2027 European Commission Artist-in-Residence: Decoding Depression
European Commission Joint Research Centre · Ispra, Varese
- ✓ Hand-verified by Arthead editorial · Sep 30, 2026
About this call
The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) invites applications for a six-month artist-in-residence programme exploring the relationship between contemporary art and mental health science. The residency, titled Decoding Depression, places one artist within the JRC's Science and Society programme in Ispra, Italy, with the aim of generating fresh artistic perspectives on the social and biological factors that contribute to depression. The selected resident will engage with the JRC's environome framework, an interdisciplinary approach examining how environmental factors shape mental health. Collaboration with researchers, scientists, and policy experts forms a central element of the residency. The programme welcomes research-based, place-based, embodied, speculative, performative, digital, and material practices from any artistic discipline. The residency runs from January to June 2027. A minimum of 20 days must be spent on-site at the JRC campus in Ispra (Varese province, northern Italy), with the remainder of the work conducted remotely. Total financial support is 15,000 EUR, covering artist fees, a living allowance, accommodation, and travel. Two requirements are non-negotiable: legal ability to work in the EU, and lived experience of depression, either through direct personal experience of a mental health condition or through caring for someone with the condition. Applications consist of a one-page statement (approximately 500 words), a portfolio or website link, and a CV, combined into a single PDF and emailed to JRC-Resonances@ec.europa.eu by October 18, 2026.
Who can apply
- International applicants
- Medium: Mixed Media / New Media / Installation / Performance / Video / Photography / Writing
- Free entry
- Must have lived experience of depression (personal mental health experience or caregiving). Applicants of any nationality are eligible, provided they are legally able to work in the EU. Submit one combined PDF: a one-page statement (approximately 500 words), portfolio or website link, and CV. Email to JRC-Resonances@ec.europa.eu by October 18, 2026.