Open Call - Cross Research Residency with Nessij
2026 RESEARCH RESIDENCY
NESSIJ X SELEBE YOON X LA BOITE CROSS RESEARCH RESIDENCIES
TUNISIA – SENEGAL
Nessij, a collective dedicated to supporting the Tunisian art scene, is partnering with Selebe Yoon, Dakar, and La Boîte, Tunis, to offer a cross-residency for research in 2026 between Senegal and Tunisia.
Each residency will last 4 weeks. Selebe Yoon will host an artist working and residing in Tunisia in Dakar from February 2-28, 2026. La Boîte, a contemporary art center based in Tunisia, will host an artist working and residing in Senegal in Tunis and/or Gabès from June 1-28, 2026. The aim of this partnership is to develop a network of residencies across the African continent and enhance artist mobility.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 2, 2025, 12 AM GMT
RESIDENCY AT LA BOÎTE - TUNIS/GABÈS
FOR ARTISTS LIVING AND WORKING IN SENEGAL
JUNE 2026
La Boîte will host a research residency in June 2026. La Boîte offers two possible contexts: Tunis, the capital, or Gabès, a southern Tunisian oasis city affected by pollution due to the presence of a phosphate processing chemical group since the 1970s (in partnership with the Focus Gabès association).
THE RESIDENCY
La Boîte offers research residencies for artists wishing to develop a project related to work or the specific context of the city of Gabès. This residency is focused on supporting the research phases necessary for the artistic process.
A single artist will be selected.
The selected artist will receive:
Logistical support, networking, and meeting opportunities organized by the program partners
Accommodation in Tunis or Gabès, along with a workspace
A stipend of €500 for living and transportation expenses on-site
Round-trip transport from Dakar to Tunis
A production budget of €300 for the residency presentation
Applications will be reviewed by a jury composed of Selebe Yoon and La Boîte, the program partners. In addition to evaluating the candidates' professional background, the jury will pay close attention to the relevance and grounding of the project within the territory, the artistic quality of the portfolios and research projects, the work protocol established for developing the residency project, and previous opportunities to travel.
PRESENTATION
At the end of the residency, the selected artist will be required to present their research findings in a free format (such as a conversation, screening, studio visit, performance, or visual presentation). The format of the presentation will be discussed during the residency.
PRODUCTION
If the selected artist creates new works during the residency, La Boîte will not be responsible for storing or transporting the works outside Tunisia. The artist will remain the sole owner of the works produced.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
A portfolio in PDF format, with images of works and complete captions
A CV (maximum 4 pages)
A project proposal (maximum 2 pages) in French or English, in which candidates detail their research project, motivations, and their interest in joining the residency program
The project proposal may also be presented in video format rather than written (max 5-7 min), if the candidate feels more comfortable doing so.
RESIDENCY AT SELEBE YOON – DAKAR
FOR ARTISTS LIVING AND WORKING IN TUNISIA
FEBRUARY 2026
Selebe Yoon will host a research residency at Selebe Yoon, Dakar, in February 2026. The residency is open to visual artists working and residing in Tunisia.
THE RESIDENCY
The Selebe Yoon residency offers a research residency dedicated to artists wishing to develop a project in Senegal. This residency is focused on supporting the research phases necessary for the artistic process.
A single artist will be selected.
The selected artist will receive:
Logistical support, networking, and meeting opportunities organized by the program partners
Accommodation within the gallery, along with a workspace
A stipend of €500 for living and transportation expenses on-site
Round-trip transport from Tunis to Dakar
A production budget of €300 for the residency presentation
Applications will be reviewed by a jury composed of Selebe Yoon and La Boîte, the program partners. In addition to evaluating the candidates' professional background, the jury will pay close attention to the relevance and grounding of the project within the territory, the artistic quality of the portfolios and research projects, the work protocol established for developing the residency project, and previous opportunities to travel.
PRESENTATION
At the end of the residency, the selected artist will be required to present their research findings in a free format (such as a conversation, screening, studio visit, performance, or visual presentation). The format of the presentation will be discussed during the residency.
PRODUCTION
If the selected artist creates new works during the residency, Selebe Yoon will not be responsible for storing or transporting the works outside Senegal. The artist will remain the sole owner of the works produced. The artist will remain the sole owner of the works produced.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
A portfolio in PDF format, with images of works and complete captions
A CV (maximum 4 pages)
A project proposal (maximum 2 pages) in French or English, in which candidates detail their research project, motivations, and their interest in joining the residency program
The project proposal may also be presented in video format rather than written (max 5-7 min), if the candidate feels more comfortable doing so.
ABOUT NESSIJ
Nessij, which means “web” in Arabic, is a collective founded in 2023 by a group of Tunisian artists and art workers who aim to support and promote the Tunisian artistic and cultural scene internationally. Nessij aims to encourage the circulation of artists, their works and the country's cultural workers, as well as to strengthen exchanges and solidarity between scenes, and particularly within the Global South.
ABOUT SELEBE YOON
Located in downtown Dakar, Selebe Yoon is a contemporary art gallery and an artist and curator residency founded by Jennifer Houdrouge in December 2020. “Selebe Yoon” means crossroads in Wolof, referring to the intersection of paths. The contemporary art gallery is internationally engaged and supports its artists in off-site and international projects.
ABOUT LA BOÎTE
Founded in 2007, La Boîte is a research and experimentation laboratory for artists, providing support for the creation, production, dissemination, and mediation of their works. Artists are free to create without commercial constraints or censorship. La Boîte produces, exhibits, and sometimes purchases works, building its own collection of over 200 pieces, currently displayed in the premises of the company that supports it.
La Boîte operates where the public is located, in their professional or educational environments. It intervenes in companies (La Boîte-La Charguia), at the university — in the Sainte-Monique Chapel of IHEC Carthage (La Boîte Off-Site) — and regionally, in Djerba in partnership with the Agora Djerba cultural space, and in Gabès, where it collaborates with ISAM Gabès and the Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions (La Boîte Outside Tunis). In 2021, La Boîte extended its activities to the field of architecture, with exhibitions — thematic and monographic —, meetings, and workshops focused on the promotion of Tunisia’s modern and contemporary heritage, reflecting on the challenges of its development.