caste, class and gender; relationships between textiles and other cultural forms including storytelling, poetry, music, architecture and material culture; techniques, technologies and tools tied to specific traditions; South Asian textiles within the contemporary global design economy; intellectual property, ownership and cultural rights; and socio-cultural perspectives on the relationship between handmade and industrial textiles. ELIGIBILITY: open to anyone aged 18 or over residing anywhere in the world, provided the project engages with textile practices in the wider South Asia region (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tibet). Early- and mid-career researchers, designers, archivists, journalists, writers, educators, practitioners, collectives and small organisations are all welcome, and collaborative projects are permitted provided co-creators are credited and listed in the application. Both new and ongoing projects are eligible, but applicants must specify which part of the project the grant will develop and disclose any current or previous funding from other organisations. SUPPORTED FORMATS: journalistic inquiry, documentary film, archive activation, practice-based research, archive generation, digitisation and documentation initiatives, and exhibition or book projects. DELIVERABLES: a comprehensive project report at the end of the grant period; a research dossier developed from that report in collaboration with Impart, presenting key questions and findings and hosted on Impart's website for public benefit; and a set of final project outputs, which may be audio-visual (interviews, short films), visual essays (photographic or process-based documentation), written pieces (essays, features, interviews) or curatorial work (exhibition or digital curation). Fellows also take part in periodic check-ins and submit progress reports. Copyright is settled case by case, but all final outputs must be made openly and freely accessible to the public. APPLICATION: a Google Form structured as a full project proposal, plus a project budget (percentage-based allocation is acceptable, but be as specific as possible), a project timeline for the one-year period with key phases, activities and milestones, and a single supporting PDF containing an up-to-date CV, selected work samples, and up to two letters of support or recommendation. The form is in English; applicants who would prefer another language are invited to write to Impart to arrange an alternative. NOTE: the fellowship has a strict no-tolerance policy on the use of AI or LLMs in the application form or any submitted materials, and any violation results in rejection. KEY DATES: applications close 31 August 2026; awardees notified December 2026; fellowships run January to December 2027. No individual feedback is given on unsuccessful applications.
SOCIAL DIVE is Tokyo Biennale's open call, now in its third edition and, for 2027, open to both international and domestic applicants (the 2019 round drew roughly 1,500 overseas applications and the 2025 international-only round roughly 1,400). Artists and curators propose projects to be presented as part of Tokyo Biennale 2027, whose theme is 'From Me to Us'. THEME: general producer Masato Nakamura frames the biennale against an age of conflict and division, arguing that to avoid repeating memories of war, violence and exclusion we must reexamine the wisdom and cultural resources passed down across generations. Tokyo carries the memories of neighbourhoods dating back to the Edo period, twice suffered great loss through the Great Kanto Earthquake and the Second World War, and each time was rebuilt through the strength of its citizens; it is also an international city where different languages, memories, beliefs, wounds and hopes intersect. Quoting Kenzaburo Oe, 'I cannot live my life over again. But we can live our lives over again', the call proposes that when a single 'me' encounters others and reconnects relationships, a new consciousness of 'us' emerges. Art projects are treated as a form of cultural prescription, reconnecting people with people, people with places and people with memories. ELIGIBILITY: open to artists, curators, researchers, collectives and practitioners in related fields active in Japan and abroad; applicants must be 18 or older at the time of application; there are no restrictions on nationality, place of residence or base of operations; participants must be able to work in Tokyo during the designated period. ACCEPTED FORMATS: artwork creation, exhibitions, performances, video works, tours, workshops, participatory projects, research projects and curatorial projects. Applications cover both artwork production by artists and art project proposals by curators. APPLY via the Google Form linked from socialdive.jp/en (a Google account is required) during the application period 17 July to 30 September 2026, 23:59 JST. Read the official call documentation for full eligibility requirements and guidelines.
The Hayama Artist Residency introduces visual artists from around the world to Japanese culture and offers them their first gallery exhibition in Japan. The four-week residency takes place in Hayama, a coastal town in Kanagawa Prefecture about 1.5 hours from Tokyo. Selected artists receive roundtrip airfare to Tokyo, shared accommodation with one other resident, and USD 800 for meals and local transportation. A core element is a group exhibition during the stay, hosted in partnership with KOKI ARTS, a contemporary gallery in the Bakurocho art district of Tokyo. The program is open to visual artists over 21 working in any medium, based anywhere in the world, and applications are reviewed by the director and an international selection committee. The June 2027 cycle has an application deadline of September 30, 2026, with notification by December 15, 2026.
d/p is an independent alternative exhibition space in the Nakwon Arcade, the historic mixed-use commercial and residential complex in Jongno-gu, Seoul built in 1968. Its Curator Support programme, sponsored by NakwonSangga, has selected two to three independent curators every year since 2018, giving each an exhibition venue, curatorial collaboration with the d/p team, and a modest curatorial grant to develop and realise their curatorial practice. ELIGIBILITY: individual curators or teams with at least one curating experience within the past three years. The applying curator or team cannot participate in the exhibition as an artist; curators and artists must be clearly distinguished. SELECTION: approximately two individuals or teams. WHAT IS PROVIDED: a curatorial grant of KRW 4,000,000 including tax; use of the d/p exhibition space of approximately 187 square metres; and a five-week exhibition slot somewhere between March and December 2027, with installation and deinstallation time counted separately from the five weeks. PROCESS: first round is a document review of the APPLICATION and PROPOSAL submitted in the provided format; second round is individual interviews followed by final selection. Interviews are conducted offline in principle, but may be held online if the applicant is abroad or in other exceptional circumstances. HOW TO APPLY: submit the APPLICATION via the Google Form and the PROPOSAL by email to dslashp@gmail.com between 3 August and 30 September 2026. The proposal template is downloadable from the link in the @dslashp Instagram bio. File name format: '2027 d/p Curator Support Application_Applicant Name'. Submit as PDF; if the proposal includes video, provide a link rather than a file. KEY DATES: submissions 3 August to 30 September 2026; first round results announced in the first week of October 2026 by individual contact; second round interviews in the second week of October 2026; final selection announced in the third week of October 2026 by individual contact and on the @dslashp account. Inquiries: Minji Lee, Curator, dslashp@gmail.com.
Launched in 2024 to support young emerging artists, the Sixi International Artist-in-Residence Project (run by Sixi Museum in Nanjing, China) facilitates exchanges between artists from different backgrounds and helps them achieve creative breakthroughs and personal growth. The project calls for artists across all disciplines and cultural backgrounds who are ready to engage in dialogue with the city. TWO THEMES FOR 2027: 'Flux and Imprints: Contemporary Echoes of Migration History' and 'Folds of Text: Cross-Media Intertextuality and Intervention'. WHAT IS PROVIDED: living and working space (a city-centre apartment plus a loft studio in the outskirts to suit the research and production demands of different disciplines), financial support, hardware facilities and staff assistance, and help establishing contacts with the local art scene; by the end of the residency artists have the opportunity to showcase their outcomes in exhibitions. Nanjing combines traditional and contemporary Chinese culture, and the project positions itself as one of the few local art residency programmes contributing to international cultural exchange in the city and to the diversified development of contemporary Chinese art. ELIGIBILITY: open to artists across all disciplines and cultural backgrounds. Deadline: 15 November 2026. Apply via siximuseum.com.
A standing travel fund from the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV) that helps artists, collectives and writers based in Turkey get to international engagements abroad: exhibitions, theatre and dance performances, film screenings, concerts and similar activities. AMOUNT: up to EUR 1,300 towards documented transport costs. Flight support is the priority; economy tickets and public transport only, with accommodation covered in some cases depending on the applicant's budget plan. The fund does not support commercial gallery activity, profit-oriented business models, or personal and tourist travel. WHO CAN APPLY (all must be true): aged 18 to 40; a citizen of the Republic of Turkey; resident in Turkey; departing from and returning to Turkey for the planned trip; applying as an artist, group, collective or initiative; actively producing as a musician, artist, director, performer or writer in music, cinema, performing arts, contemporary art or literature; holding an invitation letter or other document proving the international collaboration; able to justify why the trip matters for professional development; with prior experience of comparable international or national events; and not having received support from this programme in the past year or applied for the same trip already. The hosting institution is expected to be an internationally recognised cultural organisation, and the applicant must be an invited guest, co-organiser or project partner. DEADLINE: applications are open all year and reviewed by an IKSV evaluation panel four times a year, meeting in the last weeks of January, April, July and October, with results announced within 15 days of each meeting. Applications submitted after 14 July 2026 go to the final 2026 panel, planned for late October 2026. HOW TO APPLY: online form at https://forms.gle/NCjyQ7HbncLkawi3A with CV, portfolio (max 10 MB, including performance video for performing arts and music), statement of purpose (max 1,000 characters), one-page budget plan and the invitation letter. All documents as PDF; the invitation letter in English, everything else in Turkish. The open-call page and the application are in Turkish only; there is no English version. Questions: gencsanatcifonu@iksv.org.