Open call for the Appointment of the Visiting Research Curator of UNIDEE Residency Programs 2027-28
Fondazione Pistoletto Cittadellarte, along with UNIDEE Residency Programs, is recruiting a Visiting Research Curator to shape the research arc of the UNIDEE Residency Modules program for 2027/2028.
Founded in 1999 by Michelangelo Pistoletto, the residency program has hosted thousands of artists and cultural professionals from 52 countries, exemplifying what art historian Gregory Sholette considers “a far-sighted and vibrant investment in the future of innovative, intellectually stimulating, and socially engaged cultural practices.”
The Visiting Research Curator will shed new light on the core themes and questions that have underpinned UNIDEE Residency Programs since its inception—art for the responsible transformation of society, artistic practices in the liminal regions of the art system and other social spheres, and sustainability—through the lens of their own self-defined field of inquiry.
We are seeking proposals that take the trajectories of the UNIDEE Residency Modules in new directions while aligning with UNIDEE’s current focus on artistic research and production in response to ongoing ecological, geopolitical and technological challenges. Proposals may engage with themes such as the expanded field of artistic practice, research-based and process-oriented practice, and the conditions of cultural work and cultural workers. At the same time, we anticipate that the successful candidate will bring their own research interests and questions to the program, developing a distinct research trajectory through dialogue and collaboration with mentors, participants, the UNIDEE archive, and the wider context of Cittadellarte.
The Visiting Research Curator is responsible for shaping the research arc of the UNIDEE Residency Modules (weekly residential modules) as part of UNIDEE Residency Programs’ activities, in agreement with UNIDEE’s Advisory Board, Cittadellarte’s director and according to Cittadellarte’s vision.
The primary duties are:
• Proposing an overarching theme/curatorial proposal for the duration of the research arc 2027 – 2028: the overall curatorial proposal should make a meaningful contribution to the research pursued by Cittadellarte since its founding, as well as to the work and vision developed by Michelangelo Pistoletto. It should also outline the theoretical and practical directions of a development rooted in a shared foundational vision, encapsulated by the principle: “Art for a Responsible Social Transformation”.
• Designing, planning and helping deliver the UNIDEE Residency Modules that make up the program: to define content & specific methodologies, mentors, guests to be involved, the program dates in coordination with the UNIDEE team and in accordance with Cittadellarte’s overall calendar, and any other necessary activities and communications;
• Writing the curatorial statement and open call that will be used to select residents;
• Identifying, approaching and organising mentors and artists who will help deliver the program;
• Helping to disseminate this open call through your own networks and social media channels;
• Selecting the residents;
• Preparing preliminary information for the residents and mentors;
• Hosting and facilitating the workshops, presentations, discussions, critiques, one-to-ones, visits and other activities that constitute each UNIDEE Residency Module (in presence);
• Communicating with mentors, guests and residents prior to, during and after the activities;
• Documenting, evaluating, and reflecting on the experiences and learning generated throughout the research arc;
• The conception, editing and production of publications (web-based and/or hard copy) that document the activity of the research arc for both the participants (residents and mentors) and a wider audience.
Other duties:
• As part of the wider UNIDEE program, the Visiting Research Curator is invited to contribute, where relevant, to the selection of artists and participants for other UNIDEE activities and take part in one-to-one meetings or mentoring sessions;
• The Visiting Research Curator is invited to engage in collaborative research with the Unidee Academy of Contemporary Arts and Learning Environments of Fondazione Pistoletto, conducting public lectures and studio visits with students enrolled in the Advanced Course and proposing case studies, practices, and experimental approaches that can inform and enrich the design of “third places” and trans-disciplinary educational environments.
Communication:
• Drafting and supervision of all texts and materials published on the UNIDEE website that relate to the research arc of competence;
• Supervising of texts and interviews about UNIDEE and its research arc, in particular the ones published on Cittadellarte’s Journal;
• Contributing to the circulation of other programs as part of UNIDEE activities;
• Contributing to texts and visual material produced during the residencies (press releases, advertisements, open calls, UNIDEE notebooks, etc.);
• Supporting the international circulation of the program among peers, academies, universities, cultural institutions, etc.;
Dissemination:
• Defining a dissemination strategy of the program’s results according to international standards for artistic research;
• Contributing to journals, conferences and other opportunities for dissemination of the program within Cittadellarte (including the Cittadellarte Journal and the Unidee Academy of Contemporary Arts).
(Minimum) presence at Cittadellarte:
• One month to experience and research Cittadellarte’s activities, plan the UNIDEE Modules and draft the statement.
• During the UNIDEE Modules: Visiting Research Curator should be present throughout the length of each module, introduce the module to the participants, take part in conversations and debates, and be present at the final gathering/presentation;
• Participating in meetings with the UNIDEE Residency Programs partner institutions, on agreed dates (online or in person);
• Participating in meetings with the staff of other offices of Cittadellarte (online or in person).
The appointment will be temporary, from November 2026 to December 2028 and will involve a minimum of 8 modules per year. The Research Visiting Curator, as per the appointment in question, will receive compensation and contractual terms commensurate with their level of professional experience, starting from a gross amount of €22.000 (excluding travel and hospitality).
Looking ahead to the upcoming two-year cycle, we aim to collaborate with a curator whose interests engage with broad thematic areas, such as the evolving landscape of socially engaged art practices, research-driven and process-oriented practices, and the conditions for work and cultural production. We are likewise interested in addressing the question of how contemporary art practices are archived, drawing in particular on the UNIDEE archive, which documents over two decades of socially engaged art initiatives. Rather than defining a fixed theme in advance, we welcome a visiting research curator who brings their own line of inquiry to be developed collectively through the modules, in dialogue with mentors and participants.
On top of this are the more recent research arcs undertaken by Visiting Research Curators and current and ongoing projects exploring artistic research and production in response to contemporary ecological, geopolitical and technological challenges.
The successful Visiting Research Curator will propose a clearly defined research focus that engages with these thematic areas from a distinct perspective. They should demonstrate the ability to bring together expertise from different fields of knowledge, broadening the interdisciplinary scope of the residency. They will also contribute to expanding the program’s international reach by fostering collaborations with participants from across and beyond Europe, as well as developing partnerships with other institutions.
The ideal candidate matches the following profile:
• They have experience in curatorship of Art in the public sphere and of Socially Engaged Art;
• They have a specialised knowledge of international contemporary art;
• They have experience in designing and/or conducting innovative, experimental, experiential and collaborative educational activities;
• They have experience in artistic research practices and research dissemination standards;
• They are eager to connect with Cittadellarte’s vision;
• They have an excellent knowledge of the English language (communication in Italian is not essential, but is welcome).
To apply for selection, please fill out the online form: https://form.jotform.com/262073185485361
• A project proposal containing a general statement of their vision for the UNIDEE Residency Modules program and an indication of a strategy for its development, including possible mentors and guests (maximum 5000 characters);
• Their CV, a portfolio including a maximum of three relevant projects related to the role for which they are applying, and two letters of recommendation.
Applications must be submitted by 23:59 CEST on 13 September 2026.
Applications will be acknowledged with a reply of confirmation, and all subsequent communication will be sent to the email address used for the application.
Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to offer feedback on those proposals not accepted.
Applications will be evaluated by a jury composed of members of the UNIDEE Advisory Board, the Director of Cittadellarte, and invited experts. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an online interview by mid-October 2026, and the selected candidate will be announced a few days later.
UNIDEE Residency Programs is an educational and artistic programme grounded in interdisciplinary research and knowledge sharing. It fosters cross-disciplinary dialogue and collaboration, encouraging the intersection of diverse practices and perspectives to investigate the relationship between art and the public sphere. It is a multidisciplinary programme open to creative practitioners across disciplines—from visual artists, cultural workers, designers, and architects to anyone whose practice is grounded in a responsible engagement with society.
The UNIDEE Residency Programs aim to strengthen the capacity of artistic practices to generate social transformation at both local and global scales. Locally, the programme engages with the socio-economic context of Biella, where Cittadellarte is rooted, while also connecting with the diverse social, cultural, and ecological contexts in which participants live and work. Globally, it recognises that every individual acts as a situated agent whose actions are inevitably interconnected with broader social and planetary systems. By exploring the relationship between art and society, UNIDEE Residency Programs promote the role of artists and creative practitioners as agents of responsible social transformation—what Cittadellarte defines as artivators.
Initially conceived (1999–2013) as a four-month residential, collective, and experiential programme grounded in the vision of art as a catalyst for responsible social transformation, the UNIDEE Residency Programs evolved into a new format based on shorter modules in 2014. This new structure more explicitly seeks to foster and accompany the (re)localisation of participatory artistic practices within diverse local contexts. UNIDEE Residency Programs endorse an understanding of the artist as a facilitator, capable of activating and accompanying processes of change within the communities and contexts in which they live and work.
Over the years, the themes explored by UNIDEE Alumni have examined the many dimensions and interpretations of sustainability. These have included negotiating the relationship between identity and economy; rethinking the concepts of authority and authorship and their social implications; investigating the relationship between the commons and the public sphere; experimenting with forms of unextractive enjoyment, care, and reciprocity; questioning the values and visions that shape institutions, cultural circuits, and other forms of collective organisation, including Cittadellarte itself; and revisiting the relationship between demos, kratos (power), and praxis in the pursuit of a demopractic conception of society.
UNIDEE participants are invited to contribute to, challenge, expand, and critically engage with Cittadellarte’s vision and initiatives, which continuously evolve through processes of reflection, revision, verification, and transformation. Cittadellarte has developed and continues to sustain an extensive network, including the active platforms and databases www.geographiesofchange.net and www.visibleproject.org, both conceived and maintained by Cittadellarte.
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