ARC Bucharest in Romania

Arc Bucharest is a program initiated by the Solitude Project cultural association. Established in 2017, it aims to foster international exchange between the Romanian art scene and the wider art world through a residency program and a curatorial visiting program.

The residency program is based on exchange and cooperation with international art institutions and welcomes artists and practitioners working across diverse creative fields, including visual arts, architecture, design, film, sound, contemporary dance, education, and writing. While the program champions research- and process-based practices, it is equally suited to artists with an established studio practice.

At the core of the residency program is an artist-centered approach that supports each resident’s ideas, aims, and working methods, alongside a strong belief in residencies as tools for protecting the time and independence of the artistic process.

Although the residency is run by a program manager without permanent artistic staff, it offers research and material support and facilitates connections with local curators and arts professionals based on shared affinities and interests. These connections can further develop into sustained and fruitful dialogues. Self-direction and proactive approaches are highly valued in making the most of the residency and of what the Bucharest context has to offer.

Currently, Arc Bucharest hosts one resident at a time and provides accommodation in a centrally located one-bedroom apartment, along with a separate workspace at Malmaison Studios – a vibrant arts hub located approximately 30 minutes from the accommodation.

While Arc Bucharest does not operate an exhibition space, public engagement with residents’ work is possible through various formats, such as open studios, artist talks, workshops, or other informal formats, to be agreed upon on a case-by-case basis.

The curatorial visiting program is designed to welcome international curators with diverse practices and professional backgrounds, offering them the opportunity to become familiar with, or to conduct in-depth research into, the local artistic context in Romania. Overlaps between the two programs often occur, allowing visiting international curators to meet international artists in residence in Bucharest when shared interests and availability align.