Transversal Aesthetics 2026
Call for Two Artistic Research and Production Residencies
Centro Huarte + Idensitat
Artistic Research and Production Residencies in Huarte and Barcelona
Phase 1 Barcelona: 12–31 May
Phase 2 Huarte: 1–30 June
Deadline for submissions: 16/03/2026
>ACCESS TO THE APPLICATION FORM
OBJECTIVES
Transversal Aesthetics is a line of research and experimentation at the intersection of art, mediation, and social space. It serves as a point of convergence between artistic practices as spaces for critical inquiry; mediation practices as spaces for the production of content, interaction, and the transfer of learning; and context as a relational space between a working theme and the social environment active around it.
This call aims to select two projects:
— one for artists residing in Navarra, and
— one for artists residing elsewhere in Spain,
to carry out two parallel residencies in Barcelona and Huarte.
The residencies are understood as generators of social, cultural and environmental spaces. They will work with the specificity of local contexts through processes involving the activation of the social space around the Arga River as it runs through Huarte, Villava and Burlada.
These are the four overarching objectives of the call:
- Develop two site-specific residencies for research and production projects related to the Arga River as it passes through Huarte, Villava and Burlada.
- Enable the two selected artists to share time and space in order to foster connections and links between their research experiences.
- Facilitate the connection of the proposals with ongoing work in the territory, or with the development of new lines of work related to it.
- Experiment with new methodologies for working with the territory in which listening and the agreements arising from it are central.
WHO IT IS FOR
The call is aimed at artists interested in developing an artistic project in relation to social space — understood as a temporary assemblage created within a given context through the interdependence of the human, the non-human, and the material world.
One of the selected projects must be by an artist residing in Navarra, while the other is for artists residing elsewhere in the Spanish state.
A good command of Spanish, Catalan and/or Basque will be positively valued.
This residency is for you if…
- You are interested in working through listening, relationships and situated research rather than through closed solutions.
- You understand the project as an open process that may change through contact with the context.
- You are interested in sharing authorship, time and decision-making.
- You are willing to negotiate expectations, pace and outcomes, and put agreements in writing.
- ou value your project for more than just a final visible result.
This residency is NOT for you if…
- You only want to produce a closed artwork without engaging in dialogue with the context.
- You need to have full control over the development of the project in advance.
- You understand the territory or community as an instrumental resource.
- You cannot assume processes involving uncertainty, listening and negotiation.
WHAT IS OFFERED
Each selected proposal will receive:
- €2,500 in fees and per diem
- Up to €1,500 for production
- Covered accommodation
- Up to €400 in travel support
WORK CONTEXTS
In Transversal Aesthetics, context goes beyond a specific physical space. It encompasses the territory and its multiple temporalities; the beings who inhabit it — human and non‑human; local communities; the working teams; and the pre‑existing practices, knowledge and tensions. The organising entities are not neutral containers but active parts of the context, assuming their position, responsibilities, and capacity to influence the process.
— BARCELONA
The Barcelona phase of the residency lasts three weeks and is intended for the two selected artists to share a research process and generate a conceptual framework for their respective projects. With the support of Idensitat, artists will be able to connect with organisations, individuals, and cultural and social institutions in Barcelona that can inform the conceptual development of their proposal.
Idensitat will offer its workspace at Fabra i Coats – Fàbrica de Creació, where activities may be held subject to availability.
— HUARTE
Huarte, home to the Huarte Contemporary Art Centre, sits alongside Burlada and Villava on the outskirts of Pamplona. All three towns follow the course of the Arga River, which has shaped historical and cultural links between them. In recent years, the boundaries between the natural, the rural, and the urban have shifted due to urban and population growth, the transformation of farmland into leisure areas, and the river’s flows and overflows. This geographical setting — marked by the river and its connected natural and urban ecosystems — defines the specific working context.
More information from previous editions:https://www.idensitat.net/es/proyectos-en-proceso/esteticas-transversales-2/idensitat-centro-huarte
https://www.centrohuarte.es/es/convocatorias/esteticas-transversales-1 ]
TIMELINE
The residency is conceived as a flexible process with different temporalities and working rhythms, combining periods of presence in the territory, autonomous work phases, and specific moments for meetings, mediation and shared evaluation.
Call open: 10 February – 16 March 2026
Results announced: Week of 30 March
Residency duration: Seven weeks, in two locations
BARCELONA: 12–31 May 2026
HUARTE: 1–30 June 2026
Two months of autonomous work after the stay in Huarte to formalise the proposal.
METODOLOGY
The methodology of Transversal Aesthetics is conceived as an open model without a fixed structure, functioning as a research space in itself. It is built in a situated manner through constant dialogue with contexts, agents and the processes activated in each project. Instead of applying a predetermined method, it focuses on deploying a flexible, permeable and continuously adjusting way of working that enables artistic practices, relationships and learning to emerge through shared experience.
Projects developed under this call are structured through three common axes:
- Two temporary artistic residencies for conducting research in the working contexts.
- Work with an existing territorial node or one created for the project (a constellation of agents, organisations or individuals).
- The articulation of mediation actions (transfer of knowledge and learning linked to other areas or themes).
These three axes may intersect, blend or coexist, and their rhythms will be agreed in advance between the artists, the territorial node and the involved institution(s), according to the real needs of each party.
Projects will be accompanied at all times (in Huarte and Barcelona) by a local cultural agent familiar with the territory who will advise and guide the process.
The artist may work with previously formed territorial nodes and/or mediation actions, which may change or expand during the project. Centro Huarte and Idensitat will collaborate with the artist and the local node to activate the mediation actions emerging from the project.
APPLICATION PROCESS
The selection process has two phases.
Phase 1
Submit a digital application through the specific form, including a single PDF (max. 8 MB) containing:
Project proposal (max. 3 pages including images): description of the project’s core ideas, methodology, objectives, actions, potential forms of formalisation, timeline, and references. The proposal may be a starting point rather than a fully defined project.
Portfolio: selection of up to 3 previous projects, contextualised with texts and images (links may be added if necessary).
Motivation text: answering the question “What is your motivation for participating in this project?” (1 page).
CV: concise résumé of the applicant(s), highlighting relevant aspects.
Contact details: name, phone, email, postal address.
A minimum of four proposals will be pre‑selected for Phase 2.
Phase 2
A conversation with the selection committee, which may include additional members from the organisations and the external invited expert.
The date of the conversation will be communicated within fifteen days after the call closes.
>ACCESS TO THE APPLICATION FORM
Projects may be submitted in Spanish, Basque, Catalan or English.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
- Quality, clarity and feasibility of the proposal
- Capacity to adapt the proposal to the context
- Coherence between the proposal and the applicant’s trajectory
- Experience with similar methodologies
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Submitting an application implies acceptance of these terms.
Selected works will remain the property of the author(s). IDENSITAT and CENTRO HUARTE may reproduce and disseminate the programme (in full or part) online or in print, always crediting authorship and collaborators. Both entities will archive all documentation generated by the call and project.
If the project results in publications, websites, videos, etc., the following acknowledgement must be included:
“Proiektu honek Idensitat eta Uharte Zentroaren laguntza jaso du / This project has received the support of Idensitat and Centro Huarte”, including the logos of both organisations, and prior communication is required.
Outcomes may be publicly presented in the respective working contexts.
Racist, homophobic, transphobic or sexist behaviour, or any conduct violating human dignity, will result in immediate cancellation of the residency.
Organisers commit to:
- Supporting the artist in their relationship with the territorial node and territory
- Facilitating an adequate mediation framework
- Appointing a reference contact or team throughout the process
Selected artists commit to:
- Delivering a final report documenting the project (including images or videos)
- Being present during both residency periods
- Formalising the proposal
- Participating in a final day of reflection and sharing in Barcelona at the end of the project
If you have any questions, write to us at: idensitat