Minnesota Edvard Munch House Residency
Minnesota Edvard Munch House Residency (Warnemünde, Germany)
Join CGES and partners for the residency launch on October 9th
In collaboration with the Springboard for the Arts (Saint Paul and Fergus Falls, MN), the Highpoint Center for Printmaking (Minneapolis), American Composers Forum in Saint Paul and the Center for German and European Studies at the University of Minnesota, the Edvard Munch House invites visual artists, including printmakers, writers or composers as well as artists working across the disciplines located in Minnesota to apply for a 4 to 6 weeks Artist Residency at the Edvard Munch House in Warnemünde, Germany.
The Residency supports 4 to 6 weeks of accommodation in the Edvard Munch House and provides a workspace (between the months of October and April) as well as:
- A stipend of 3000 Euro (for a 4 week residency) or 4000 Euro (for a 6 week residency)
- Round-trip travel costs from Minnesota to Germany
- Opportunities to connect and collaborate with local artists
- A public presentation, reading, performance or exhibition
- Composers may collaborate with a local music Academy or local musicians, while printmakers will have access to a printing press at a nearby art school)
Residents are expected to engage thoughtfully with the site and its context, work independently and to share their artistic practice and work with the public.
The Norwegian painter and printmaker Edvard Munch, who also experimented with photography lived in this 17th-century fisherman’s house–on the Baltic Sea from May 1907 to October 1908 during an exceptionally productive period of his life. He created more than 60 works there, among them some of his most famous.Since 1998, after a restoration that preserved its historic character, the Edvard Munch House has become a cultural center and a residency for artists working in all media. The house has an exhibition space, a small library, two apartments, a garden and a sunroom facing the river through which boats used to access the open sea.
The little seaside town of Warnemünde where the Munch House is situated is part of the City of Rostock, an old Hanseatic University City of 200,000 people, and home of a sizable artistic community. Located in the North-East of Germany, Rostock can be reached in approximately two hours by train from either Berlin or Hamburg.
The Baltic Sea coast itself - a recurrent theme in Munch’s art – is a region shaped by shifting borders, layered histories, ecological precarity and transnational movement. It is much less a romantic landscape than a resonant contemporary space: simultaneously passage and barrier, archive and projection surface, touristic image and geopolitical threshold.
Rather than referencing Edvard Munch through stylistic quotations, we invite artists to engage with the enduring relevance of his existential and psychological inquiries. We welcome proposals that respond to contemporary social and political realities (forms of resisting oppression, belonging and estrangement, vulnerability, embodiment and atmosphere, resonance between self, society and environment).
Application Information
This residency will be to artists of all mediums on October 9th 2026. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and be based in the state of Minnesota. The successful applicant must have a valid passport by October 2027 in order to travel to Germany.
Applicants are required to fill out the application form and submit supporting a supporting document to [email protected] via email which answers three questions (max 1,000 words):
- Who are you as an artist? (including a supporting portfolio of work)
- How will you utilize this residency? (plan of work)
- How does the theme and residency location connect with and contribute to your work as an artist?
The ideal candidate for this residency will be able to articulate–and demonstrate through their portfolio–who they are as an artist broadly, while specifically connecting their current project(s) to the theme and location of this residency. We are looking for an artist with a feasible, well thought out plan of work for the four to six week residency. The artist must be willing and eager to collaborate with Munch Haus staff and the broader Warnemünde community.
We are accepting applications from Friday, October 9th to Monday, November 30th. We anticipate contacting shortlisted applicants by the end of February 2027 and notifying our successful candidate by April.
The residency will begin in October 2027 with some flexibility depending on the successful candidate’s scheduling needs.
2027-2028 Residency Theme: Between the Tides
Tides, a phenomenon of oceans and seas, are connected to the lunar day, which is the time it takes for a point on earth under the moon to rotate to the same point under the moon. The lunar day is 50 minutes longer than the solar day. As the earth rotates while the moon simultaneously moves along its orbit, the Earth requires additional time to realign with the moon's position. The gravitational interaction creates the cyclical rise and fall of ocean waters, roughly every 12 hours and 25 minutes.
‘Between the tides’ has multiple literal meanings: the receding of water that reveals the shoreline and intertidal zone, the incoming tide, or the stillness between ebb and flow, when the water briefly pauses. The intertidal zone itself - the area between the highest and lowest tide levels - is a place of constant transition, inhabited by organisms adapted to both submersion and exposure.
“Between the Tides” is also a rich source for metaphors and symbolism. And applicants should not shy away from relating it to contemporary politics and its effects on people’s life. “Between the Tides” invites reflections on movement, thresholds, instability, recurrence and adaptation. It evokes experiences of transition and transformation, as well as the political, social and ecological forces that shape human existence. At the same time, it points to the rhythms, continuities and forms of connection that persist amid shifting social and environmental conditions. We encourage proposals that approach the theme broadly and imaginatively yet critically, sensorially or experimentally across disciplines and media.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I choose when between October and April I go to Warnemünde?
The selected artist will choose a time period in consultation with the Munch House team who will be coordinating the residency stays. There is flexibility but arrangements must be made at least four months in advance. - Can I choose between 4 weeks or 6 weeks?
Yes. - Can I extend my stay in Germany before or after the residency?
The Munch House can only provide accommodation for the agreed time period. - Do I need to speak Germany?
No, there is no language requirement. Munch house hosts speak English and so do many Germans. - Can I bring my family?
It is fine to bring a partner to stay or visit with you, but the house is not advisable for small children. - Do I need a visa?
US passport holders do not need a visa. The passport should be valid at least for 6 months after the proposed residency end date. Non US passport holders are responsible for researching entry regulations and for obtaining the necessary visa (a fellowship invitation letter is available from the Munch House) - Will the Munch House connect me to local artists?
Yes, connections to local artists, and collaborations are integral to the fellowship. - Is a public presentation required?
Yes. Artists are expected to share their artistic practice and work with the public during or toward the end of the residency. Depending on the nature of the work this can be an exhibition, reading, performance, concert, talk, workshop or another additional format. - How easy is it to get around within the city?
Very easy. The City Train connects Warnemünde to Rostock main station and runs 24 hours and in 10 minute intervals during the day. Within Rostock, there are buses and trams that run very frequently. In Warnemünde and Rostock you can reach most areas on foot. - How much will local transport cost?
We strongly recommend the Deutschland Ticket, which works on a monthly subscription basis and is currently at 63 Euro. -
What does ‘collaborating with the Munch house and the community’ entail?
We are looking for artists open to engaging with the Munch House team and the local community through conversations, events, and potential collaborations. The nature of engagement depends on each artist’s practice and interest. -
Can I bring my art over and receive support for customs fees?
Costs for shipping art work is not covered by the residency. Customs regulations and fees have often changed over the past years. The selected artist should only bring over what they are able to can carry.
