Svetvinčenat, Istria

The residency takes place in Svetvinčenat, a small Renaissance town in the heart of Istria, also known as Savičenta or San Vincenti—three names for the same place, all deriving from Saint Vincent, its patron. Developed around an abbey bearing his name, the village carries layers of religious, civic, and agricultural history.

At its center lies the Morosini-Grimani Castle, one of Istria’s best-preserved Venetian fortifications. Rebuilt, damaged, and restored over centuries, the castle stands today as a physical record of time—architecture shaped by memory, adaptation, and endurance. Together with the square, courtyards, churches, and surrounding public spaces, it forms a strong spatial presence rather than a historical backdrop.

Svetvinčenat is not experienced as a monument, but as a living village. Daily life, seasonal rhythms, agriculture, and cultural activity coexist naturally here. Long connected to performance, communal gatherings, and public events, the town offers a setting where space feels active and open.

For the residency, participants will have access to a range of spaces within and around the castle, the village square, and the wider landscape. These places are not assigned meaning in advance—they become sites for observation, testing, presence, and response. Rather than dictating content, the environment supports the work as it unfolds.

Surrounded by vineyards, olive groves, dry stone walls, and open fields, Svetvinčenat carries a slower rhythm. Sound travels differently here: footsteps on stone, wind through vegetation, distant church bells, and the quiet movement of village life. This atmosphere creates space for concentration, attentiveness, and sustained work—allowing ideas to unfold at the pace of the place itself.