Villa Albertine Announces 2026 Residents Cohort

New York, June 11, 2025 - Since launching its residency program in 2021, Villa Albertine has supported over 300 creators through transformative immersions grounded in exploratory research across the United States. In 2023, Villa Albertine created a post-residency initiative that has funded 65 projects to date, further supporting artists in their transition from exploratory residencies to tangible outcomes. "We are proud to mark our fifth season of our residency program, which has now allowed over 300 creative professionals to cultivate an array of projects in the United States," said Mohamed Bouabdallah, Cultural Counselor of France in the United Statesand Director of Villa Albertine. "The vision of our residents has led them to push artistic boundaries and create connections while investigating their chosen surroundings. Their work has lent truth to the vitality and relevance of our mission, to deepen ties between the US and France." These residency programs have led to a wide range of French-American collaborations and creations, including books, films, artwork, immersive experiences, tours, and more, strengthening French artistic presence in the US and fostering long-term cultural cooperation.

This year's general call for applications was paired with three themed calls, each of which had its own jury. The newest of these themed calls, "Arts in the Age of AI," was announced by French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati during the AI Action Summit in Paris in February 2025. Thanks to the support of Franco-American patron and technology leader Fidji Simo, Villa Albertine will host eight artists or culture professionals who incorporate artificial intelligence into their work, 4 in 2026 and 4 in 2027. In 2026, 5 craft and design residencies are supported by the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation, of which 3 were selected in collaboration with the New York-based co-founders of WantedDesign. Three classical music residencies, in partnership with Philharmonie de Paris, are made possible by Fondation d'Entreprise Société Générale, allowing Villa Albertine to support musicians, composers, classical music professionals, and female conductors through inspiring residencies. Beyond these calls for applications, several residents were selected through special programs and partnerships. For instance, recipients of the Recanati-Kaplan Prize and the Sarr Prize will each take part in a Villa Albertine residency.

In 2026, Villa Albertine will welcome nearly 60 artists, scholars, and cultural professionals covering 10 main artistic disciplines and 30 locations across the United States. Their projects are grounded in the local contexts they explore, offering a novel approach to each location.

As 2026 rings in the 250th anniversary of Franco-American friendship, this year's residents will reimagine the shared narratives that define transatlantic relations. In Washington, DC, museum curator Vincent Bouat-Ferlier will highlight Lafayette's role in shaping the ideals at the heart of this historic alliance. In New York, the street artist duo Lek & Sowat will delve into graffiti's transatlantic roots, connecting New York's urban heritage with European avant-garde movements. Following in the footsteps of Malcolm X, actor Adama Diop will explore the intersections of Africa, Europe, and America through a performance combining theater, poetry, and music.

A new residency cycle will examine the intersection of art, innovation, and artificial intelligence. In Los Angeles, visual artist Louis-Paul Caron will develop Pacific Palisades, an immersive installation designed as a memory device following the neighborhood's devastating wildfires. In San Francisco, the avant-garde duo Holly Herndon and Mat Dryhurst will explore collaborative and ethical AI models for the creative industries. In New York, photographer Hanako Murakami will investigate eye-tracking technologies that reimagine photography by turning the viewer into an active participant in the creation of the image.

Rooted in contemporary issues, these projects will take an artistic perspective on the commons, celebrating the power of creativity as a tool for connection, transmission, and collective invention. In New Orleans, artisan and designer Laurel Parker will collaborate with local communities to imagine sustainable alternatives to plastic at Mardi Gras celebrations. In Houston, visual artist Samir Laghouati-Rashwan will explore the concept of slowness, drawing inspiration from popular cultures to reflect on our relationship with time and the city. In Baltimore, filmmaker Sabrina Bouarour will document youth engagement in urban agriculture, creating forward-looking laboratories where new ways of nourishing and inhabiting the land are invented. In Chicago, Violaine Barrois and Suraia Abud will embark on a sensitive exploration of culinary memory to reimagine shared gestures and knowledge across cultures.

Villa Albertine is an institution of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs' Embassy of France in the United States. The 2026 season of Villa Albertine's residencies, developed in partnership with Albertine Foundation, is supported by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the French Embassy in the United States, the Ministry of Culture, and the Institut français.

Villa Albertine and Albertine Foundation are grateful for the leadership support of Societe Generale Corporate Foundation, with the generous contributions of the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation, the Recanati-Kaplan Foundation, Ardian, AXA, the ENGIE Corporate Foundation, the Florence Gould Endowment for Literary Exchange, Fidji Simo, the Académie des Beaux-Arts, AWARE, ADIAF, Marfret and the Fonds de Dotation Banque Transatlantique.