Switzerland | Bibliothek Andreas Züst residency

The Bibliothek Andreas Züst, located in Oberegg St Anton, in the Appenzell Alps of Switzerland, offers three studio residency stipends in April 2017. The length of the stay can vary from one to four weeks according to the needs of the stipendiaries.

Application for the Studio Residency Stipend is open to national and international cultural workers (individuals or teams of up to a maximum of four persons) across disciplines — visual arts, literature, new media, music, theatre, dance, design, architecture, film, photography, and art-related disciplines.

For the stipendiaries, the Alpenhof panorama lodge will provide for accommodations. Applicants must submit a statement specifying their specific interests and describing their motivation in seeking a residency. The Bibliothek Andreas Züst is especially seeking projects that deal with the library as a whole or one of its sub-areas. The Studio Residency Stipend program is to be considered in the tradition of libraries as places of knowledge in the sense of diversity. In short: the residency should entail research about what constitutes the fabric of our culture and also what goes beyond it.

The Bibliothek Andreas Züst includes approximately 10,400 titles on topics ranging from, e.g., the weather, geology, astronomy, physics, literature, photography, art, kitsch, and popular culture. You can learn more about the library, its history and consult the Catalogue on the website.

The Alpenhof is an inspiring location for a retreat and working, with opportunities for exchange and relaxation. Situated at 1,110 m.a.s.l. overlooking the Rhine Valley and Lake Constance, here landscape conjoins with lingering; the Alpstein mountains with a sea of fog; Eastern Switzerland with Übersee; traditional Alpaufzug (procession of cows on mountain paths) with astronomy. The Alpenhof itself, with its rooms, grand halls, terraces, and the music room, is open to guests from far and wide, as well as all kinds of encounters.

Depending on the bookings, the Alpenhof can be either busily lively or peacefully quiet. For each recipient of a studio grant, there is a private bedroom available with an individual area for working. In addition, there is a shared studio-/music room available, as well as different areas throughout the Alpenhof for working quietly.

Further facilities include: the shared kitchen, dining and living rooms, and the Bibliothek Andreas Züst. Accommodations and use of the studio are free-of-charge, and travel costs are also covered. A separate request can be made for an additional subsidy for living costs of up to CHF 250/week. Artistic production costs must be covered privately.

For residencies in APRIL 2017 (1-4 weeks duration): deadline for applications is 31 October 2016

The photographer, painter, natural scientist, publisher, and collector Andreas Züst (1947–2000) was a legendary figure in the context of Swiss and European art. He was a universalist with a tireless thirst for knowledge, as well as being a great bibliophile. 1967–70, he studied natural sciences at the ETH Zurich and sociology at the University of Zurich; during 1973–80, he was research assistant in climatology and glaciology in Canada, Greenland, and the Swiss Alps. His engagement as an artist began in the 1970s, and, as of 1979, his artwork was shown in solo and group exhibitions in Switzerland and internationally.