The Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) conducts research with the aim of investigating, identifying, and advancing development pathways for transformation processes towards sustainability in Germany and abroad. The institute was founded in 2009 as the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) and has been affiliated with the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam - GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences under its new name since the 1st of January 2023 and is thus part of the Helmholtz Association.
Planetary Transitions 2025: Potsdam Artist Residency (f_m_x) - 2nd Call for Applications
Reference Number 10021
The Potsdam Memorandum of 2007 calls on science and society to tap into all sources of ingenuity and cooperation in an effort to tackle the great sustainability challenges of our time. The arts can provide unique insights beyond the scope of scientific analysis and policy development, challenging our views and opening new avenues to work together towards the common goal of a sustainable world, while fostering dialogue across cultures, epistemologies and territories.
The DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program, the City of Potsdam, and the Research Institute for Sustainability – Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (RIFS) are issuing a joint call for applications for international artists who wish to develop work that explores the intersection between art and sustainability during a fellowship in Potsdam, Germany. The programme seeks to foster exchange between the arts, academia, politics, and civil society. We encourage the participation of artists with critical voices and perspectives that are absent in German and Western European discussions on sustainability and sustainable development.
We especially welcome applications from candidates whose interests dovetail with our research activities, in particular in the areas of: air quality, climate change, consumption, democracy, digitalisation, energy, just transition, mindsets, mobility, rights of nature, risks and hazards, and/or sustainability challenges affecting the Arctic, Europe (particular Brandenburg/Berlin), Latin America (particular the Amazon region), Southern (particular the Himalaya region) and Eastern Asia, or the Oceans.
The successful applicant will join the RIFS Fellow Programme, which has frequently hosted artists over the years, alongside scientists and practitioners from business and civil society. Fellowships span a period of three to six months, starting in the second half of 2025, with the RIFS providing the basic infrastructure as well as a monthly stipend and additional allowances for ancillary costs such as travel expenses, co-financed by the DAAD. In addition, we provide support on various legal requirements such as visa applications, cover travel to Potsdam and back, and provide an apartment for the first three months of the fellowship, allowing fellows ample time to find suitable housing in the Berlin-Brandenburg area, if needed.
This call for applications is open to artists active in any field – from the visual arts to filmmaking, the performing arts, literature, music, and beyond. While we value artistic experience, we recognize that exceptional talent and creativity can often transcend traditional benchmarks. We encourage individuals with a passion for their craft and a strong portfolio to apply. We welcome joint applications by artistic collectives; however, our funds are limited. Please contact us directly if you wish to submit a joint application.
Have we piqued your interest?
To apply, please provide us with the following documents and information:
- Letter of motivation (max. 2 pages): Please explain your motivation to apply for this fellowship. In particular, please outline how your project would benefit from a collaboration with one of the RIFS research groups. Please indicate which RIFS research group would be your preferred cooperation partner.
- CV (max. 2 pages): Please outline the key steps in your career.
- Portfolio (max. 20 pages): Please provide us with your portfolio or links to websites hosting your work.
- Proposal (max. 5 pages): Please outline your intended project during your fellowship, paying special attention to how it would relate to sustainability and be implemented at RIFS, in the Potsdam/Berlin area and/or the German art world.
All documents must be submitted as separate PDF files in English by 15th January 2025.
Your complete application (all files) should not exceed 25MB.
Successful applicants will be selected by representatives from the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program, the City of Potsdam, the RIFS and independent external jury members from academia and the arts. We expect to reach our decision in February/March 2025.
As part of the fellowship, we expect that the successful applicant(s) present their work to the public. This does not necessarily mean completed art pieces, but more broadly their topics, approach and perspective on planetary transitions.
Diversity and equal opportunities are integral components of our human resources policy. The RIFS actively promotes diversity and explicitly welcomes applications from all qualified individuals, regardless of ethnic and social origin, nationality, gender, sexual orientation and identity, religion/belief, age and physical characteristics. Anyone who has been recognized as severely disabled, will be given preferential consideration in the event of equal suitability and qualification in accordance with the provisions of the German Social Code IX. If you have any questions, please contact our Representative for Disabled Persons at sbv@gfz-potsdam.de, who will be happy to assist you in the further application process. In case of further queries regarding gender equality, please do not hesitate to contact our Equal Opportunities Officer at gba@gfz-potsdam.de.
Applications from single parents with small children or small families are welcomed. Please contact Solange Lingnau via solange.lingnau@rathaus.potsdam.de to inquire about family-friendly accommodation.
Your personal data will be processed for the purpose of conducting the selection procedure on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 b, Art. 88 GDPR in conjunction with Art. 26 of the Data Protection Act for the State of Brandenburg. After completion of the procedure, application documents will be deleted in compliance with data protection regulations. The selection process will involve a committee including external advisors who will receive the applications. Your personal data will, of course, be treated confidentially and will be communicated to the involved person exclusively for the purpose of evaluating your professional suitability within the framework of this selection procedure. Once the procedure has been completed, the personal data will also be deleted there in compliance with data protection regulations.
Please check also our FAQ section. In case of any further queries relating to the field of activity, please contact Achim Maas either via email at achim.maas@rifs-potsdam.de or phone +49 (0)331-6264-22355.
