ZK/U Berlin – residency 2025

The residency program encourages proposals that challenge conventions, take daring positions, and include extraordinary perspectives. It welcomes applications with a project proposal framed as

• a conceptual, contextual and interventionist contemporary artistic position,
• research or experimentation in the fields of urbanism, geography, anthropology, architecture and the humanities.

The ZK/U residency program allows mutual learning, spontaneous collaborations, discussions and exchanges to emerge, enriched by the diversity of disciplines and profiles of the residents. The ZK/U building, a former train station building located in a dynamic public park, is a space for urban experimentation and cross-disciplinary collaborations. With the re-opening of ZK/U’s renovated and expanded public spaces in summer 2025, ZK/U will slowly return to being as a lively cultural venue that hosts regular public events for diverse audiences. Residents are encouraged to participate in ZK/U’s cultural program.

Conceptual framework

In the form of narratives, ZK/U plans to set core themes to define the conceptual framework of its program in the upcoming years. The ZK/U program will be designed to include space for participation by ZK/U residents, should timing and project developments allow. Therefore, applicants to this open call are encouraged (but not restricted!) to formulate their project proposals with the four narratives in mind, as a possibility to connect their work to ZK/U. In the application process described below, applicants will be able to share if their proposal refers to one, more or none of the narratives. They are currently described as follows: 

Planetary Agencies – Reimagining Coexistence In The Anthropocene 

Planetary Agencies explores a future shaped by human hubris, urging a fundamental reevaluation of humanity’s relationship with the environment. It challenges anthropocentrism by advocating a decentered view of humanity within the ecological network, recognizing the agency of non-human actors like animals, plants, and AI in shaping shared living environments. Through artistic and technological methodologies, it proposes inclusive models of governance that integrate these diverse agencies into decision-making and societal processes. This material-semiotic approach highlights the interconnectedness of physical and semantic systems, envisioning a sustainable urban landscape where human and non-human actors coexist symbiotically, fostering resilience and ecological harmony.

Augmented Aesthetics – Algorithms, Attention And Assemblies

Augmented Aesthetics explores the interplay of art, politics, technology, and democracy, analyzing how art can drive political participation and societal change. It examines how artists navigate power structures, embrace responsibility, and foster grassroots democratic movements. Using game theory and economic principles, it investigates collective decision-making and resource distribution while rejecting the notion of homogeneous collective identities, emphasizing their complexity and diversity. The narrative highlights the balance between individual and collective responsibility in democracy, viewing art not just as an aesthetic pursuit but as a transformative tool for reshaping social and political systems, fostering dialogue, critique, and democratic innovation.

Commons Cosmodrome – Balancing Power And Participation In Hybrid Spaces

In the attention economy, the digital commons redefines public space, blending analog and digital elements. Art in public spaces plays a vital role by challenging dominant attention mechanisms, fostering reflection beyond economic constraints. The commons, traditionally tied to shared resource management, is reimagined in the digital realm, where attention becomes a central resource. Inspired by Elinor Ostrom’s principles, equitable governance structures are needed to prevent overuse and ensure sustainable attention distribution. Game theory and cognitive sciences help analyze decision-making and behavior in these spaces. This exploration emphasizes redesigning digital public spaces to ensure inclusivity, sustainability, and fairness.

Relational Urbanism – From Segregation To The Interweaving Of Urban Spaces

Relational Urbanism challenges traditional urban planning that fragments cities into isolated zones, instead emphasizing connection and dynamic relationships. It reimagines the city as an interconnected ecosystem where spaces are not bounded territories but active interfaces fostering interaction and mutual enrichment. This approach views the urban environment as a living network that thrives on adaptability, inclusivity, and cooperation, rejecting rigid binaries in favor of generative thresholds. By focusing on shared spaces as opportunities for coexistence and collective well-being, Relational Urbanism envisions a city defined by unity in diversity and stability through dynamic change.

The space and program we provide

• a studio space for working and living
• access to communal spaces (kitchen, terrace, library)
• a residency program of weekly dinners, monthly studio visits and bi-monthly open studio events (OPENHAUS)
• promotion of the residency fellows’ work online and locally
• support to locate events, resources, and urban discourses relevant to the residency fellows’ research interests
• possibility to take part or be part of ZK/U’s public events (after the reopening of the public spaces in summer 2025)
• possibility to propose self-initiated public events or formats (additional costs may apply)

Costs

Depending on the type of studio and the length of stay (2-6 months), the residency fees are between 650 € and 1000 € per month. The fees cover all utility costs, space usage and participation in the residency program. The residency period can take place within the next two years after the selected resident is notified. Additional costs apply when more than one person lives in the studio. 

With this general open call, we do not offer funded residencies, rather, we offer studio spaces and ask our applicants to self-organize funding for their proposed residency project to join our space. After a successful application, you will have a two-year timeframe to join our residency. We support your search for funding by sharing a list of funding opportunities, and support the funding application process with an official invitation letter. Funded residencies are published through separate calls and only happen irregularly.

Our Policy of Respect 

ZK/U is a space of encounter and dialogue where participants and collaborators meet and work together to realize common creative aims and exchange. During their stay, residents will share communal spaces and participate in our program with other practitioners from different localities and perspectives than their own. Good relations at ZK/U depend on solidarity, mutual respect and trust. We acknowledge the diverse knowledges, experiences, and aspirations people bring to ZK/U and commit ourselves to actively confronting and countering all forms of discrimination, in an ongoing process of learning and unlearning. All participants of ZK/U commit themselves to our Policy of Respect at the beginning of their stay or collaboration. You can find it here.

Construction at ZK/U

Until summer 2025, the public spaces of the ZK/U building will be renovated and expanded. Most heavy works are done, but there are still limitations to be expected, including noise disturbance during the day and dust. Please consider this when you apply for a residency within this time frame.

For updates on the construction, please check: ZK/U Extension

How to apply

To join our residency program, please take the time to fill out our application form below. Please share short descriptions of your proposal, your practice and your biography, and to inform us if your proposal relates to one or more of our narratives. The option of submitting a proposal unrelated to one of our narratives is possible. Within the application form, we will also ask you to upload the following files: 

1) as one PDF: Your CV and a short portfolio with a selection of 2-3 relevant past projects including short project descriptions (max. 12 pages/10 mb)

2) as one PDF: Your project proposal. You are welcome to structure it as you like. We suggest considering: a project description, a working plan, personal relation to the project themes. How does it relate to ZK/U or the city of Berlin? (max. 3 pages)

3) as .jpg: Your practice in up to 4 representative images 

Application form

For more information on our residency programm and space, please have a look here. If you have open questions head over to our FAQs. Also, follow us on Instagram!

If you cannot find what you are looking for on our website, kindly send an email to: apply​@zku-berlin.org. Thank you!

After submitting this application form, you will receive an email with the submitted data. Please check it carefully and activate the application by confirming the email. Thank you for your time and efforts. We look forward to getting to know you!

Application results can be expected by the end of April 2025. Studios can then be booked for residency periods starting from November 2025 onwards.