About
Overview
Torrinha Artist residence invites artists from all fields of practice and career stages, with an emphasis on highly motivated early career artists. Torrinha artist-in-residence programme is grounded on the principles of personal exploration, professional development, connection, co-living and collaboration. The residence offers a communal way of living and creating amongst other artist professionals in the heart of Porto art scene. The programme of the residence aims to offer conditions for residents to develop an informal critique routine, with visits from art professionals from the local area. Torrinha team members organize visits to local galleries, museums, artist-run institutions and local artist studios. The programme is not strictly designed for artistic production, but we encourage and attend artists in organizing open studios, workshops, pop-up exhibitions and performances.
Online Publications
Location
Torrinha residence is located in the old town Cedofeita district, the art district of Porto. The residents will be staying just beside Rua de Miguel Bombarda, known as home to most independent contemporary art galleries, second-hand shops, concept stores and cafés. The biggest museums can be reached by a short walk from the residence, as well as Porto Municipal gallery, located in the beautiful Palácio de Cristal gardens by the Douro river. Residence’s location is close enough to the most important monuments of the city and to the nightlife district yet far away enough to ensure a good night of sleep.
Gear
Awards
The house
Torrinha residence is placed in a 3 storey house, built in the late 19th century. The house welcomes its visitors with a traditional tiled facade, tall ceilings, and an authentic skylight above a wooden staircase. The inside area is approximately 250 m2 (2690 ft2), although it is divided into smaller rooms. A characteristic area of the house is a large glass covered veranda, serving as a work space with a great source of natural light or a gathering area. The house has a fully equipped kitchen with a small dining nook and two bathrooms with a bathtub, WC and a bidet. The house offers 5 single bedrooms and one double bedroom. As many old houses in Porto, Torrinha house does not have central heating, electric heaters are provided during the winter season. The residents are expected to share the common areas.
The bedrooms
Torrinha studios can host between 6 and 7 artists in 6 bedrooms. Three bedrooms are located on the 1st floor. Two of the bedrooms have windows facing the street and one bedroom has a small window facing the interior staircase of the house. The other three bedrooms are located on the 2nd floor – the attic. Two of the attic rooms have one small skylight window each. The third room is a double - it has a large window facing the yard. Each room is furnished with a queen size bed, table, clothing rack, dresser, bedside table and mirror.
The program
Torrinha residence provides a specific program in each residency session, but the main components are cultural immersion activities, guided artist studio visits and organized critical meetings. The program aims to create conditions for the resident artists to get to know Porto on many levels, not only by exploring traditional culture, but also by diving into its recent history and socio-economic issues. We organize thematic tours, hikes and traditional food and craft activities. The program also offers conditions for the residents to develop an informal critique routine, with visits from art professionals from the local area. Likewise, Torrinha team members organize visits to local galleries, museums, artist-run institutions and local artist studios. The programme is not strictly designed for artistic production, but we encourage and attend artists in organizing open studios, workshops, pop-up exhibitions and performances.
The studios
Torrinha residence provides resident artists with a large shared studio located 7 minute walking distance from the main residence building. The residents have 24/7 access to the studio space. The studio is on the ground floor, it can be accessed by Boavista street and Travessa das Águas Férreas. The space is divided into three areas: small gallery, large open plan studio and large covered garage space. The space is equipped with tables, chairs, shelves and easels. Torrinha can not offer specific equipment, apart from projector and a simple sound system, but can assist residents in renting upon request in advance.
Each artist is assigned a 12 m2 space, but the residents are expected to share the studios on independent agreement amongst themselves. They can also use their bedrooms as work spaces if their practice allows it. An additional work space can be negotiated upon request in advance. Residents are encouraged to organize open studios, workshops, talks, screenings, etc. in the Torrinha spaces. They can use any desired area of the house or the studio for installing their work or holding a performance during an event.
Independent accommodation residents
This option allows artists finding their own accommodation, while at the same time getting all benefits from the Torrinha’s program and access to the studio space with other resident artists. This option includes Torrinha’s program cultural immersion activities, guided artist studio visits and organized critical meetings and shared studio space as well as 24/7 access to a shared studio.
What we offer
Programme
-
3 or 6 month AIR programme
-
Organizational help with artistic production
-
Possibility to exhibit and hold events in the residence and residence’s collaborators spaces
-
Organizational and hands-on help with events and exhibits
-
Critical visits from local art professionals
-
Local art scene events curriculum
-
Organized visits to local artist studios, artist-run associations
-
Cultural immersion activities and thematic tours
Workspace
-
Shared studio equipped with desks, easels, lighting
-
Projector, projector screen
-
Sound system
-
Wifi
Accomodation
-
Private single bedroom
-
Single bedroom with queen size bed, table, clothing rack, dresser, mirrow and bedside table
-
Weekly cleaning
-
Bed linen, towels
-
Electric heaters in the winter season
-
Shared kitchen with gas stove top, oven, microwave, dishwasher, washing machine
-
Shared bathroom with bathtub, WC, bidet