RUBEZH x Helikon Art Center
THE LOST WORLD
THE LOST WORLD
OPEN CALL: ART RESIDENCY 2026 // KOCAELI, TURKEY
RUBEZH x Helikon Art Center
THE LOST WORLD
THE LOST WORLD
OPEN CALL: ART RESIDENCY 2026 //
KOCAELI, TURKEY
KOCAELI, TURKEY
Key Dates
June 30, 2026
23:59, CET
Application deadline
Application deadline
July 6, 2026
Announcement of open call results
July 27 —August 9, 2026
Residency dates
August 8, 2026
Final exhibition
About the residency
THE LOST WORLD
On the one hand, the lost world can be imagined as a hidden, beautiful realm that is difficult to reach — a place outside familiar routes and ordinary maps. In this sense, the theme suggests a journey through space: slightly surreal, mysterious, and shaped by the desire to discover something concealed.
On the other hand, it is also a world we have lost — a reality that no longer exists in the same way. This loss can evoke grief, regret, nostalgia, relief, joy, or simply curiosity about what came before.
The residency invites artists to reflect on both meanings: the world waiting to be found, and the world that remains only in memory, traces, or imagination.
This collaboration between Helikon Art Center and RUBEZH supports this reflection. Hidden among forests and mountains, on the coast of the historically significant Sea of Marmara, Helikon itself feels like a rare discovery: a small independent world built on the principle of artists supporting artists — a principle at the heart of RUBEZH as well.
On the other hand, it is also a world we have lost — a reality that no longer exists in the same way. This loss can evoke grief, regret, nostalgia, relief, joy, or simply curiosity about what came before.
The residency invites artists to reflect on both meanings: the world waiting to be found, and the world that remains only in memory, traces, or imagination.
This collaboration between Helikon Art Center and RUBEZH supports this reflection. Hidden among forests and mountains, on the coast of the historically significant Sea of Marmara, Helikon itself feels like a rare discovery: a small independent world built on the principle of artists supporting artists — a principle at the heart of RUBEZH as well.
What we offer
- Accommodation (bed in shared room)
- Three meals a day + coffee and tea throughout the day
- Indoor and outdoor studios
- Fully equipped workshops for working with wood, stone, and metal
- A large amount of wood and marble
- A magnificent view of the Marmara Sea
- Group exhibition at the end of the residency
- A personal page for each participant on the RUBEZH project website — created after the residency
Q&A
Applications will be reviewed by a joint committee of RUBEZH and Helikon Art Center. We will contact selected applicants, as well as applicants from whom we may need additional information.
Artists of any discipline, including performers and musicians, aged 18 or over. Experience of migration or displacement will be considered an advantage.
Submitting an application is completely free of charge.
Due to the limited number of places, priority will be given to individual applicants.
The residency will use English, Turkish, and Russian.
Unfortunately, we are not able to cover travel expenses, costs for specific materials, or additional trips to other towns or cities.
Please contact the RUBEZH team at writeme@rubeeeeeeezh.io. We will reply as soon as possible.
Organizers
Curated by RUBEZH
RUBEZH is an international diaspora of émigré artists. The project brings together artists born in 25+ countries and now living across 5 continents, creating a shared cultural space beyond national borders.
RUBEZH is built on the values of liberty, human rights, equality, freedom of cultural expression, solidarity, and peaceful dialogue. Through exhibitions, festivals, artist talks, laboratories, support groups, and online and offline gatherings, the project helps artists continue their practice in conditions of displacement, build new connections, and find a sense of home within an international artistic community.
Instagram RUBEZH is built on the values of liberty, human rights, equality, freedom of cultural expression, solidarity, and peaceful dialogue. Through exhibitions, festivals, artist talks, laboratories, support groups, and online and offline gatherings, the project helps artists continue their practice in conditions of displacement, build new connections, and find a sense of home within an international artistic community.
Helikon Art Center
HELIKON is not a sanctuary. It is a laboratory. A system where art, thought, and matter collide and reform.
We do not curate comfort. We construct conditions for radical experimentation. Every residency is a node in a distributed network of Helikon Art Center, which is located in the Izmit Municipality of Turkey. The Art Center was founded in 2010 by the Turkish artist Orhan Özçalık.
It’s the first international art residency in Turkey. Up until this year, Helikon has organised 17 international residencies and hosted 250 artists from 30 countries. Helikon is equipped with wood / stone studios and open spaces for all stages of artistic creation.
Instagram We do not curate comfort. We construct conditions for radical experimentation. Every residency is a node in a distributed network of Helikon Art Center, which is located in the Izmit Municipality of Turkey. The Art Center was founded in 2010 by the Turkish artist Orhan Özçalık.
It’s the first international art residency in Turkey. Up until this year, Helikon has organised 17 international residencies and hosted 250 artists from 30 countries. Helikon is equipped with wood / stone studios and open spaces for all stages of artistic creation.