OPEN CALL
Sub+ Residencies x Fondation la Roche Jacquelin
of Southeast Asian Contemporary Art

 

Sub+ resident artist, Yadanar Win (Myanmar), setting up for the Vernissage of her new work in August 2025

Anjou, France

Calling: Emerging artists in Singapore
Pre-requisite: Singapore Citizens/Permanent Residents, ≤ 35 years old
Application Deadline: 22 March 2026, 11.59pm SGT
Residency Period: 15 August - 15 September 2026
Duration: 1 month

Southeast Asian contemporary art discourse among landscape, history, and cross-cultural dialogue

The Substation, in partnership with Fondation la Roche Jacquelin of Southeast Asian Contemporary Art (France), invites applications from emerging artists (who are Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents based in Singapore, 35 years old and below) for a 30-day residential arts residency to take place in August and September 2026.

In our third year partnering with Fondation la Roche Jacquelin, this summer residency is conceived as a space for immersion — into landscape, history, and cross-cultural dialogue — to support emerging artists in their early practices and research that can benefit from distance, reflection, and site-responsiveness. Our past Sub+ residents for this partnership were Myanmar artists Aung Ko (2024), Nge Lay (2024), and Yadanar Win (2025), whose works were showcased in the exhibition, Between Lands: Migration as Transformation, as part of The Substation’s Gathering Ground 2025.

The Substation has long championed artistic process, experimentation, and critical exchange. Within an increasingly accelerated arts ecology, our Sub+ Residencies programme affirms the value of research, risk, and sustained inquiry across contexts.

Fondation de La Roche Jacquelin

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Fondation de La Roche Jacquelin - Attic Studio
Myanmar artist Yadanar Win (left) in discussion with Fondation co-director Iola Lenzi

Fondation la Roche Jacquelin - Concert Space

Fondation la Roche Jacquelin - Grand Salon
Thai artist Jakkai Siributr reworking a 19th century  tapestry found on site with his embroidered additions

Fondation la Roche Jacquelin
Indonesian artist Arahmaiani painting an outdoor mural visible to local farmers ploughing the surrounding fields 

Fondation la Roche Jacquelin
Yadanar Win presenting her video works in the main Dining Room

Fondation la Roche Jacquelin - Intimate Concert Space in the Chapel

About Fondation la Roche Jacquelin of Southeast Asian Contemporary Art

Established in 2007 by Singapore-based Iola Lenzi and Jean-Louis Morisot, the Fondation is a music and visual-art-based philanthropic initiative for promoting cultural and artistic exchange between Southeast Asia and Europe. Its mission includes the sponsorship of summer residencies for Southeast Asian artists and other cultural players at the Château de La Roche Jacquelin; the development of a specialist library of Southeast Asian art and culture, and the creation of an oral history archive documenting regional cultural participants from the late 20th century to the present.

Situated in the Loire Valley in Anjou, western France, the Château offers the opportunity to live and work without production pressure within a historic estate while engaging with Southeast Asian contemporary art discourse in a European setting. Over the last 20 years, the Fondation has welcomed artists at various stages of their respective careers, including Jason Lim, Vertical Submarine (Justine Loke; Fiona Koh; Joshua Yang), Abhisek Lahiri, Arahmaiani, Bui Cong Khanh, Chris Chong Chan Fui, Jakkai Siributr, Josephine Turalba, Michael Shaowanasai, Partha Sarathi Mukherjee, Pinaree Sanpitak, and Tawatchai Puntusawasdi.

What to expect

Fondation la Roche Jacquelin - Surrounding Grounds & Landscape

Fondation la Roche Jacquelin is located within an 18th century Château set on 66 hectares of gardens, woodlands and fields in Anjou, France. The estate includes:

  • Gardens, wooded grounds, fishing ponds, and open fields

  • A grand salon, chapel, library, and numerous performance spaces in the Château and its buildings

  • Indoor and outdoor areas suitable for installation, sound, performance, and research

  • A specialist Southeast Asian art library

The residency is intentionally open in structure. Artists set the pace and content of their stay, supported by the Fondation’s directors and network.

Artists should be prepared for:

  • A rural setting with a slower pace of life

  • Independent working conditions

  • Shared residency environments during summer months

  • Engagement with visiting artists, musicians, and cultural practitioners

Fondation la Roche Jacquelin - Inner Summer Garden

What this Sub+ Residencies programme offers

  • 1 month in residence at Château de La Roche Jacquelin

  • Accommodation and board on-site, all meals included

  • Access to indoor and outdoor working spaces

  • Return economy airfare (Singapore–France)

  • Airport transfers

  • Selected local materials

The selected artist may also be considered for future programming opportunities with The Substation.

Application Requirements

Kindly fill up the Open Call application form with the following information:

  • Artist biography (max 300 words)

  • Portfolio (up to 10 pages/files or equivalent; links accepted)

  • Residency proposal (max 500 words), outlining:

    • Your current practice

    • What you wish to explore during the residency

    • Why this specific context (France / Château / cross-cultural setting) matters to your work

  • CV (max 2 pages)

  • References (2 names with contact number & email)

  • Confirmation of valid travel documents, including making arrangements for pre-departure requirements

A note on pre-departure travel requirements:

The selected resident

  • is responsible for all travel visas and permissions, with The Substation and Fondation la Roche Jacquelin supplying necessary invitation letters; and

  • is to be guided by the regulating authorities’ processing time and all related fees, i.e. the new ETIAS authorisation (for visa-exempt countries like Singapore) or Short-Stay Visa (for non-EU territories)

Who we’re looking for

An emerging artist based in Singapore who:

  • Holds a Singapore Citizenship or Permanent Residency status

  • Is ≤ 35 years old in 2026

  • Possesses valid international travel documents including European Visa

  • Is available during the residency period

Best suited for artists who:

  • Value research-led, process-driven, or site-responsive practices

  • Are interested in cross-cultural dialogue and Southeast Asian contemporary discourse

  • Can work independently within a rural and reflective environment

  • Are open to experimentation without production pressure

  • Are interested in how history, architecture, and landscape shape artistic inquiry

Practices that may be particularly suited include:

  • Sound, music, and listening-based work

  • Visual arts

  • Installation and spatial practices

  • Performance (research-based / non-production-focused)

  • Interdisciplinary and research-driven work

Emerging artists with strong conceptual grounding are encouraged to apply.

Application Deadline: Sunday, 22 March 2026, 11.59pm SGT

Shortlisted applicants may be contacted for clarification or a short online conversation.

Selected applicants will be notified by 31 March 2026.

Enquiries

For administrative or technical enquiries on the application form submission, email us at outreach@substation.org.

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