The open call for residency is extended, now open until 30.9.2024.
You can apply for a residency period of 2–6 months during 1.3.2025–30.9.2026.
Please fill in the application form HERE.
More information about the residency can be found below.
Earlier residency artists and researchers:
Jarkko Räsänen, artist
January–August 2024
Photo: The National Gallery / Pirje Mykkänen
Website
Marjo Levlin, visual artist and filmmaker
September–December 2023
(With the help of the Katy Gyllström residency grant, granted to the Life on a Leaf association by Föreningen Konstsamfundet)
Photo: Pasi Autio
Website
– The residency offered me a fantastic opportunity to immerse myself in working with my project for which I had filmed material. During the stay, I wrote the raw version of the film’s manuscript, the film’s voice over which is the framework of the work, and also filmed a large part of the Super8 material. The location itself, next to the forest where I could walk and rest my mind, but also within cycling distance from the center, was excellent.
Noël Klima, researcher, research coordinator
July-August 2023
Website
– Usually I live in a very urban environment, so it was a completely different experience in the Leaf house. I came with the expectation that this environment might stimulate my thinking, but I tried not to be too biased. I had many new ideas about how to think outside the box and leave the academic ivory tower, so to say.
Aaro Murphy, visual artist
May–June 2023
– It was a truly wonderful stay. The winding entrance, dreamy living room, colourful kitchen, undulating concrete walls, spiralling spine of a staircase, bluebell lookout, calm workrooms, peeking windows into the forest, rooftop thinking spot and many more details, will stay with me forever.
This building has left a mark on my psyche and I’m glad of it. I always felt calm and safe inside the house, with its gentle ventilator lulling me to sleep at nights, like some kind of wise creature telling me: “It will all be OK”.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE RESIDENCE
The Life on a Leaf Residence is intended for artists or researchers whose work focuses on urban space or the built environment. The fields of art are not limited. Possible areas of research include, for example, art research, architecture, urban planning, urban studies, cultural studies, etc. The residence is intended for self-directed work.
The residence, a leaf-shaped house named Life on a Leaf, is a total work of art designed by Jan-Erik Andersson together with architect Erkki Pitkäranta. The house, polemicising the relationship between architecture and art, was part of Andersson’s doctoral thesis at the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki. The house and its structures contain tens of works of art by Finnish and foreign artists, all commissioned in 2009 when the house was built.
The residence is run by Life on a Leaf Association, which aims to engage in and promote collaboration between art, architecture, academic research and business, with the aim of creating an urban environment conducive to imagination and creativity. The association is responsible for the maintenance and the preservation of this unique site, together with Life on a Leaf Ltd, in which the association is majority shareholder. The activity is non-profit.
The residence offers one artist or researcher (or a couple) at a time the opportunity to live and focus on artistic or scientific work in a unique and inspiring environment.
For artists, the residence is mainly suitable for planning creative work and working on a computer. There is a room in the house that can be used for drawing and planning, but not for painting, sculpting or building.
The Life on a Leaf building is located in Hirvensalo, about 6 kilometers from the centre of Turku. It is located on a spacious plot that borders a natural forest. The house shares a yard with another house (Kuusi-o) designed by Jan-Erik Andersson and Erkki Pitkäranta, which is the current home of Andersson and Marjo Malin. The Life on a Leaf building has good public transport and bicycle connections from central Turku.
Residency stays can be applied for between 2 and 6 months. The schedule request shall be presented in the application.
Application requirements
Both artists and researchers can apply for the residency. Applicants indicate in the form in which category (arts/academic) they are applying.
1. Artists
• The applicant must be professionally active and their artistic work must have a connection to urban space or the built environment
• The application must include a preliminary plan for the project or work that the artist intends to work on during the residency
• CV (max 5 pages) as well as portfolio (max 5 Mb) should be attached to the application
2. Researchers
• The applicant must hold a PhD degree.
• The applicant’s research activities must be connected to urban space or the built environment.
• The applicant must collaborate with at least one Finnish university (e.g. be a visiting researcher). In addition, they must indicate a contact person from at least one university or polytechnic in Turku (University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University, Turku University of Applied Sciences, or Novia University of Applied Sciences).
• The application must include a summary of the research plan (max. 4 pages) where the work planned for the duration of the residency is presented.
• CV (max 5 pages) and the list of publications shall be attached to the application.
General conditions
• The length of the residency can be 2–12 months; wishes regarding the timeframe should be specified in the application.
• The rent is €600 / month (including electricity, water, and the internet).
• The residency does not include economic support for the artist’s or the researcher’s work
• The living area of the Life on a Leaf house is 147 m2. The entire three-storey house is used primarily by the resident. For exceptions, see “Other use of the house” (below).
• The house is not a museum, but it is vital that the house and the art integrated into it remain in good condition.
• The resident takes care of the cleaning and the garden. Alternatively, Life on a Leaf can organize it for a fee.
• The house is not suitable for small children.
• The artist’s spouse or older children may live in the residence.
• Pets are not allowed.
• The residency is not accessible for people with reduced mobility (the building’s second and third floors can only be reached via narrow stairs).
• Life on a Leaf’s residency coordinator helps the resident with practical matters when necessary.
• Life on a Leaf`s residency coordinator helps the resident to create additional contacts among artists and academics in Turku and Finland if necessary.
• Life on a Leaf is responsible for the property’s maintenance and any repairs.
Other use of the house
• The building’s first floor is rented out for meetings during the day (10-19 o’clock), but no more than three days a month. Even then, the building’s second and third floors are used only by the resident.
• In addition, other events (first floor) and guided tours (the entire building) can be organized in the building for a maximum of two days a month. The times for any guided tours are agreed upon separately with the resident.
• Events (which are rare) end before 9 pm.
• Dates for other use will be notified to residents at least two weeks in advance. House cleaning related to these events is organized and paid for by the association.
Questions can be directed to the association’s ombudsman Annika Welling-Nyberg leaf@lifeonaleaf.fi or tel. +358 44 326 9032.