Depression is one of the most widespread and complex mental health challenges in Europe today. It affects people across all ages, backgrounds and places, yet it is not experienced in the same way by everyone. Depression emerges through the entanglement of biological, psychological, social, cultural and environmental factors, and it is shaped by the conditions in which people live, work, move, connect and imagine their futures.
This residency invites artists to engage with depression not only as an individual condition, but also as a societal phenomenon shaped by multiple environments. In particular, applicants are encouraged to explore the environment as a creative and analytical lens: a framework that considers how interrelated personal, social, natural, built and digital environments influence health and wellbeing across the life course.
The selected artist will work in dialogue with researchers, policymakers and experts connected to the Digital Health Unit and the EU Policy Lab. This exchange may include access to selected background materials, discussions around current evidence on depression and environmental determinants of mental health, and opportunities to reflect on how artistic practice can engage with policy questions without being instrumentalised by them.
The residency is intended as a space for experimentation. Artists are encouraged to develop their own approach to the topic, whether through research-led, participatory, speculative, site-responsive, narrative, performative, digital or material practices.
The residency will take place at the Joint Research Centre in Ispra (Italy), with the possibility of a visit in Brussels. Artists will be working with an interdisciplinary team of scientists.
Artists are required to be present in Ispra for a minimum of 20 days across the six months (January to June 2027), spread as suits the work. The budget is 15,000 EUR in total, covering fees, allowance, accommodation and travel.
