Residency period: 6 October until 22 December 2026 at Ebenböckhaus, Munich

Who can apply? 

Artists and collectives (up to three artists) from Germany (except Bavaria) and worldwide are eligible to apply. 

Application period: 22 December 2025 until 15 February 2026 (CET, 11:59 p.m.) The Artist-in-Residence programme of the City of Munich as part of the Department of Arts and Culture and the art education programme of the Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus offer a residency for artists and collectives (up to three persons) who focus on participatory projects in public spaces and explore the intersection of art and play. The artists-in-residence will live and work at the Ebenböckhaus in Munich, Germany, from 6 October to 22 December 2026.

Since the 1970s, walk-in and participatory play spaces have been developed in Munich, e.g. by the KEKS group. In 2024, the City of Munich tested five KunstSpielOrte (ArtPlayPlaces) in the Messestadt Riem district – artistic interventions that enabled encounters, participation and creative play in public spaces. People of different ages, cultural backgrounds and physical abilities were able to interact actively with art and play (www.kunstspielorte.de).

 Building on these experiences, artists will be invited to a residency in Munich to develop ideas for participatory projects in public spaces. The focus will be on testing participatory methods involving art and play together with Munich-based partners. The City of Munich's Department of Art and Culture and the Lenbachhaus will establish connections to the Munich scene and local actors. At the same time, there will be an opportunity to design workshops or other educational formats at the Lenbachhaus that deal with the museum as a public space.

Depending on the course of the residency and the encounters that arise, it may be possible to realise a joint project in 2027. (For this, a separate project application would have to be submitted in 2027 by and with a potential Munich partner in the Department of Arts and Culture.)

Ebenböckhaus (City of Munich)

The Ebenböckhaus is in the centre of the district of Munich-Pasing and is well connected in terms of transport and utilities. There is a large apartment for up to three people at a time, with separate living / sleeping rooms (fitted with locks), a shared kitchen, and bathroom / WC and three rooms (52 m²) for work and public presentation opportunities. In coordination with other users—two archives and cultural associations in the neighbourhood—the foyer on the ground floor / the passage room to the park and the park belonging to the house can also be used for events. (Photos: www.air-m.de/gallery). 

An Open Studio event is organised at the end of the residency session at the Ebenböckhaus. This is an opportunity for the residents to present their ongoing research to art professionals and the public and to create a direct connection with audiences. The Ebenböckhaus is not barrier-free.

What do we offer?

Scholarship holders receive a monthly scholarship of € 1,300 from the City of Munich’s Department of Arts and Culture as part of the residency programme. Accommodation is rentfree. Travel expenses to and from Munich are reimbursed up to € 300 (within Europe) and up to € 800 (outside of Europe).

Application requirements 

• Professional artists and collectives from all countries, including Germany (except Bavaria), are eligible to apply, regardless of religion, sexual identity, age group, or social background.

• Artists who have already had a residency at Villa Waldberta or Ebenböckhaus are not eligible. 

• There is no age limit, but the programme is not intended for students or artists at the beginning of their careers. The residency is aimed at collectives that have already gained some professional recognition – such as exhibitions, reviews, works in collections or awards – but continue to actively develop and expand their work. 

• Applicants may work in any field, but their work should be participatory in nature and involve play and art in public spaces. 

• A good level of spoken English or German is required. 

• Only applications that meet all requirements and contain all documents will be considered. 

• Applicants must fulfil all contractual obligations required by the City of Munich, which operates the residency at the Ebenböckhaus. Each applicant will receive a separate contract. (Sample contract, see https://www.artistinresidence-munich.de/application/)

• Applications must be submitted in English or German.

Submissions:

 Please submit the following documents as a single PDF file (maximum 10 MB) by 15 February 2026 (CET, 11:59 p.m.): 

1) Personal information for each artist or member (name, stage name, email, nationality, address, telephone number) 

2) Letter of motivation (minimum 200 words) 

3) Introduction and description of artistic practice (max. 500 words) 

4) Presentation of initial ideas, including participatory points of contact and Munich partners that may be of interest to you (max. 500 words) 

5) Portfolio (max. 5 pages) and CV (for collectives, individual CVs of each artist) as well as websites and social media accounts The documents (in total) should not exceed 10 pages and 10 MB. Please send everything to kunstspielorte[at]muenchen.de.

Selection 

A decision-making committee consisting of representatives from the City of Munich's Department of Arts and Culture and the Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus will propose three scholarship recipients. The scholarship will be decided by the City of Munich's Department of Arts and Culture based on this recommendation. We will inform you by mid-March 2026 whether your application has been successful.