Fluid Boundaries Residencies 2025

announcement of residency artists:

Kamil Hassim

Carla Maldonado

Michael Azkoul

all info on fluidboundaries.org

At a glance

2024

• Master Series 2024: ZHdK alumna (MA Theatre, Dramaturgy) and artist Natania Prezant at the Emotion Regulation Group, UNIGE.
• Fluid Boundaries: the Interplay of Water, Art, Science and Indigenous Knowledge Systems: International Art and Science Collaboration Project with residencies in South Africa, Brazil and Switzerland and a Third Space Residency in Switzerland in 2025. A collaboration between VIAD, Galeria Portas Vilaseca, Tankwa Artscape Residency and the artists-in-labs program.
• Fungi Cosmology: International Art and Science Collaboration Project in Brazil, Chile and Switzerland. A collaboration between LABVerde, CAB Patagonia, foodculture days and artists-in-labs program.

2023

• Master Series 2023: ZHdK students and artists Nadine Schütz (MA Curatorial Studies) at SwissFungi and the Ecological Genetics Group, WSL and Marcel Rickli (MA Transdisciplinary Studies) at the Ecosystem and Landscape Evolution Group, ETH.
• Fungi Cosmology: International Art and Science Collaboration Project in Brazil, Chile and Switzerland. A collaboration between LABVerde, CAB Patagonia, foodculture days and artists-in-labs program.

2022

• Master Series 2022: ZHdK student and artist David Simon (Master Transdisciplinary Studies) at the Swiss Plasma Center (EPFL). Duration of Residency: September to November 2022.
• KAUST-Swiss Residency Exchange: Artist duo Taiyo Onorato & Nico Krebs at the Red Sea Research Center (KAUST). Duration of Residency: February to April 2022.

2021

• The Persistence of Memory - Dementia and Digital Aid Tools for Decision-Making: Artists Lucie Strecker (Vienna) and Priscille Jotzu (Zurich) at the Institute for Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, URPP Dynamics of Healthy Aging (both University of Zurich) and the Memory Clinic (Stadtspital Waid). Duration of Residency: Mai to June / October 2021.
• KAUST-Swiss Residency Exchange: Artist Julian Charrière at the Red Sea Research Center (KAUST). Duration of Residency: February to April 2021.

2020

• The Persistence of Memory - Dementia and Digital Aid Tools for Decision-Making: Artist Soetkin Verstegen from Brussels at the Institute for Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine and the Methods of Plasticity Research group, both at the University of Zurich. Duration of Residency: November 2019 - April 2020.
• Master Series 2020: ZHdK-students and artists Tabea Rothfuchs (Master Transdisciplinary Studies) at the Centre for Pain Medicine Nottwil (SPZ) and Hannah Drill (Master Theatre, Acting) at the Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence IDSIA. Duration of Residencies: April to June 2020 and August 2020/January and February 2021

2017

• KAUST-Swiss Residency Exchange September 2017: The artists Zahrah Algamdi and Muhannad Shono from Saudi Arabia at the Aquatic Science and Technology Eawag in Dübendorf, Switzerland. Residency period: September until December 2017.
• artists-in-labs Master Series pilot project 2017: Artist and student of MA Transdisciplinarity at ZHdK, Chi-yung Wong, at the Translational Neuromodeling Unit at University of Zurich. In collaboration with MA Transdisciplinarity / ZHdK.
• artists-in-labs residency of South African artist Miranda Moss in spring 2017: Miranda Moss from Cape Town at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL. 

2016

• KAUST-Swiss Residency Exchange 2016: Artists Marie Griesmar and Sandra Kühne explored Red Sea ecology at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology KAUST in Saudi Arabia
• Russian Swiss Residency Exchange 2015 - 2016: Artist Anastasia Potemkina from Urban Fauna Lab visited Zurich for the Final event of her artists-in-labs Residency. See

2014 - 2015

• Russian-Swiss Residency Exchange 2015: Claudia Comte and Urban Fauna Lab explored ecosystems in Russia and Switzerland
• National artists-in-labs residency 2015: Marc Boulos at the Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience EPFL
• Collaboration project: 
Quantum of Disorder
• SNF AGORA project: State of the Art:
  Science and Art in Practice

2012 -2013

• Indo-Swiss Residency Exchange: 
a 3-month art project in Swiss and Indian research institutions; main focus: biology/biodiversity 
• Bachelor-pilot project with CCES/ETH: 
climat change
• SNF AGORA project: State of the Art: 
State of the Art:
  Science and Art in Practice

2011 - 2012 

• Indo-Swiss Residency Exchange: 

3-month art-science project in Swiss and Indian research institutions; main focus: biology/biodiversity
• Bachelor-pilot project with CCES/ETH: 
climat change
• SNF AGORA project: 
State of the Art: Science and Art in Practice

2009 - 2010

• Sino-Swiss Residency Exchange: 5-month art-science project in Swiss and Chinese research institutions; main focus: environmental science/climate change
• Swiss artists-in-labs program: annual four 9-months art-science projects in Swiss research laboratories

2007 - 2009

• Swiss artists-in-labs program: 
annual four 9-month
  art-science projects in Swiss research laboratories

2003 - 2004

• artists-in-labs: 
twelve 3-6-month art-science projects in Swiss research laboratories 

Portrait

Since 2003, the artists-in-labs program has been facilitating artistic research by way of long-term residencies for artists in scientific laboratories and research institutes. This programme is part of the Department of Cultural Analysis (DKV) at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and promotes sustainable collaboration between artists and scientists of all disciplines, not just in Switzerland but all around the world. These long-term interdisciplinary and cross-border collaborations provide artists with an opportunity to critically engage with the sciences and their experimentaland aesthetic dimensions. This includes explorations of the site of the laboratory, as well as a range of scientific topics, methods and technologies.

Our interests lie in the interaction and expansion of types of contemporary knowledge and artistic production, and the creative potential resulting from exploring the parallels and differences of scientific and artistic practices. We perceive our work as being culturally engaged and of a curatorial and mediatory nature.

Publications along with accompanying scientific research record the processes and results of these cross-border collaborations and offer reflections on them. In addition, in recent years the programme has expanded to include a student-engaged dimension, seeing undergraduate arts and science students coming together to brainstorm some of the key issues of our times. The results include a range of science and arts projects, with outputs feeding into both scientific research and artistic practice.

All the collaborations the programme produces are presented at various national and international exhibitions, symposia and workshops, making it possible to share findings and ideas, and to provide accessible discussions and aesthetic experiences to our students, peers and to the public.

artists-in-labs Team:
Irène Hediger, head of program
Flurin Fischer, research associate

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The artists-in-labs program ist part of the Department of Cultural Analysis (DKV) of the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK).

Objectives