OPEN CALL
Sub+ Residencies x Rimbun Dahan

 

View of Pool Balai at Rimbun Dahan

Selangor, Malaysia

Calling: Singapore-based professional artists
Application Deadline: 27 February 2026
Residency Period: 13 - 26 April 2026
Duration: 2 weeks

An ecological immersion for Artists seeking slowness in nature & wildlife

The Substation, in partnership with Rimbun Dahan (Malaysia), invites applications from Singapore-based professional artists for a 14-day residential arts residency to take place at Rimbun Dahan in April 2026.

Part of the Sub+ Residencies programme, this residency is conceived as a space for recalibration — from production cycles, visibility demands, and institutional urgency — to support artistic practices and research that require time, attentiveness, and reorientation.

The Substation has long championed artistic process, risk, and experimentation. In a cultural landscape increasingly shaped by outputs, timelines, and instrumental outcomes, this residency affirms the value of slowness, uncertainty, and practice without audience.

Rimbun Dahan - Main House

Apply Now

Rimbun Dahan - Visual Art Studio
Laura Wills in the studio, photo by Ian Teh

Rimbun Dahan - Dance Studio
Carol Brown in the studio, photo by Ian Teh

Rimbun Dahan - Studio Building

What to expect at Rimbun Dahan

Rimbun Dahan - Front Lawn & Guesthouse

Located on the urban fringe of the ecologically rich environment outside Kuala Lumpur, Rimbun Dahan offers artists time and space to think, work, and live differently.

Rimbun Dahan is a renowned arts residency and cultural site on a 14-acre compound in the tranquil Kuang town of Selangor, Malaysia. It is located within a Malay reserve area and characterised by heritage architecture, native gardens, wildlife, and a slower pace of daily life.

As guests of Rimbun Dahan, which is also home to pioneer Malaysian architect Hijjas Kasturi, artists are expected to adapt to the climate, environment, and cultural context with care and respect.

The living and working conditions are intentionally close to nature: Spaces are fan-cooled or naturally ventilated, not air-conditioned; internet access is limited to shared office areas; and artists live within the natural habitat of the surrounding community.

Rimbun Dahan - Lower Guestroom Balcony

What this Sub+ Residencies programme offers

  • 14 days in residence

  • Accommodation at Rimbun Dahan

  • Access to studio/workspace

  • Weekly supermarket trips

  • Access to shared facilities (office with WiFi, library, swimming pool, gardens)

  • Natural ventilation and electric fans (no air-conditioning)

  • Informal social mixers with other resident artists

  • Return airfare from Singapore

  • Ground transport (airport transfers)

  • Artist honorarium and allowance totaling SGD1,000

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/project information

    • Why this context and duration matter to your work

  • CV (max 2 pages)

  • References (2 names with contact number & email)

  • Confirmation note of valid travel documents.

  • Confirmation of availability to fulflll the full length of the residency period.

Application Deadline: 27 Feb 2026

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

Selected applicants will be notified by 15 March 2026.

Eligibility

Open to Singapore-based professional artists with valid travel documents & availability during the residency period.

Best suited for artists who:

  • Value practices that are process-based, research-led, or exploratory

  • Are interested in how environment, duration, and withdrawal from regular life/work can shape practice

  • Can work independently without the pressure to produce

  • Are respectful of surrounding community, culture, and nature

Practices that may be particularly suited may include but are not limited to:

  • Visual arts

  • Writing

  • Sound-based and listening practices

  • Research-driven or interdisciplinary work

  • Solo performance or movement research (non-production-based)

Mid-career artists are encouraged to apply.

Enquiries

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

Apply Now