Finland was the Guest Country at VIENNA DESIGN WEEK 2019 – and the impact of this Guest Country was a long-term one, as a result of which Finnish protagonists were also to be found at the festival in 2020. This was because last year’s cooperation with the Finnish Institute in Berlin had led to a new Austro-Finnish residency program. Alice Stori Liechtenstein, curator of Schloss Hollenegg for Design, invited Finnish designers to live, work, and exhibit at the Styrian institution. And for their host, these designers were naturally part of her castle family for the duration of their stay. Stori Liechtenstein was joined by Hanna-Kaisa Korolainen (designer) and Christoph Meier (architect and artist) on a panel moderated by Philipp Rossmann (Metropole magazine) to discuss residency programs, their own experiences, and utopias. 

International residency programs enable designers to explore new cultures, places, and sources of inspiration for their work. By visiting new destinations and living, working, and producing new art and design in stimulating environments – ideally free of commercial pressure – participants can benefit from not only new perspectives but also, frequently, new areas of work and relationships. So how do residency programs function? Who runs them? Who is eligible to take part? And how can sustainable alliances be established during short-term stays?

The panel can be seen here CLICK