Artists, curators, educators, researchers and creative practitioners worldwide are invited to apply for Singapore Art Museum’s 2027/2028 residency cycle.
12 August 2026
Open Call:
Singapore Art Museum (SAM) has opened applications for SAM Residencies Cycle 4 (2027/2028), inviting artists, curators, educators, researchers and creative practitioners from around the world to apply. The residency cycle will run from June 2027 to December 2028.
Cycle 4 is organised around three thematic strands: Listening/Attuning, Making/Material Cultures and Beyond Human/Interdependence. Listening/Attuning focuses on practices responding critically to contemporary urgencies. Making/Material Cultures foregrounds material inquiry and processes of making. Beyond Human/Interdependence considers relationships between humans, technologies, ecologies and other forms of life. Applicants are invited to interpret these themes in relation to their own practices.
Applications are open for three residency types:
- Artist Residency: for artists and collectives pursuing new artistic research, experimentation and modes of making.
- Community & Education Residency: for practitioners working at the intersection of artistic practice, education and community engagement.
- Curatorial & Research Residency: for curators and researchers developing new approaches to exhibition making, curatorial practice and research methodologies.
Institutional Context:
Singapore Art Museum opened in 1996 as Singapore’s first art museum. It presents contemporary art from a Southeast Asian perspective and is building a public collection of Southeast Asian contemporary art through its exhibitions, research, programmes and collection activities.
SAM Residencies is a museum-run programme developed to engage local and international artistic communities across disciplines. Experimentation and exchange are central to the programme, which encourages cross-disciplinary exploration and interaction within and beyond the artistic community.
Residents undertake independent research while having opportunities to engage with communities and the public in Singapore. They are encouraged to share works in progress or research outcomes through formats such as open studios, screenings, workshops, talks, and other experimental public activities.
Eligibility and Criteria:
The open call is available to individuals, duos and collectives from all mediums and disciplines worldwide.
Applicants must submit:
- A CV or résumé
- A portfolio
- A 500 to 1,000 word Statement of Interest, interpreting one or more of Cycle 4’s thematic strands in relation to their practice
- A recommendation letter serving as a character reference. The recommender may submit the letter directly through the application portal.
Applicants should select the residency strand most closely aligned with their practice, whether artistic research and experimentation, community and education engagement, or curatorial and research practice.
Evaluation Process:
Applications will be assessed by an international panel comprising respected voices in contemporary art and practice.
Practical Information:
Institution: Singapore Art Museum
Residency period: June 2027 to December 2028
Application deadline: 30 September 2026 at 11:59 PM, GMT+8
International applicants may apply for residencies lasting one to three months. Singapore-based applicants may apply for residencies of up to six months. Selected residents will undertake their residencies during the June 2027 to December 2028 cycle.
Further requirements for supporting documentation are provided within SAM’s online application portal.
Applications and Queries:
Applications must be submitted through the SAM Residencies online application portal by 30 September 2026 at 11:59 PM, GMT+8.
Apply for SAM Residencies Cycle 4
Applicants can also consult the SAM Residencies information and Frequently Asked Questions provided by the museum. For additional enquiries, SAM directs applicants to residencies@singaporeartmuseum.sg.
