AIR Buinho – New call for 2027

Organizer

Buinho

AIR Buinho (Portugal) – New call for 2027 Deadline: 25 Aug 2026 Country: Portugal The Buinho Residency program is designed for individuals from diverse creative and research backgrounds. Located in the scenic Alentejo region of Southern Portugal, Buinho’s creative hub was established with the invaluable support of a curatorial team boasting over a decade of experience organizing and facilitating various residency initiatives across Portugal. Since its inception in 2016, Buinho has experienced remarkable growth in the number of applications it receives, solidifying its reputation as a highly sought-after artistic residency program. Today, Buinho stands as a prominent European beacon in the realm of artistic residencies due to its unique affiliation with the Fablab, which amplifies creative experimentation opportunities. Our journey commenced with a single house accommodating two residents and the Fablab. However, we have since expanded significantly, now boasting six distinct houses and spaces, offering both shared and private studios, a state-of-the-art digital fabrication workshop, as well as dedicated exhibition spaces. In collaboration with the local municipality, we are proud to offer access to a metalworking workshop exclusively dedicated to sculpture and plastic recycling. Besides both the Fablab and the Precious Plastic recycling space, we also highlight the newly added textile lab, equipped with sewing machines, digital embroidery, tufting equipment, and other textile dedicated equipment that serves not only a local sewing club, but also for textile experimentation. Throughout our history, we have been privileged to host a diverse array of artists, including visual artists, performance artists, photographers, curators, writers, sculptors, designers, and media artists, underscoring the eclectic and inclusive nature of our program. Buinho stands as an early pioneer among rural FabLabs in Portugal, offering artists a boundless realm for their creative exploration. Nestled in one of the sunniest corners of Europe, we empower our residents to delve into an array of cutting-edge technologies, including 3D Printing, Lasercut, CNC, and more. For additional details, please visit us at https://buinho.pt/residency-2/ To know more about Messejana and its surroundings please access the following video we prepared by clicking on the link: Messejana – https://vimeo.com/443880245 Duration of residency The minimum period of stay is 2 weeks, and the maximum is 2 months. We accept artists who apply just for two weeks since some may have work restrictions (for example professors), and we don’t want to create entry barriers to those with professional duties. Nevertheless, we encourage artists to apply to a superior period to improve the quality of the residency (research, production, experience). As a reference, we usually receive per year around 60 artists, with an average period of stay of 1 month and a half. Accommodation Buinho currently oversees six distinct houses, each designed with unique purposes and features in mind. Among these, three houses are exclusively designated for the Creative Residency program, providing a selection of single and double bedrooms, both shared and private studios, as well as communal living amenities. The remaining houses grant all residents access to well-equipped working laboratories, facilitating the advancement of their respective projects. Casa da Avó is located at the heart of Messejana, offering two spacious studios that overlook the main town square, along with two private bedrooms discreetly positioned at the rear of the house to ensure optimal privacy. In addition to its charming courtyard and terrace, the standout feature of this house is its compact yet well-appointed jewellery laboratory, complete with a cozy fireplace to keep you warm during the winter months; Casa de São João is an XIX-century shepherd’s house, remodelled in 2019 to offer a unique charm. It is located in the street of the museum, on top of a hill, offering from its garden a unique view over Messejana. Its studios with high white walls and quiet environment offer the perfect setting for visual artists and writers; Casa da Padaria, the last house to be added to our creative ecosystem, used to be a traditional Bakery. It features a cozy living room connected to the kitchen, along with a small patio perfect for enjoying a morning coffee. Offering more privacy, it’s well-suited for visual artists, writers, or researchers; The Buinho main hub and HQ embraces a modern, open-space design, featuring a central studio in the main building and a workshop located in the backyard. In 2015, this entire interior space underwent a comprehensive redesign and reconstruction, marking it as the inaugural house within this project and granting it the privilege of its distinctive name. Serving as Buinho’s primary headquarters, this house is home to the Fablab and Precious Plastic facilities; Buinho Educativo is an extension of Buinho’s main fablab, with a specific focus on our educational and social initiatives. Within its confines, you’ll find two spacious rooms, one equipped with a comprehensive array of digital fabrication tools, including laser cutters, 3D printers, and vinyl cutters. The other is a textile lab, equipped with sewing machines, digital embroidery, tufting equipment, and other textile dedicated equipment that serves not only a local sewing club, but also for textile experimentation. Its distinctive capabilities are also accessible for residents use, positioning itself as the central hub for workshops and social engagement; Finally we also share a Metal workshop space with the local parish of Messejana. This is our favorite “get dirty” space, and that is used by us mainly for more metal working and heavy duty CNC machining. This space is also available for our residents that require more space, or access to our larger CNC machine, or to do some welding and metal work. All houses are fully equipped and have access to a high-speed internet connection (Starlink). Besides the working studios, each bedroom also provides private desk space, adding more quality for individual project development. Free Wi-Fi access is available in all interior and exterior spaces. All houses have equipped kitchens that can be used freely by our residents to prepare their meals. Residents also have individual storage space and a fridge to keep their food. Residents are responsible for the safekeeping and good use of the household equipment and respect the shared space by keeping it clean and organized. Accommodation houses also include linen, towels, and kitchen appliances for the comfort of their residents. Once a week there will be a cleaning service, while residents are responsible for their laundry and the organization of common spaces. Overall, the facilities are furnished and offer comfortable working spaces. Please note that we also offer access to other studios and special workshop spaces. These spaces include: Buinho main studios and Fablab, which is equipped with tools and machines (workstations, laser cutters, 3D printers, CNC’s, vinyl cutters, among other equipment.) to enhance the possibilities of experimentation of our residents; Buinho Precious Plastic, a community recycling center where artists can not only transform plastic waste but also use the machines for artistic research and experimentation. We are currently installing bioplastic machines to complement the existing ones; Buinho Educativo Messejana is a joint project and a volunteer project coordinated by Buinho that offers free activities for children and young people from Messejana, but also exhibition opportunities and more studios for the artists in residency. Disciplines, work equipment and assistance Disciplines can vary a lot since in Buinho we privilege an eclectic selection of artists. Disciplines can include visual artists, media artists, video and sound, performance, sculpture, designers, makers, photographers, writers, and researchers, of all ages and nationalities. We provide both curatorial and production support to each artist, together with other events that compose the residency. The events include artists' presentations/talks, encounters and engagement with the local community, development of workshops and tutorials in several disciplines, among other initiatives. Buinho offers a unique opportunity to work within a fablab, meaning that artists have access to different digital fabrication technology, such as laser cutter, 3D printers, vinyl cutters, CNC routers, among others.Studio / Workspace Each house has its own dedicated studio space. Buinho offers a mix of shared and private studio spaces according to the needs and requirements of each residency project. Our studios differ in nature and purpose (some are more dedicated to painting, drawing, and large-scale projects, as they offer easels, plenty of natural light, and big white walls) other spaces are dedicated to more design activities, offering access to IMacs, PCs, 3D printers, electronics bench, among other equipment) and while others are more construction and building spaces, where artists can work with different technologies and materials, as plastic, wood, textile, or metal, offering wide working spaces with access to specialized tools and prototyping machinery. Some studios are located within the houses of Buinho, others are in partnership with local entities. The Precious Plastic Workshop is located in the main fablab location, and offers artists in residency, students, and local community members the possibility to work with Plastic Recycling enabling the transformation of plastic waste into new creations. We have the four machines of the Precious Plastic Machine, which are also at the disposal of our residents for experimental art projects, learning, and social sharing. To know more about Precious Plastic please visit their website at https://preciousplastic.com/Fees and support We do not have public or private funding for the residencies, and besides the normal house bills and work consumables, we have a full-time person just for production support of the residencies. As such, we have to apply fees to cover the running costs of the residency and keep the investment in working spaces and accommodation. At Buinho, we strive to tailor the residency fees to align with the unique attributes of the accommodations we offer. This differentiation in fees underscores our commitment to establishing a more equitable system among residents, facilitating access for those with limited financial resources to participate in the Buinho AiR program. Monthly fees for 2027 are the following: Casa de São João larger bedroom with private bathroom – 1000€; Casa de São João other bedrooms – 900€; Casa da Padaria – 1000€; Casa da Avó – 1000€; Casa Buinho, the whole house just for one resident – 1300€ An accompanying person has a 50% discount but must share the accommodation. It is an additional measure to support couples, artists with children, or possible artistic collaborations. The minimum duration of each residency is two weeks and the maximum is two months. Residencies should start either on the 1st or on the 15th of each month. Please note that after the acceptance in Buinho AIR program, we will ask for an initial deposit of 50% of the total value of the stay. The remaining 50% is to be paid during the first week of residency. Refund Policy – Requests with a full reimbursement of the deposit should be made by writing within 5 months before the start of the period of stay. All other cancellations will not result in the refund. Deposits are non-refundable and residency dates are non-transferable. Expectations towards the artist We actively promote participants to explore the full spectrum of creative potential, leveraging our exceptional resources and extensive support. Moreover, we are committed to fostering deeper connections with the local community by inviting residency artists to create workshops and exchange experiences with community members. Furthermore, we encourage artists in residence to showcase their residency outcomes in a culminating open studio event accessible to the local community. It’s essential to note that these opportunities are optional rather than mandatory, allowing residents to engage at their own discretion. Application information Artists interested in participating should send by email (info@buinho.pt) a short curriculum, portfolio, and description of the project/work to be developed during the residency. Writers, researchers, and curators don’t require the sending of a portfolio but should send small essays or writing samples that should not exceed 10 pages. Applications will be evaluated by a curatorial committee and will take into consideration the following parameters: a) artistic quality; b) relevance of the project; c) motivation of the candidate. Additional notes Our AIR program values multidisciplinarity, so we expect the acceptance of creatives from different backgrounds, media, and experience. We also try to support emerging artists that seek opportunities for international visibility and curriculum. The level of scrutiny of the portfolio’s quality is proportionate to the artist’s experience. For more information download our Residency Guidelines – Creative Residency Guidelines: https://buinho.pt/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Buinho-AIR-Program-Guide_2025-EN-v9.pdf

Eligibility

Eligible countries: No country restriction

open to all ages and nationalities, diverse creative and research backgrounds