Cité internationale des Arts — About — Slash Paris

The Cité internationale des arts is a Foundation recognized of public utility which aims to welcome in residency foreigners and French professional artists in Paris. Each year, more than 1000 artists who come from more than 50 countries stay in one of the 324 residency’s studios. This institution was dreamed by Eero Snellman, a Finnish artist, during a speech gave for the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1937.

It was after the Second World War that the idea was taken up and developed by Mr. and Mrs. Felix Brunau with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the City of Paris, and the Academy of Fine Arts. The first building, designed by a Franco-Tunisian architect Olivier-Clement Cacoub, is complete in 1965 and gradually other buildings were added and assigned by the City of Paris on two locations : in the district of Paris called “the Marais” (284 studios) and in Montmartre (40 studios). 70% of the studios are underwritten by French and foreign operators who designate resident-artists following their own application conditions (duration, scholarships, etc.). 30% of the studios are reserved for direct applications which are subject to a selection lead by two committees of professionals (one dedicated to the visual arts, the other to the music). They meet twice a year. Thus, the Cité internationale des arts stands at the crossroads of cultural policies carried by countries, local authorities and institutions on the one hand and residency projects implemented directly by resident-artists.