The Villa Medici jury has made its decision: 16 new artists will join the creative residency at the Académie de France in Rome. The lucky candidates were selected from among 713 applications and will represent 6 artistic disciplines and 6 different nationalities. They were selected after their applications were studied and being auditioned, the artists will live in this artist’s paradise for one year. So who are these new faces and what will their missions be?
A place for sharing and for artistic experimentation
The Villa Medici, also called the Académie de France in Rome, is a place for gathering and permanent questioning around art and heritage. Since 1803, the French institution has been located in the Villa Medici and is run by the French Ministry of Culture. It fulfills three essential missions: « (i) welcoming top-level artists, creators, art historians and historians in residence; (ii) setting up a cultural and artistic program that integrates all fields of arts and creation and is aimed at a wide audience; and (iii) preserving, restoring, studying and raising awareness about its architectural and landscape heritage as well as its collections« .
To promote this cultural exchange, the Villa Medici organizes, each year, an international competition for artists, creators and researchers who speak French without nationality criteria and on one, sole criterion: excellence. Candidates over the age of 18 can apply in all artistic creation and craft disciplines. Once selected, residents will be welcomed to this creation and experimentation residence for longer or shorter stays, lasting one year at most.
Multidisciplinary artists at the Villa Medici
From September 2, 2024, the new class of residents will be welcomed into their artistic home. To cover their expenses, the selected candidates will benefit from a residency grant, housing and studio work space that they will share with the other residents, i.e. the creators living at the Villa Medici for a short period of time.
In total, nearly 70 artists will share their multidisciplinary work within the Villa’s walls. The year of residency revolves around artistic events such as readings, conferences and events organized at the residents’ initiative. Some of the year’s highlights will be the following: Nuit Blanche , the first public presentation of their Villa Medici projects.
The 2024-2025 class of residents:
Haig Aivazian – Plastic Arts
Bianca Bondi – Plastic Arts
Jerome Clément-Wilz – Screenwriting
Nicolas Daubanes – Plastic Arts
Abdessamad El Montassir – Plastic Arts
Alessandro Gallicchio – Art History
Amalia Laurent – Plastic Arts
Pierre-Yves Macé – Music Composition
Clovis Maillet – Plastic Arts
Nicolas Sarzeaud – Art History
Claudia Jane Scroccaro – Music Composition
Seynabou Sonko – Literature
Ana Vaz – Photography/Film
Pierre Von-Ow – Art History
Lise Wajeman – Literature
Louisa Yousfi – Literature
Written by : Clara Marcellin
