10 and 11 November 2021


On Airism conference online the 10 and 11. November 2021

Join us for the onAIRISIM - challenges and transitions conference online on 10 and 11 November 2021

10 November 2021 at 5pm Berlin time for 3h | 11 November 2021 at 6pm Berlin time for 3h, including a "cooking session" | Berlin is UTC +1, find more information on the conference start in other time zones here

View the conference program here.

More information on all the speakers and workshop participants.

Register here for the conference (E/ES) (until 08 November 2021)

Más información sobre la conferencia en español.


Artists' residencies are an intrinsic part of the mobility infrastructure in the art and cultural field. They can also play an increasingly important role for artists' international careers and their exchange with local art scenes in different countries.

Today, ecological, political and economic crises around the world are widely questioning the mobility concepts of recent decades and are giving rise to a desire to render Artist in Residence (AIR) programs more sustainable. New concepts are being developed that enable the local population to participate, including digital formats that allow for both a greener approach and the mitigation of the inequality among artists worldwide with respect to accessing such programs.

With onAIRISM in 2021, IGBK is seeking out an exchange with AIR programs in selected regions of the Americas to discuss the visions of the program organizers and how they define their programs within the political and social environment on regional as well as on an international level. How can residencies offer alternative infrastructures and open up to facilitate artistic work in the midst of societal upheaval, transformation and ecological crises?


The conference will build up on the May 2021 workshop, which assembled AIR program organizers and artists from Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Cali, Calgary, Gatineau and Medellín, as well as partners from the 2020 IGBK project Art Space Connect, curators and independent art space organizers from Berlin, Budapest, Poznan and Tbilisi.

The conference will feature keynotes and numerous inputs and presentations by AIR program organizers from the Americas.

We will debate a.o. topics such as: Revaluation of spaces during and after the pandemic: What can residencies provide? | How AIR programs network – locally and globally | Residencies as political shelters

The conference will be held via Zoom in English and Spanish. Simultaneous translation E/ES will be available.


More program details

Cooking session - We will end the second day of the conference with a joint cooking session, starting at 8pm Berlin time (UTC +1): Get together in a group at your place. What would you cook? The organizing team and some of the speakers are also cooking and are leaving the Zoom session on to continue sharing and talking… Who wants to join from his or her kitchen via Zoom? Send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Workshop - There will also be an online workshop with a closed group of AIR program organizers and artists taking place on 11 November 2021 at 4pm Berlin time (UTC +1). If you are interested in joining the workshop, please send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. until 25 October 2021, with information on your artistic background or AIR program that you are organizing. We will send you feedback on a possible participation until 01 November 2021. Please note however, that places will be given out on a first come first serve basis. The opening of day two of the conference will introduce the results from the workshop.


More information on speakers and program to follow here soon!