OPEN CALL “لسة / Not Yet / Still”
Visual Arts Residency at ZK/U Berlin for Artists from Arabic-speaking Countries
The Goethe-Institutes in North Africa and the Middle East, in collaboration with ZK/U – Zentrum für Kunst und Urbanistik in Berlin, invite three visual artists or researchers from Arabic-speaking countries to explore the concept of liminality through a three-month residency in Berlin.
Being in between means not having arrived yet while no longer belonging to where you came from. In Egyptian Arabic, the word لسة ("lissa") contains both meanings. It evokes the idea of liminality: a threshold state shaped by uncertainty, transformation, and the possibility of multiple futures.
Liminal spaces exist between realities, identities, and conditions. They become physically visible in the constantly shifting urban fabric of contemporary cities and play a vital role in both artistic practice and artistic research.
Inspired by this concept, the Goethe-Institutes in North Africa and the Middle East, in cooperation with Zentrum für Kunst und Urbanistik in Berlin, launched a residency programme exploring states of transition and spatial in-betweenness. From September 2025 to February 2026, seven visual artists and researchers took part in three-month residencies, engaging with questions of urban change, movement, and transformation. Building on this first cycle, the programme now enters a new phase and invites three additional participants to investigate what it means to inhabit spaces that are fluid rather than fixed, and to explore the creative potential of liminality.
Welcoming visual artists and researchers interested in questioning the social, cultural, and urbanistic places, spaces, and positions of liminality, the residents will have three months in the studios of ZK/U in Berlin and an extensive accompanying programme to develop their projects. We are looking for artists who are curious to take their art beyond the studio, to engage directly with the city, and to examine how urban environments shape and are shaped by artistic practice.
Residency Details
Location: ZK/U – Center for Art and Urbanistics, Berlin
Residency Period: December 3, 2026 – February 28, 2027
Deadline to Apply: July 19, 2026
Interviews: August 24 and 25, 2026
Final Selection Notification: September 7, 2026
What We Offer
Studio & accommodation at ZK/U Berlin
Participation in ZK/U’s residency programme, including mentoring, networking, peer-to-peer exchange, and access to ZK/U’s events
Round-trip economy flight, visa fees, accommodation, health insurance, and per diems during the residency period
Production grant of up to €1,500
Visibility through the residency programme and public formats at ZK/U
Possibility of presenting the work in the MENA region with support from the Goethe-Institut, depending on the outcome of the residency
One studio is more suitable for people with limited mobility and may also accommodate an artist travelling with an accompanying person or child
Who Can Apply
The focus is on visual artists and researchers from and currently based in the following Arabic speaking countries: Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauretania, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Territories, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Artists with a nationality from these countries, who are currently staying in other countries in the MENA region can also apply.
Motivation to participate in the program.
Relevance of the project proposal dealing with the proposed topic of the residency.
Innovative and compelling practice and body of work.
We start from a broad understanding of visual arts including photography, drawing, sculpture, video art, conceptual art, sound art, architecture, performance etc.
Selection Process
A jury will review all submissions.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to online pitches on August 24 and 25, 2026.
Final results will be announced by September 7, 2026.
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Questions?
Contact: Meret.Arnold(at)goethe.de
This residency is realised in cooperation with and funded by the Goethe-Institut Cairo.
The Goethe-Institut reserves the right to withdraw the grants if the necessary funding is not made available. There is no legal entitlement to the award of a scholarship.
The Goethe-Institut has zero tolerance for all forms of violence, harassment, and discrimination and expects the same commitment from its contractual partners, grantees, and scholarship holders. All participants at ZK/U are also required to commit to ZK/U’s Policy of Respect at the beginning of their stay or collaboration.