Palermo Calling / Curator Residency at Istituto Svizzero

Organisation: Istituto Svizzero
Location: Palermo, Italy
Support: Studio-apartment accommodation and a lunch allowance; conditional emergency funding may be available
Duration: 13 September–14 December 2027
Application deadline: 17 January 2027

Translated and adapted from the original Italian call. Application documents are accepted in French, English, Italian or German; the call does not specify an Italian fluency requirement.

Istituto Svizzero invites applications for Palermo Calling / Curator, a three-month residency for one curator at Palazzo Branciforte in Palermo.

Applicants should propose a research project connected to Sicily and the collections of Fondazione Sicilia. The residency offers time to develop research alongside access to collections, library resources and professional networks in Italy, Switzerland and internationally.

Residency activities

The selected curator will participate in the residency programme’s presentation evening in Rome, a study trip to Palermo, and events, meetings and workshops organised by Istituto Svizzero. They will also programme an event supported by the institute and exchange ideas with residents in Rome, Milan and Palermo.

Resources include access to Fondazione Sicilia’s collections and library, Istituto Svizzero’s digital resources, and an intensive Italian language course.

Fondazione Sicilia’s holdings span Sicilian history from prehistory to the twentieth century, including archaeology, ceramics, sculpture, paintings, prints, drawings and archives.

Eligibility

The call is open to Swiss citizens or people permanently resident in Switzerland who regularly participate in artistic initiatives in Switzerland or are affiliated with Swiss higher education institutions.

Applicants should have experience in art history, contemporary art, architecture, history or related disciplines, with a demonstrated record in institutional and independent settings and an interest in Palermo or Sicily. There is no age limit.

The residency is for one person and must last the full three months. Applicants cannot apply to another Istituto Svizzero residency programme during the same academic year.

Accommodation and financial support

The resident receives an independent studio-apartment on the top floor of Palazzo Branciforte, in Palermo’s historic centre, and a lunch allowance.

They must seek funding independently for other living expenses. If documented efforts to secure support from cantons, cities or foundations are unsuccessful or provide only partial funding, an Istituto Svizzero emergency fund may be activated, offering up to CHF 1,500 per month for all or part of the residency. This funding is conditional and is not an automatic stipend.

Selection results will be announced at the end of March 2027. A mandatory meeting for selected residents is planned for June.