Call for Applications – Reviving Nature 2026

Studio 88 Artist Residency invites artists worldwide to apply for Reviving Nature 2026 in Chiang Mai, Thailand — program dedicated to exploring art, nature, well-being and creative exchange. Ranging from three to eight weeks, the residency takes place from January 4, 2026 to February 28, 2026, in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The deadline to apply for this extended call is November 29, 2025.

Reviving Nature 2025-2026 Artist Residency
Call for Applications
Residency dates: 4 January 2026 – 28 February 2026 (3-8 weeks)
Location: Studio 88 Artist Residency, Doi Saket, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Application deadline: 29 November 2025
Click here to apply.

Studio 88 invites artists, writers, performers, and creative practitioners from around the world to apply for Reviving Nature 2026, an international residency dedicated to art, environment, sustainability and well-being.

Studio 88 Artist Residency is a creative home in Chiang Mai where global voices meet local roots. We envision an artistic community where nature, diverse stories, and meaningful dialogue inspire socially engaged art that fosters connection and positive change.

For its 2026 edition, the Reviving Nature residency runs in parallel with Thailand Creative Design Center (TCDC) Chiang Mai’s Local Plus theme, and the Botanical Breath, a collaborative exhibition and series of workshops celebrating plants and herbs while addressing contemporary environmental challenges — particularly the impact of PM2.5 air pollution on respiratory health. Drawing on local wisdom and ecological research, the programme invites artists to investigate how nature supports human resilience, and how creative practice can heighten awareness of the fragile balance between people and the environment.

The Botanical Breath concept highlights Thai medicinal plants and common kitchen herbs as living archives of knowledge. It reflects on how simple plants — from everyday herbs like ginger, galangal, gooseberry, blue trumpet, turmeric, little ironweed, fah talai jone (green chiretta) to holy basil — have supported communities for generations, and how botanical illustration, photography, and design can reframe them for today’s audience. The exhibition and residency will work with herbalists, researchers, and cultural partners to present artworks, demonstrations, and learning activities that bridge past and future understandings of nature.

The Reviving Nature Artist Residency 2026 programme is organized by Studio 88 Artist Residency in conjunction with the Botanical Breath, a collaborative project led BF Botanical Friendship in partnership with Royal Park Rajapruek, Dhepsiri Creative Space, Studio 88 Artist Residency and other local partners, which has been selected for the Chiang Mai Design Week 2025 and will continue to showcase at Royal Park Rajapruek’s Herbs Week in 2026. The the Botanical Breath featured artists are Sujittra Prasert, Botanical Drawing Artist and Founder of BF Botanical Friendship and Franklin Lau, Artist-in-Residence of Studio 88 Artist Residency.

Bamboo Puppet and Botanical Drawing by Sujittra Prasert, Photographic Art by Franklin Lau, and Glow-in-the-dark mural at Royal Park Rajapruek, Chiang Mai

Focus & Themes

Participants are encouraged to respond to:

Air, water, soil, light, or noise pollution and their social consequences
Respiratory issues linked to haze and the possibilities of natural remedies
The cultural value of herbs, traditional plant knowledge in daily life and local wisdom
Connections between science, ecology, and artistic imagination
New ways to inspire sustainable living through visual, sonic, or embodied forms

Who Can Apply

We welcome proposals from all disciplines, including:

Visual arts (painting, installation, photography, sculpture, mixed media)
Performing arts (theatre, dance, performance, multimedia)
Literary arts (poetry, prose, storytelling)
Film and video (documentary, experimental, animation)
Sound and music (composition, soundscape, audiovisual projects)

Experience in environmental science is not required; openness to research, community exchange, and site-responsive work is essential.

Residency Details

Duration: flexible 3–8 weeks between 14 December 2025 and 28 February 2026
- Option A: 14 Dec 2025 – 3 January 2026 (3 weeks)
- Option B: 4 – 31 January 2026 (4 weeks)
- Option C: 4 January – 14 February 2026 (6 weeks)
- Option D: 4 January – 28 February 2026 (8 weeks)
- Option E: 1 – 28 February 2026 (4 weeks)
Location: private bungalow and private and shared studio space in a rustic setting of Doi Saket
Programme includes:
- Curated studio visits and peer dialogue
- Field trips (PM2.5 research lab, herbal gardens, botanical garden, nature hikes)
- Artist talk and open studio presentation
- Research and curatorial support
- Promotion on Studio 88 channels and opportunities to connect with local communities
Optional Programme with additional fee (not included in residency fee):
- Exhibition or public showcase
- Public events

Residency Fees & Support

There is no application fee. The residency fee will be applied only upon acceptance, based on the residency fee and services listed on our website.

Reviving Nature is a self-funded residency. Fees cover accommodation, studio space, and programme facilitation. Details will be shared with selected applicants, along with suggestions for external funding sources.

How to Apply

Submit your application via our online form by 29 November 2025, including: