L'AiR ARTS Residency

L’AiR Arts is a not-for-profit organisation (une association à but non lucratif soumise à la loi 1901). Our mission is to support intercultural and artistic exchange through international artist residencies. Our programs bring together artists, researchers, arts professionals and patrons from different nationalities and backgrounds with the aim to foster creativity and artistic practice, while promoting diversity, inclusion and international understanding through artistic and cultural heritage.

Paris has long been known as a hub for artists from all over the world. Montparnasse, where our residency is situated, became famous as the heart of intellectual and artistic life during the interwar period, with the rise of the Ecole de Paris in the 1920s, which saw international artists working and living alongside each other in the center of the French capital.

“Je plonge dans mes réflexions, je vole au-dessus du monde / I dive into my thoughts, I fly above the world"
- Marc Chagall, Ma Vie / My Life

L’AiR Arts at FIAP Paris: Live, Work, Meet, Explore, and Present
L’AiR Arts at FIAP Paris Residency not only provides the opportunity to explore Paris and have a space in which to comfortably stay and work, it also offers an insider’s view into the important role that international artists have played in Paris from the late 19th century to the present day.  

Our immersive residency program offers a stimulating experience of intercultural exchange, research and professional development. The residency is designed to enable participants to evaluate their individual practice and situate their artistic exploration within both the historical and contemporary context of art production and presentation in Paris.

During the residency, artists have the opportunity to build lasting connections with fellow residents and expand their network of Paris-based arts professionals and organizations. Curated group visits are organized to relevant arts and culture institutions and fairs.

To foster meaningful encounters and to encourage networking, this residency provides participants with the opportunity to meet local cultural professionals and visit arts organizations working in Paris today. In addition to professional visits, we also host facilitated group discussion sessions with Paris-based curators, who offer portfolio readings and mentorship to the artists. 

To support integration within the local community, L’AiR Arts offers a fully-funded residency for Paris-based artists and cultural professionals. Locally based individuals are invited to join the international Residency group and participate in the programming as residency guests or co-hosts. Those interested in becoming local co-hosts can also join the organizing committee and facilitate activities or visits to relevant arts organizations or production facilities. The idea is to weave together the co-host’s cultural program and related residency events in a way that will fuel productive dialogue and development of the resident artists’ practices.

As part of the curated cultural program, we make sure that there is a good balance between organized events and independent exploration of Paris. Like many artists visiting Paris from around the world, participants are invited to find inspiration outside of the museums and galleries, in the city's lesser known cafés or back streets. There is time for artists to self-organize into small groups and explore Paris together, share experiences, ideas, and meals, getting to know one another not only as colleagues but as people.

To enhance the group residency experience and to further facilitate dialogue, we offer shared work space where participants can reflect and exchange ideas and skills with their fellow residents. At the end of the residency participants have the opportunity to showcase their work as part of an open studio event or a presentation for the local community and international guests of the FIAP Centre.

In addition to hosting public events for the general public, L’AiR Arts and the FIAP team work with local schools and educational institutions to provide a vital platform for intercultural exchange with local children and youth. Artist talks and workshops are organized for Paris-based students, contributing to the ongoing dialogue about the impact of arts and culture on society.