International Sculpture Symposium St. Blasien — paid residency for woodworking in Germany (2026)
There are rare residences where artists work not in closed studios, but directly in the city, in full view of the public, turning the process into part of their artistic expression. The International Sculpture Symposium in St. Blasien is one such format.
It is a professional residency for sculptors and visual artists working with wood, held in the centre of a small town in southern Germany, in the Hochschwarzwald region. For a week, the streets and square in front of the cathedral become an open workshop, with the material, scale and context set in advance.
Format and context
The symposium has been held for almost 30 years and is perceived not as a festival, but as a sustainable artistic institution. Artists work publicly, under tents, in dialogue with local residents and visitors. This is an important point: here, not only the result is valued, but also the process of creating form itself.
The final works are presented in the city’s central square and then participate in a public auction presentation. A printed publication featuring the participants and their projects is also planned, which adds visibility and recognition in the professional field.
What exactly do the artists work with
The organisers provide spruce trunks ranging from 160 to 220 cm in height and 40–60 cm in diameter.
The material is fixed, but the theme is open. This means that the residency is aimed at artists who are confident in working with wood as an artistic material, rather than in a decorative or craft-based way.
It is suitable for those who work with sculpture, objects, and form and use wood in contemporary visual practice.
This is not a craft symposium or a plein air event. What is important here is the artist’s artistic position, even if the form is extremely material.
Terms of participation and support
Participants will receive an artist’s fee of €1,200 upon completion of the symposium and the artwork.
Materials will be provided by the organisers.
The format is intensive and short, without long-term accommodation, but with a high concentration of attention to the artist’s practice.
Who is it for
The residency is open to all professional artists, regardless of their country of residence. Experience in independent artistic work and an understanding of working with wood are required.
The project can be conceptual, abstract or figurative — the theme is freely chosen.
This format is particularly interesting for artists who want to: enter the public space, work on a large scale, show the process as part of their expression, and gain European experience outside the academic environment.
Why it is worth paying attention to
This is a rare format that combines working with natural materials, public visibility of the process, paid participation, a long history, and institutional support.
For artists from Eastern Europe and other regions with limited access to such formats, this is a real point of entry into the European art context without curatorial recommendations and institutional mediation.
There are actually very few artists who work confidently with wood on such a scale. Most residencies and open calls are focused on painting, media or studio formats, whereas working with massive natural materials requires experience, physical training and a special way of thinking about form.
If you don’t work with wood yourself but know artists for whom this material is key, it’s worth sharing this opportunity with them.
The symposium is held annually and remains one of the few stable European formats where scale, material and publicity really matter.
Dates and deadlines
The symposium will take place from 30 August to 6 September 2026.
The deadline for applications is 31 January 2026.
Selection will be carried out by an independent jury, with results announced in February 2026.
