Prefix ICA Announces the Residency at The Place

The Place, Kvalnes, Lofoten Islands, Norway. Photo: Elise Misao Hunchuck. Courtesy Maaretta Jaukkuri Foundation

Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art is pleased to announce the Residency at The Place, a one-month residency awarded to a Canadian professional artist or curator. Presented in partnership with the Maaretta Jaukkuri Foundation, the residency features sole occupancy of an architect-designed house, with workspace and library, in Kvalnes, a remote community in the Lofoten Islands, a strikingly beautiful archipelago on the northwest coast of Norway.

The purpose of the residency is quiet reflection, creative exploration, international connection, and research and development of future projects. The residency is open-ended, while also offering opportunities for residents to engage with local community members, including artists, curators and other professional peers. Although there is no requirement for public presentation, residents will receive a professional fee of $2,000.00 which may be applied toward lectures, screenings, performances or other activities. The first annual residency takes place in May 2027.

The Residency at The Place, which follows the Smokestack Residency awarded to the main recipient of the Prefix Prize, marks the second in Prefix ICA’s residency programme and its first international residency.

The Place, Kvalnes, Lofoten Islands, Norway. Photo: Kimmo Aslak Liimatainen. Courtesy Maaretta Jaukkuri Foundation

Eligibility and Guidelines

Applicants for the residency must be professional artists or curators who have completed their basic education or training and who have produced a body of work in a professional context, including exhibitions, publications, public programmes and/or comparable activities. Other requirements include a valid driver’s license and a profile on the online portal of the Canada Council for the Arts.

Interested applicants are invited to submit a completed application form, including a statement of interest and a biography, along with support materials, including a CV and a work sample.

Prefix ICA will convene a jury to review applications and create a shortlist, from which the resident will be selected by the board of directors of the Maaretta Jaukkuri Foundation. The decisions of the foundation are final.

In addition to the professional fee, the resident receives a rental car for essential local transportation, valued at $5,000.00, as well as administrative support prior to and during the residency. The resident is responsible for the cost of airfare, accommodation and per diem. If desired, the resident is provided with support for a grant application to the International Residency programme of the Canada Council for the Arts.

Application Forms

Application forms, including FAQs and other essential information, are available for download (PDF format). Completed applications must be submitted as a single PDF, no larger than 5 MB, to prize@prefix.ca.

Application Deadline: September 1, 2026

About Prefix ICA

Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art is a registered charitable organization, based in Toronto, that fosters the appreciation and understanding of contemporary photographic, media and digital arts through exhibitions, publications, public programmes and related activities.

Acknowledgements

Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art gratefully acknowledges the assistance of its staff, volunteers and patrons, as well as the Canada Council for the Arts. For the Residency at The Place, Prefix ICA truly appreciates the efforts of the applicants and gratefully acknowledges the support of the jurors, as well as presentation partner the Maaretta Jaukkuri Foundation.

For more information, please contact Prefix ICA at prize@prefix.ca.