ABOUT THE RESIDENCY
The Șona AIR (Artists in Residence) program is intended for artists whose working process involves long-term projects and research. Based on the model of individual residencies, the program aims to support artists in researching and completing their own projects, offering them time, space and financial resources to this end.
Șona AIR Residency is a space of alternative knowledge that encourages reflection and experimentation, while supporting artistic work in a sustainable way and developing a genuine long-term creative process free of any production expectations.
The residencies take place twice a year, in the spring (March-April) and the autumn (October-November), with each period hosting two artists/artistic duos, during which they will live at the residency location and benefit from the program resources and facilities offered by the location. The residencies last between 8 and 12 weeks and take place at the Blue House, located at no. 234, Șona (Brașov County).
The program is open to both Romanian and international artists working in different cultural fields and supports interdisciplinarity and collaborations.
THE RESIDENCY SPACE
The Blue House, a name given to it by villagers and visitors, is located at no. 234, Șona, and is where the Ștefan Câlția Foundation carries out a large part of its activity. It is more than just a house, it is an entire complex of different buildings and spaces. Throughout the year, the foundation hosts here cultural events and artistic residencies: exhibitions in the barn, the restoration workshop/school of the Monumentum Association (the cultural project Blue), the Sounds Like a Book residency, Șona AIR and other artistic residencies.
Built in 1880, the site was purchased in 2009 with the intention of renovating and converting it into a venue for artistic residencies. The architect Livia Câlția envisaged, designed and coordinated the building works, which were completed in 2011. The house’s vernacular architecture, which speaks to local heritage, local crafts and village life, was restored using sympathetic building techniques, materials and tools, in order to return the structure and the site to its pre-war appearance.
Șona, the village that is home to the residency venue, is a place full of history and stories with many sources of inspiration – the river Olt, the Guruiețe hills, Lazăr’s Forge, the architecture, the history and anthropology of the place, the local vegetation, past projects and, above all, the people.
TEAM
The team in charge of organizing the project and accommodating the residents in the space is made up of Monica Dănilă, residence coordinator, Ioana Gonțea, project manager, Ana Liță, responsible for social media and communication, and Matei Câltia, program director.
ȘTEFAN CÂLȚIA FOUNDATION
The Ștefan Câlția Foundation annually organises Șona AIR residencies since 2024. The foundation was established in 2016 with the aim of promoting substantive projects from the field of visual culture, supporting organizational development and advancing the sustainability of the projects in which it is involved. Through its work it has developed an interest in artistic projects, as well as those in associated fields that view art as a key component of the sustainable, social and economic development of a given context.
The Ștefan Câlția Foundation became culturally involved in the village of Șona through the creation of a village association and the annual local newspaper Șona Noastră, through its support for the renovation of other buildings in the village, such as Lazăr’s Forge, as a partner in the architectural restoration and conservation projects initiated by the Monumentum association, and by attracting NGOs to develop similar platforms for arts and culture.
©2024 Șona AIR and Ștefan Câltia Foundation