for more information write to unidee@cittadellarte.it or call +39 01528400.
Cittadellarte is located within the grade listed premises of the former Trombetta Wool Mill, a testimony of Biella’s past as one of the first European hubs within the textile industry.
Biella is a city of almost 50,000 inhabitants, located at 30 km from Ivrea, 75 Km from Turin, 85 km from Aosta, 100 km from Milan and 160 Km from Genoa. Biella is known for its textile industry, the beauty of its nature (it is located at the foot of the Alps), its rice fields, for its flora and fauna, for its water springs and as a pilgrimage destination.
Since 2019, it has been a UNESCO Creative City for Folk Arts and Crafts. It has been designated Alpine Town of the Year 2021.
Cittadellarte’s aim is to inspire and produce a responsible change in society through ideas and creative projects. Cittadellarte - Fondazione Pistoletto was instituted in 1998 as a concrete action of the Progetto Arte Manifesto, where Michelangelo Pistoletto proposed a new role for the artist: that of placing art in direct interaction with all the areas of human activity which form society.
Cittadellarte is dedicated to the study, experimentation and development of practices translating the symbol of the Third Paradise into realty, implying it into every sector of society. It is a great laboratory, hosting many young artists, which generates unedited processes of development in diverse fields of culture, production, economics and politics.
Cittadellarte is a vibrant international network of cultural and social innovators, individuals actively interlaced with their social contexts where they often act as catalyst of change. The interrelationship between people and projects is based on a common vision whose roots lie in an accumulative thought&practice process, developed by a wide range of thinkers, managers, innovators of all field. Pistoletto’s work, from the 60s to today, acts as a pumping brain for Cittadellarte’s communities.
Cittadellarte has developed an extensive networks of collaborations with Institutions (various United Nations Agencies, Ministries, Universities and Educational Organizations) global enterprises and local businesses, civil society collectives, organizations and individuals from all fields.
All participants have free access to:
- a seminar module / meeting room
- Cittadellarte library
- saladivani (a space to share with other residents for cooking and spending time together)
- laudry
Participants will be accommodated in single rooms with the use of a shared bathroom. Cittadellarte for each room provides bed linen and 2 towels. Each bathroom has a hair dryer and hand soap.
It is also possible to request an iron at the Cittadellarte Store during opening hours.
For residents staying in Cittadellarte for several weeks there are two shared houses with single rooms and shared bathrooms, a kitchen and a living room.
When is the UNIDEE programme running?
UNIDEE modules, curated by the Visiting curator, are generally in the months of May-July and September-November. We launch the open call at the beginning of each season. Look in the activities for new open calls. UNIDEE Research residencies are generally in the autumn but can take place at any time of the year.
How can I apply for UNIDEE residency programmes?
To join a module, you can download the application form from each module/open call page, fill it in and then email it to unidee@cittadellarte.it. As for the research residencies, they are open all year round. You are invited to send your project proposal to our email address.
Is there a possibility to come to do a research residency without participating in the modules or other activities already offered?
Yes. We are interested in selecting residents who wish to explore their research at Cittadellarte and who cannot participate in the grants we have in partnership with A.M. Qattan, French Institut in Italy, Inlaks Foundation and Yarat Contemporary Art Space.
Selected residents will meet and share their work and research with international professionals and participants in weekly residential modules and mentors.
The residency can take place anytime of the year and has a cost that is agreed upon based on the involvement of the UNIDEE curatorial team and duration. Write to us for more information.
How much does it cost to participate in a module?
Thanks to our partners, participation in the UNIDEE residency modules is free of charge.
What is included and not included in participating in a module?
During the residency week you will participate in all the activities related to the module, as well as in Cittadellarte and HYDRO's artistic and cultural events.
Moreover, accommodation in a single room (shared bathroom) at Cittadellarte is offered.
The following are not included:
• Some meals. Biella offers a variety of dining options, both in traditional Piedmontese trattorie and in restaurants and pizzerias. In the welcome pack you will find directions to some of the places closest to Cittadellarte. It is also possible to do the shopping together with the group of participants and to cook in the shared kitchens, which are available to residents. At certain moments Cittadellarte facilitates the sharing of meals.
• Yourself or your sponsor will have to cover your travel costs to and from Cittadellarte, costs in connection to insurance (travel, personal, public liability etc.) as well as visas.
UNIDEE can also provide scholarships to cover travel expenses, the modalities of application are specified in each open call.
Are there any scholarships and/or reductions available for which I can apply?
Cittadellarte and UNIDEE are committed to a policy of equal opportunities and aim to ensure that no participant receives preferential treatment based on age, class, race, ethnicity, nationality, country of residence, familial status, gender, sexual orientation, disability, philosophical or religious beliefs or the like.
Thanks to our partners, we can support a limited number of residents who need further economic support to participate in our modules. This is guaranteed for every UNIDEE module open call.
We are aware that some of the artists, professionals and researchers interested in our programming experience various conditions of fragility and precariousness. A careful evaluation of each case by the selection panel will be at the basis of our choice of whom to award the bursaries.
Many of our international participants can also access funding opportunities provided by local arts councils and similar platforms, active in their countries of residence.
The UNIDEE team is at your complete disposal to write letters of support and to assist you in this process.
Is Cittadellarte accessible to people with disabilities – especially people with impaired mobility, wheelchair users and blind and partially sighted people?
The Cittadellarte complex is partially accessible to wheelchairs users. The exhibition spaces are fully accessible, while we are working to make the guest rooms fully accessible.
How many people will be in my group?
The group size varies depending on the modules, with a minimum of 6 participants and a maximum of 12. Some modules have a larger number of participants. See the description of each activity for more details.
What is the programme language?
All UNIDEE activities are normally delivered in English, with some exceptions. Some are held in Italian; please refer to the description of each activity for details.
By train
The closest train station to Cittadellarte is Biella San Paolo. Cittadellarte is a twenty minutes walk from the station, or a five minute taxi ride. As transport schedules vary and trains can be infrequent, please check beforehand on www.trenitalia.com, according to your date and time of arrival.
By plain (+ bus/train)
Milano Malpensa Airport (MXP)
Option 1:
From Malpensa airport, Terminal A or B, board a stn bus to Novara train station (timaetable here - tickets should be bought on board, paid in cash). Journey time: 50 min. From Novara train station, board the direct train to Biella San Paolo (tickets to be bought and validated before boarding the trains). www.trenitalia.com
Option 2:
Take the train to Milano Centrale or the Malpensa shuttle (www.malpensashuttle.it) and then from Milano Stazione Centrale board the direct train to Torino Porta Nuova and then change in either Novara or Santhià for the direct connection to Biella San Paolo (tickets to be bought and validated before boarding the trains). www.trenitalia.com
Torino Caselle Airport (TRN)
Outside Arrivals board a Sadem Bus to Torino Porta Nuova (timetable here - tickets should be bought at the ticket machine). Journey time: 40 min. From Torino Porta Nuova station, get on the direct train to Milano Centrale and get off at Santhià, where you can change train and board the direct connection to Biella San Paolo. (tickets to be bought and validated before boarding the trains). www.trenitalia.com
Milano Linate Airport (LIN)
From the Arrivals area, board the direct bus to Milano Centrale (timetable here). From Milano Stazione Centrale board the direct train to Torino Porta Nuova and then change in either Novara or Santhià for the direct connection to Biella San Paolo (tickets to be bought and validated before boarding the trains). www.trenitalia.com
Orio al Serio, Bergamo Airport (BGY)
From the Arrivals area, board the Orioshuttle to Milano Stazione Centrale (schedules can be found here). From Milano Stazione Centrale board the direct train to Torino Porta Nuova and then change in either Novara or Santhià for the direct connection to Biella San Paolo (tickets to be bought and validated before boarding the trains). www.trenitalia.com