This presentation will discuss the artistic residency in relationship to the activities of the Institut Français and its dedicated Department of Residencies. Topics covered will include the diversity of residency opportunities, the benefits of residencies for both artists and curators, the importance of cultural exchange as part of the international residency experience and organisational mandate, as well as new models for collaborative processes that can result from such projects.

Palmina d’Ascoli is a doctoral student in modern literature at the University of Paris, Pantheon Sorbonne and an art writer. She is a member of the editorial collective Le travail de l’art, a publication devoted to the writings of artists from all disciplines. She is also a member of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA) and from 1980-1990 served as the AICA Project Manager for the organisation of international congresses. After serving as Cultural Attaché at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura until 1995, she has served as Head of the residencies and research programme at the Institut Français, a governmental organisation for the promotion of French culture abroad, since 1999.

Institut Français is a government organisation dedicated to the promotion of French culture abroad, under the supervision of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. Over the years, its human and financial resources have been expanded to give new impetus to France’s cultural diplomacy. The Institut Français lends support to artists living and working in France. It supports artists in the performing arts: theatre, dance, circus and street arts, puppetry, classical and contemporary music, in addition to architecture, design, fashion, visual arts and crafts. Key programming areas of the organisation include: running international residency programmes, public events and exhibitions.