Artist Call

The Project
The Location
Sustainability
Design Scope
Budget
Selection Criteria
Staying at the Rössl
Application
Contact

Download Artist Call as pdf

The Project 

The Rössl in Krems is a vibrant space for encounter, experimentation and creative production. In the former bed & breakfast „Schwarzes Rössl“, we are building a permanent platform for contemporary art and cultural education.

With Rössl.Kunst.Räume, we are launching our first open call in 2026:
we invite artists to transform guest rooms of the house into fully realized artistic spaces. The finished rooms will be opened to the public as part of a one-week exhibition. The transformation process will be documented with 360-degree time-lapse cameras and presented as part of the show.

The project is supported by the State of Lower Austria and the City of Krems.

The Location 

The Rössl is centrally located at the edge of Krems‘s historic old town. Krems is one of Austria‘s oldest cities, the cultural capital of Lower Austria, and sits about one hour from Vienna at the eastern entrance of the Wachau, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

As a historic Vorspannhof – a waystation where merchants and travelers could rest and equip their wagons with fresh horses – it was a meeting point, a crossroads, a place of exchange. The Rössl consciously carries this forward today: as an open space for artists, makers, and everyone on their way to something new.

Sustainability as an Attitude

Rössl.Kunst.Räume is not a short-lived exhibition project. The rooms remain permanently as guest rooms. The art lives on: inhabited, experienced, valued.

The project takes a consistently sustainable approach: artistic work happens with and within the existing rooms. Various furniture and materials are already on site. Living on location reduces travel and enables a focused, place-based working process.

Design Scope

The rooms you will transform are real living spaces. There is one clear requirement: a bed and sufficient storage must remain functional after your intervention. Within that condition, everything is possible: wall design, installation, light, materials, furniture, sound, scent. You decide how a room feels to the guests who sleep in it.

Concretely, you can work on and with:

• Walls and ceilings (paint, murals, wallpaper, plaster, installation, …)
• Textiles: bed linen, curtains, towels
• Furniture: redesign, replace, or build new
• Light: lamps, light installations, atmosphere
• Sculptural elements and objects
• Communal areas such as hallways (by arrangement)
• Potentially: selected interior and exterior areas, up to the building facade (by arrangement)

Budget

Each room comes with a materials budget of up to €1,000, reimbursed against original receipts (paint, fabric, wood, lighting, etc.). On top of that,
you receive an artist fee of €2,000 for your work, plus a travel subsidy of
up to €400.

What we additionally offer:

• Accommodation and meals at the Rössl 
• Screen printing workshop, woodworking workshop, textile workshop, further production spaces
• 360° time-lapse documentation of your working process
• One-week public exhibition 
• Artistic exchange with fellow participants
• Local and international Rössl network

Selection Criteria

We are looking for artists who don‘t just decorate a room, but reimagine it. Participants will be selected based on the following criteria:

Artistic Quality

• Distinctive artistic voice and concept
• Engagement with space as a medium
• Coherence between the application idea and previous work

Concept & Planning

• Clear vision of the planned room design (sketches, moodboards, description)
• Transparent budget of up to €1,000 in materials
• Realistic assessment of the time needed for implementation

Liveability

• The room remains usable as a guest room after the exhibition
• A bed and sufficient storage (wardrobe, shelving, etc.) are preserved or integrated into the design
• Materials and surfaces are durable and easy to maintain

Diversity 

• We prioritize a gender-balanced selection
• We welcome applications from regional, national and international contexts
• We value interdisciplinary approaches and cross-disciplinary working methods

Staying at the Rössl

From 16 September 2026, the Rössl opens for the artistic production phase. You have until the vernissage on 9 October to complete your room.

Accommodation & Meals

During the production phase, you can live at the Rössl. We offer one person per project free accommodation and meals. The Rössl is not a hotel – but it is a real place with character, a shared kitchen, courtyards and good energy. You won‘t be alone here.

Workshops & Infrastructure

You have full access to the house‘s existing infrastructure:

• Screen printing workshop
• Woodworking workshop
• Textile workshop
• Further production spaces
• Yoga room and garden pool for winding down and relaxation

Exchange with Fellow Artists

All artists work simultaneously, in the same time, in the same house. That‘s no coincidence – it‘s our concept. The production phase is a shared residency. We create space and time for exchange, inspiration and mutual support. Formally and informally. While cooking, building, over dinner, over an after-work beer.

You‘ll also have the opportunity to connect with the Rössl‘s wider network: artists, makers, local figures and international guests who pass through regularly.

During the Exhibition Week

During the exhibition week (9–16 October) the rooms are open to the public. We‘d love for you to be there — and invite you, where possible, to offer a creative workshop or similar programme for visitors. Format and content are agreed together. You‘re also welcome to offer your own artworks for sale.

Application

Send your application as a PDF (max. 10 MB) by 22 July 2026, 23:59
to: info@roessl.net

Your application includes

• Brief introduction to your artistic practice (max. 1 page)
• Room concept: description, idea, materials, intended effect (max. 2 pages)
• Illustrations, sketches or moodboards (max. 5 images)
• Budget plan (tabular, max. €1,000 in material costs)
• Portfolio or links to previous work
• Short CV

Zeitplan & Deadlines

• 22 July 2026, 23:59
  Application deadline

• ca. 05 August 2026
  Acceptance / rejection notifications

• from 16 September 2026
  Production phase begins

• 9 October 2026
  Exhibition vernissage

• 9-16 October 2026
  Exhibition week

• 16 October 2026
  Finissage

We look forward to your ideas.