OASis Residency / Open Call for Artists

OASis Residency | Open Call for Artists | Artistic Intelligence – Nature and Technology
KIBLA, Maribor, Slovenia | Autumn 2025
Deadline to apply: 26 September 2025

Famous Australian artist Stelarc has said for KIBLA »this is the best cyber space in the world«.

Association for Culture and Education KIBLA (ACE KIBLA) is pleased to announce an open call for international artists to participate in the first edition of the OASis Residency in Maribor, Slovenia, taking place in autumn 2025.

We invite 4 artists, researchers, and interdisciplinary practitioners working across analog and digital media within audio and visual culture, fine art, performance, literature, theory, involving community practices, and debating artistic approaches to explore the intersection between nature and technology through different (available) media, various realities (AR, VR, MR, XR), Artificial Intelligence and cultural and natural heritage in the Maribor region relating on ecology, energy, history, present and future and integrate various media parameters within the Artistic Intelligence mode into the unique node – artifact/arwork.

Residency Concept

From analog to digital and vice-versa

The development of their work will be processed in the KIBLA PORTAL, which was the 1st textile factory in Maribor, established in 1922. After textile industry boomed to the level the city was called ‘Yugoslavian Manchester’ until the 1990’s. Beside of this title it was named ‘Yugoslavian Liverpool’ due to the pioneering rock’n’roll in the country and widespread and vivid music scene. Maribor was also known as a 2nd biggest industrial city and 2nd most bombed in the WW2 in Yugoslavia.

KIBLA2LAB is the research media and interdisciplinary lab at an intersection of research, production, design, and art activities. It’s equipped with state-of-the-art 3D scanning technology, photogrammetry, XR equipment for virtual, augmented, mixed, and extended reality visualizations, and interactive installations. It demands knowledge of specific and integrated designs, so developments from ideas and design to modeling, prototyping, and optimization in the virtual and material environment are possible.

This residency invites participants to explore various elements in the area and its region by using analog and/or digital media within all art-fields – visual and fine art, (audio-visual) performance and theater, music, literature – relying on original personal ascent. With possibilities of involving sensory engagement through sound and vision, interactivity, audience participation and artistic collaborative practices artists can rely on their ’personal poetics’ in their individual or group work and address audiences and local communities, with their own means, when inspired by the people and environment and its natural and cultural heritage.

About the Location – Maribor, Slovenia

Slovenia is one of the greenest countries in the world. Slovenia lies in the heart of Europe. This tiny, yet colorful country measures 20,273 km2 in area and is home to a bit more than 2 million sincere, hospitable people. It has an exceptional number of top athletes and a wealth of cultural creativity.

Even though Maribor is not a major European capital, we do get some tourists in the summer and statistically, we have the most sunny days in whole Slovenia! Maribor is a very green city and the centre of the Štajerska region in Slovenia. It`s surrounded by the green forests of Pohorje, a sunny wine growing region and the Drava River that runs through the city. Maribor is a charming city with rich historic and cultural roots, reaching back to the Middle Ages. The top culinary selection and a number of festivals continue to bring joy even today. The Guinness world records tell the tale of rich wine tradition, the Oldest Grapevine in the world, which is found in the city centre, as well as the wine roads in the vicinity.

Not to forget, in 2012, we were the European Capital of Culture – a title won for Maribor by KIBLA.

About KIBLA

The Multimedia Center KIBLA (MMC KIBLA) was founded on 4 July 1996, and has been operating since 1998 as the Association for Culture and Education (ACE KIBLA) on Kneza Koclja Street 9 in Maribor, Slovenia. KIBLA is a national and international non-governmental institution in the segmented field of art and research, culture and media, technology and education and creative industries, emphasising interdisciplinary, intermedia and multimedia art, trans-sectorial approaches in wide spectrum of various fields of arts. It is an institution that presents, organizes, produces, co-produces, documents and archives cultural-artistic projects, as well as electronic and printed publications.

KIBLA is managing three spaces for artistic creation and exhibitions on various locations in Maribor:
Multimedia Center KIBLA (since 1996)
artKIT (since 2002)
KIBLA PORTAL (since 2012)

We’re looking for Proposals that:

• Address city’s people and society
• Are artistically original relying to the local context
• Can be research-driven in the context of art and media culture
• Strong artistic quality and uniqueness

Residency Dates & Eligibility

Applicants must reside in an EU Member State or country eligible under the Creative Europe programme.

Two possible residency periods:
• 2–11 November 2025
• 12–21 November 2025

What We Offer

• €1300 gross artist fee
• Travel budget up to €300
• Accommodation in Maribor (private or shared)
• Access to studio / workspaces
• Curatorial support throughout the residency
• Materials and production support (agreed upon in advance)

How to Apply

Please send the following materials to kibla@kibla.org by 26 September 2025:

• CV or detailed bio (link or PDF, max 10 MB)
• Portfolio or website
• Artistic proposal (max 300 words or 10 slides PDF) outlining:
- Your motivation to participate
- How you will engage with the local community
- Your concept, materials, and methods
- Production needs (if any)
• (Optional) Short video/audio (max 3 minutes) elaborating on the proposal
• One clear photo with a visible face (for communication purposes)

Evaluation Criteria

• Artistic quality and relevance to the theme
• Originality and feasibility of co-creation strategies
• Willingness to collaborate with local communities

Shortlisted candidates may be invited for a brief online interview to discuss their ideas, approach, and availability.

Results will be announced by 10 October 2025.

Questions? Reach out to: kibla@kibla.org

About OASis

This residency is part of OASis – Open Art Spaces in Synergy, a network of creative spaces across Europe designed to democratize access to the arts. The project brings together nearly 20 diverse institutions—including NGOs, municipalities, and a university—to support artistic exchange rooted in local context. OASis combines 13 art venues in 10 countries, including Armenia, Belgium, France, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
Co-funded by the European Union’s Creative Europe programme.