Introduction
NUCLEO creates space for the artistic development of professional visual artists. One way we do this is by renting out artist studios in Ghent.
You can apply for a studio at NUCLEO via this website. First read all the steps below, ending with step 7, your application.
Registration
To register with NUCLEO, you’ll need an online account. During the registration process, we’ll ask you to briefly explain why you’re looking for a studio. We’ll also enquire about your artistic background.
Once your registration is confirmed, you can send us your details and application dossier.
NUCLEO is primarily targeted at professional visual artists and collectives. We welcome all visual practices: painters, sculptors, conceptual artists, people with hybrid practices, and so on.
‘Professional’ means that you have the intention of practising your artistic activities in an occupational capacity, developing an artistic career and – if possible – making a living out of those activities.
Artists who are just starting out receive special attention at NUCLEO. After all, the demand for workspace is highest among recently graduated artists, since they lose their studios at school when they graduate. Add to that the fact that their financial situation is often very precarious at this stage.
- People with other artistic disciplines (such as performing arts, literature, etc.), creative entrepreneurs and cultural organisations may in exceptional cases be granted a space, but visual artists are always given priority.
- Creative entrepreneurs are only granted a space if they can show that the work they do has an explicitly artistic character. Cultural organisations can also apply if their activities are in line with NUCLEO’s vision and add value for the artists in residence. Organisations with principally commercial objectives are not eligible for a space.
Your application dossier
Send us your application dossier.
Your dossier must contain four parts:
- A comprehensive CV listing the main details of your practice and placing an emphasis on the last two to three years. List any solo and group exhibitions you participated in, commissions, awards, publications, any sales, and so on, always mentioning the date and location. You may also include secondary activities such as teaching, consulting and committee roles.
- Visual documentation with at least 20 images of your work from the last 2 to 4 years, indicating the title, year, dimensions and media used.
- A text to contextualise your artistic practice. In no more than 500 words, describe the guiding principles of your work and practice, and how they are expressed. In the case of collaborative work, be sure to describe your own contribution clearly.
- Your motivation for using the studio, the expected intensity of use, the motivation for your application, any concrete plans you have regarding upcoming artistic projects …
If your application dossier is complete and successfully submitted, you will receive an email confirmation. Your application is then ready to be assessed by the committee.
The committee
Your application dossier will be assessed by a committee of independent experts from the visual arts field. The current committee consists of Liene Aerts, Simon Debbaut, Hanna Ilczyszyn, Isolde Vanhee and Cedric Verhelst.
They will screen your dossier according to NUCLEO’s criteria:
- In the case of visual artists, your artistic practice must fit within a contemporary frame of reference, with the aspects of research and reflection playing an important role. The artworks are realised in various media and attest to a critical relevance. The visual quality of the work prevails over the purely aesthetic or technical. The quality of the work, the professionalism of the practice and the ambition and motivation of the applicant are decisive in the assessment. The applicant’s perspective on their artistic development plays an important role. Any concrete plans for artistic projects may be included in the assessment.
- In the case of creative entrepreneurs, your practice must be rooted in an artistic vision in which elements of experiment and research play an important role. This should result in quality work that is not purely functional but also exhibits a strong artistic dimension.For cultural organisations, your work should be rooted in an artistic vision and artistic objectives. Your vision and philosophy should align with the activities of NUCLEO. Your organisation should contribute value in the form of presentation opportunities for or collaborative links with the resident artists.
After the committee has discussed your dossier, you will receive an e‑mail whether it has been approved or not.
The waiting list
If your application is positively evaluated by the committee, you will be placed on our waiting list. We then check with you what your minimum expectations are for a studio. As soon as you reach the top of the waiting list and there are studios available that meet your requirements, we will invite you for a studio viewing. You are then free to decide whether the studio is suitable for your needs.
Extension
Your place on the waiting list expires after two years. If you wish you renew for another two years, we will ask you to submit a new application dossier.
Artists who already have a NUCLEO studio are asked to submit a new dossier every five years. This is to reevaluate the need for the studio, among other reasons.
Of course, the duration that you can keep the same studio will also depend on the term of NUCLEO’s own lease with the owner of the premises in question.
Start your application
Now you’ve been briefed on everything you need to know, you are ready to start your application.
If you still have questions, be sure to check our FAQs below.