NESR Art Foundation

NESR Art Foundation in Luanda, Angola offers prestigious 10-week fully-funded residencies exclusively for emerging artists from lusophone African nations: Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, and São Tomé e Príncipe. Founded in 2021 by philanthropists Hiba and Wissam Nesr, this private foundation operates from a dedicated creative hub providing studio and living space where two residents at a time develop artistic practice through intensive mentorship, critical discourse, and deep engagement with Angola’s dynamic social and cultural scene.

The residency’s mission centers on establishing meaningful relationships between artists and curators while facilitating connections with both local Angolan creative communities and international arts professionals. With only 6 artists selected annually across 3 sessions, NESR offers intimate, highly-supported experiences where emerging lusophone African practitioners receive not only time and space but comprehensive financial support including stipends and production grants enabling ambitious new work without economic constraints.

What distinguishes NESR Art Foundation is its commitment to practical and theoretical mentorship within Angola’s rapidly-evolving contemporary art context. As Luanda emerges as Southern Africa’s lusophone creative capital, residents benefit from foundation’s extensive networks—both within Angola’s art scene and internationally—while working in fully-furnished studios and accommodations eliminating logistical barriers to creative focus. The foundation’s broader mission encompasses building collection, educational projects, and platform for dialogue positioning African artistic production within global contemporary discourse.

Selection by Artistic Committee through competitive open call ensures high caliber of residents while foundation’s backing by Nesr family (operating Angola’s largest agri-industrial group for 40 years, with decade of philanthropic focus on education, food security, water access) provides stability and resources rare in African residency landscape. For emerging artists from Portuguese-speaking Africa seeking professional development, curatorial mentorship, and insertion into international art networks while remaining rooted in lusophone African contexts, NESR offers unparalleled opportunity combining material support, intellectual rigor, and strategic career advancement within Angola’s post-conflict creative renaissance.

Duration:

• 10 weeks per session
• 3 sessions per year
• Total: 6 artists annually (2 per session)

Eligibility:

• Geographic: Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé e Príncipe ONLY
• Career Stage: Emerging artists
• Selection: Artistic Committee review

Application Process:

• Open call system
• Annual application deadline (e.g., November 20, 11:00pm Angola time)
• Competitive selection

Financial Support:

• ✅ Fully funded
• ✅ Stipend provided
• ✅ Production grant provided
• ✅ Studio space included
• ✅ Living accommodation included
• ✅ All furnished

Cost to Artist:

• FREE (fully funded)

Residency Model:

• 2 artists at a time (intimate cohort)
• 10-week intensive (sufficient time for substantial work)
• 3 annual sessions (Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, Sep-Nov likely)

Mentorship:

• Practical mentorship with artists/curators
• Theoretical mentorship (critical discourse)
• Curatorial engagement
• Connection to international arts professionals

Community Engagement:

• Integration with Luanda social/cultural scene
• Dialogue with Angolan creative community
• International arts professional connections
• Foundation network access

Outcomes Expected:

• Artistic research development
• New work production
• Critical discourse participation
• Professional network building

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Eligibility Requirements:

• Must be from: Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, or São Tomé e Príncipe
• Emerging artist status
• All disciplines (visual arts focus implied)

Application Components: [Need to request specific requirements – typically:]

• Artist CV/Bio
• Portfolio
• Project proposal for residency
• Artist statement
• References

Deadline Example:

• November 20, 11:00pm WAT (West Africa Time / Angola time)
• [Confirm if annual or rolling]

Selection Process:

• Artistic Committee review
• Competitive (6 artists from entire lusophone Africa annually)
• High selectivity