Artist in Residence 2026

Artist in Residence Programme

If you are the successful candidate you will have access to our collections, library, archive, laboratories and expertise. You will also have the opportunity to join workshops and excursions to foster exchanges of knowledge.

The Rijksmuseum invites outstanding candidates to submit a proposal for an artistic project, preferably one that is research-based and that reflects on, responds to, and interacts with the Rijksmuseum’s collections or its history, activities and function as an institution. We expect from the selected artist that they create an artwork or artistic intervention for presentation in the museum.

Research and artistic process

We welcome independent proposals that offer new perspectives on the Rijksmuseum’s collections, history and activities, and that perform research on them. As the successful candidate you will be free to work according to your own artistic process and method. There are no restrictions on your artwork in terms of its genre, medium, subject or format, provided that the work you produce does not conflict with our policies and ethical principles, or compromise the safety of the collections, building, visitors and/or staff.
 

The Artist in Residence programme offers the selected artist the opportunity to conduct some of their artistic activities within the Rijksmuseum itself, and encourages them to connect with the Rijksmuseum Fellowship research programme. For this reason, we are particularly keen to receive applications from talented artists for whom research is an essential part of their practice.

The residency in this annual programme runs from 1 February 2026 until 31 Januari 2027. (Please note that it is not possible to extend the duration of this residency)

Working for the Rijksmuseum

If you are the successful candidate, we will provide you with a standard workstation at the museum, with a desk, computer and access to Rijksmuseum working facilities. If you need studio space, we will we will make efforts to meet your needs either at the museum or elsewhere. The Rijksmuseum expects to present the artwork(s) you produce in the context of the museum building, collections, gardens or online environment. You will remain the owner of the artwork(s) you produce during the residency.

What will you contribute?

You have a proven, high-quality track record as an exhibiting artist and have worked on large-scale commissions and with public institutions, providing you with the experience and skills necessary to navigate the critical environment of the Rijksmuseum.          

• You are a mid-career Dutch artist or non-Dutch artist who has lived and worked in the Netherlands for at least two years and is well-acquainted with the Dutch art world.
• You don’t need to have had a formal education, but a completed BA and/or MA degree would be an advantage.
• You have demonstrable experience with a research-based practice

We welcome submissions from artists working in any discipline.

This is what we need from you:

• Description of your proposal, explaining its relevance and relationship to the Rijksmuseum and/or its collections (maximum 4 A4 pages);
• Portfolio of previous work by the artist with visual documentation relevant to this residency and the proposal (maximum 5 images or links to work);
• Motivation letter of 250-300 words in which you detail the following: why a residency would be suitable at this time in your career; the aim of the residency; and the benefits the residency would have for your professional and creative practice;
• Preliminary work schedule for the residency period;
• Resume detailing your education history, work experience, honours, awards and exhibitions;
• Public activities: We highly value public engagement, and we expect you to have ideas on the most effective methods or activities for outreach to communities. We expect you to describe how you would engage with the public throughout your residency and what audiences might benefit from your work.

Applications must be received by 24 August 2025

What will you get in return?

As the Artist in Residence you will be working behind the scenes with passionate experts in their field at a major, internationally oriented museum

• A stipend of €45.000 paid monthly (in 2025)
• A maximum budget of €60.,000 for the production of the artwork(s)
• A travel budget of €5.000
• An additional monthly allowance if you do not have access to a studio

Important note: If you are self-employed, all sums of money specified here are inclusive of VAT.

Enthusiastic?

Please note: Only applications that include all six of the above-mentioned documents will be considered. The complete application must be submitted no later than 24 August 2025.

An independent jury of experts will review all proposals in September. One candidate will ultimately be selected based on the quality, originality, and urgency of the proposal, as well as its clear connection to the Rijksmuseum’s collections and/or the museum as an institution. All applicants will receive a response from the recruitment department by the end of September. Interviews will take place in October.

Do you have any substantive questions? The Manager of Academic Programmes, Barbara Tedder, is happy to answer them via fellowships@rijksmuseum.nl.

Please note: If we receive a sufficient number of applications, the vacancy may close earlier than the stated deadline. Unfortunately, applications received after the vacancy has closed will not be considered.

We only process applications submitted through the Rijksmuseum website. Applications sent by email will not be considered.

WITH THANKS TO

The Artist in Residence Fellowship is made possible in part by the Mondriaan Fund, and through the Rijksmuseum Fund: the Conrad Whelan 42 Fund, the ABREZIEL Fund, and a private donor.