Akademie Schloss Solitude
An internationally oriented artist and scientist residency foundation based at Schloss Solitude in Stuttgart, Germany.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Akademie Schloss Solitude is a public-law foundation and international residency institution based at Schloss Solitude in Stuttgart, Germany. Its principal purpose is to support younger, particularly gifted artists and scientists through residential fellowships, while also presenting exhibitions, performances, lectures, discussions, publications, and other public events connected with the work of its fellows. The institution combines the idea of a retreat for concentrated research with an outward-looking program of artistic, scientific, and social exchange. The Akademie began granting fellowships in 1990. Since opening its doors, it has supported approximately 1,400 artists and scientists from more than 120 countries, creating an international and transdisciplinary alumni network. Fellows live and work in furnished studios located in buildings adjoining Schloss Solitude. The residential setting is intended to provide both material support and intellectual space, allowing participants to develop projects away from the pressures of conventional educational or commercial systems. The Akademie presents the residency as a form of communal learning in which artists, researchers, and members of the public can encounter practices and ideas from outside their own disciplines. Its fellowship structure spans a broad range of fields. These include visual arts and media; music and performing arts; digital art, gaming, digital journalism, and digital publishing; architecture and design; literature and language; education, mediation, theory, and other communal or societal practices; and the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and economic sciences. In a typical selection cycle, approximately 50 to 65 residencies are awarded every two years for periods of six, nine, or twelve months. Applications are assessed by independent specialist juries, with jurors generally appointed for 24-month terms. The institution places particular emphasis on interdisciplinarity and artistic research. Fellows are encouraged to exchange methods across artistic, scientific, technological, and social fields, and the Akademie uses exhibitions and other events to connect residency work with wider publics. Its program has also developed thematic and discursive components. From the 2020–2021 fellowship cycle, a cooperation with KfW Stiftung introduced a thematic focus in which a group of seven fellows could investigate a shared subject through individually chosen approaches over nine months. The initiative was intended to strengthen the public role of transdisciplinary and discourse-oriented artistic work. Akademie Schloss Solitude also operates digital initiatives. Schlosspost is an online, transdisciplinary forum covering art, culture, society, and digital practice. It publishes work by fellows, alumni, collaborators, and invited contributors, and hosts thematic open calls addressing contemporary social and political questions. The Web Residencies by Solitude & ZKM program supports artists, designers, technologists, hackers, and scientists who use the internet as a production environment. Each open call selects four artists or teams for four-week online residencies, with projects developed and presented through Schlosspost. The program has been operated in partnership with ZKM | Center for Art and Media since 2017 and is supported, along with Schlosspost, by Baden-Württemberg's ministry responsible for science, research, and the arts. The Akademie is subsidized by the State of Baden-Württemberg. Jean-Baptiste Joly, its founding director, served as artistic director from January 1989 through March 2018. Elke aus dem Moore became artistic director on 1 May 2018. The institution's continuing role is to provide time, space, resources, and an international network for experimental work while using Schloss Solitude as a setting for exchange between generations, disciplines, and publics.
History
Akademie Schloss Solitude is a foundation under public law located at Schloss Solitude in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The institution's concept joins two related ideas: Schloss Solitude as a place of retreat and refuge, and the Akademie as a site for artistic, scientific, and societal exchange. Its residential model gives participants time and facilities for concentrated work while making their practices available for encounters with other disciplines and with the public. Jean-Baptiste Joly was the founding director and served as artistic director from 1 January 1989 until 31 March 2018. The Akademie began granting fellowships in 1990. Its central activity has been the selection and support of international fellows, particularly younger artists and scientists considered exceptionally talented. Since its opening, the institution has supported approximately 1,400 people from more than 120 countries. Fellows use furnished studios in buildings adjoining Schloss Solitude as combined living and working spaces, creating a community in which daily proximity encourages informal exchange as well as planned interdisciplinary programs. Fellowships are offered across visual and media arts, music, performance, digital practice, architecture, design, literature, language, education, mediation, theory, communal-based work, and the humanities, social, natural, and economic sciences. Approximately 50 to 65 live/work residencies are awarded every two years. The residency terms are normally six, nine, or twelve months. Independent specialist juries make the allocation decisions for the different fields, and jurors are appointed for 24-month periods. This structure is designed to combine professional expertise with an international and cross-disciplinary selection process. The Akademie does not function only as a private retreat. Exhibitions, performances, lectures, discussions, and other events by residents connect the fellows' work to wider audiences. Its program treats the residency as an experimental learning environment outside the formal education system. Artistic research, collaborative inquiry, and exchanges between practitioners and researchers are used to examine social processes and encourage intergenerational dialogue. In the 2019 application round for the 2020–2021 cohort, the Akademie expanded its profile by introducing a thematic focus in cooperation with KfW Stiftung. Seven fellows were invited to explore a common content-related subject over nine months, while retaining freedom over their methods and outputs. The initiative sought to increase the visibility and social importance of transdisciplinary, discursive, and research-oriented artistic practices. Digital work became another significant part of the institution's activities. Schlosspost operates as a transdisciplinary online forum about art, culture, society, and digital life. It publishes contributions from the Solitude network and invites artists and authors worldwide to respond to thematic online issues. Web Residencies by Solitude & ZKM provides four-week online residencies for selected artists or teams working with the internet as a production site. Four participants or teams are selected for each call, which is developed with invited curators. The projects and their development are presented through Schlosspost. ZKM has been a program partner since 2017, while both initiatives receive support from the Baden-Württemberg ministry responsible for science, research, and the arts. Elke aus dem Moore became artistic director on 1 May 2018. Under the continuing residency model, the Akademie maintains a global alumni network and a program centered on openness to new formats, interdisciplinary work, and exchange between artistic, scientific, and social practices. It is subsidized by the State of Baden-Württemberg.
- 2019
Thematic focus announced for the next fellowship cycle
[1]The Akademie introduced a thematic focus for fellows joining in 2020–2021 in cooperation with KfW Stiftung.
- 2018
New artistic director appointed
[1]Elke aus dem Moore became artistic director on 1 May, following Jean-Baptiste Joly's departure at the end of March.
- 2017
ZKM becomes a Web Residencies partner
[1]ZKM | Center for Art and Media became a partner in the Web Residencies program supporting internet-based artistic work.
- 1990
Fellowship program begins
[1]Akademie Schloss Solitude began granting residential fellowships to international artists and scientists.
- 1989
Founding directorship begins
[1]Jean-Baptiste Joly began serving as the institution's founding director and artistic director.
Products and positioning
A publicly supported, international, and transdisciplinary residency platform that combines concentrated artistic and scientific work with public exchange, experimentation, and cross-disciplinary learning.
Artist and scientist residency · 1990
Residential fellowships
The Akademie's core offering is a live/work fellowship for international artists and scientists. Fellows receive furnished studios adjoining Schloss Solitude and time to pursue artistic, scientific, or socially engaged research. Residencies generally last six, nine, or twelve months, with roughly 50 to 65 places awarded every two years through independent specialist juries.
Digital platform
Schlosspost
Schlosspost is an online forum presenting work and ideas related to art, culture, society, and the digital sphere. It connects current fellows, alumni, collaborators, and external contributors, and uses thematic open calls to invite international artists and authors to address contemporary social and political questions.
Online residency · 2017
Web Residencies by Solitude & ZKM
This program supports artists, designers, technologists, hackers, and scientists who treat the internet as a site of production. Open calls are organized with invited curators, and four artists or teams receive four-week online residencies for each call. The resulting processes and projects are presented through Schlosspost.
Cultural program
Public events and exhibitions
Exhibitions, performances, lectures, discussions, and related events give the public access to work developed by fellows. These activities extend the residency beyond a private studio program and support the Akademie's broader goal of interdisciplinary and intergenerational exchange.
Brand decisions
2019
Introduce a thematic focus for the 2020–2021 fellowship cycleStrategyBackground
After three decades of general interdisciplinary fellowship activity, the Akademie sought to give a group of fellows a shared content-related point of departure.
Action taken
In cooperation with KfW Stiftung, it created a thematic program for seven fellows, each of whom could investigate the subject through a self-directed approach over nine months.
Aftermath
The initiative was intended to reinforce the social relevance of transdisciplinary and discursive artistic work while preserving the fellows' methodological freedom.
2017
Expand online residency work through a ZKM partnershipStrategyBackground
The Akademie sought to support artistic, technological, and research practices that use the internet as a production environment.
Action taken
It operated the Web Residencies by Solitude & ZKM program with ZKM | Center for Art and Media, using recurring thematic open calls and short online residencies.
Aftermath
The program created an online route for international artists and teams to develop and publish work through the Schlosspost platform.
Recent events
- 2019
Thematic fellowship focus introduced for the 2020–2021 cycle[1]
Other
For the application round selecting fellows for 2020–2021, the Akademie added a thematic focus in cooperation with KfW Stiftung. Seven fellows were invited to investigate the focus over nine months through individually developed approaches.
- 2018
Elke aus dem Moore became artistic director[1]
Leadership change
Elke aus dem Moore took over as artistic director on 1 May 2018, succeeding founding director Jean-Baptiste Joly.
- 2017
Web Residencies by Solitude & ZKM continued as a digital program[1]
Other
Akademie Schloss Solitude established ZKM | Center for Art and Media as a program partner for its online Web Residencies initiative, supporting internet-based artistic and research projects.
Sources2 sources
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