Open Call: The Institute of Hiking
A Walking Residency in the Mountains of Sunnmøre, Norway
Deadline: 18 June 2025
Residency Dates: Between 24 August to 31st of August 2025 (7 days + allow for travel days before and after)
Artist fee offered: 1000 euro
Starting point: The beautiful cabin Reindalseter (please note that there is currently not an English translation of this description. You can read more about the Norwegian Trekking Association here).
” Thinking is generally thought of as doing nothing in a production-oriented society, and doing nothing is hard to do. It’s best done by disguising it as doing something, and the something closest to doing nothing is walking.”
― Rebecca Solnit, Wanderlust: A History of Walking
Can you picture it? A group of artists walking side by side through the Norwegian mountains, resting at night in mountain cabins, carrying the rhythm of steps, fatigue, silence, and stories. A landscape both generous and demanding. No exhibition deadline. No performance slot. Just time. Just movement. Just presence.
This initiative emerges from a desire to rethink how art is made, to experiment with how we gather, and to trust the intelligence of walking as a way of knowing — and not knowing.
What is The Institute of Hiking?
The Institute of Hiking is a pilot artist residency that unfolds through the act of walking. It takes place in the majestic terrain of Sunnmøre, on Norway’s northwest coast — a region known for its dramatic fjords, steep cliffs, and deep silence. This residency invites artists working in any field to walk together for five days through selected trails and mountain paths, guided partly by a local trekking expert and hosted each night in simple, shared mountain cabins.
Curated by walking, shaped by dialogue and weather, this residency has no expected outcome. It is designed as a pause, a shared experiment, a soft refusal of productivity in favor of embodied research, open-ended thinking, and unexpected connection. The only thing we kindly ask is for the participants to share a brief note of reflection. This can be done in written form, as a drawing or by photo, or any other (un)imaginable form.
The residency is initiated by curator Lisa Gilardino and Høstscena Festival in Ålesund in collaboration with the Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT)
Who can apply?
Artists from any discipline are welcome to apply. You do not need to have hiking experience — just a willingness to walk, adapt, and be part of a collective rhythm. We are aware that walking in nature can be challenging for some participants with disabilities. Together with interested applicants, we will explore how to make the residency as welcoming and accessible as possible — starting from each person’s specific needs and wishes.We will favour applications from those who can travel without flying — by train, ferry, or bus — and artists who see the journey as part of the work.Traveling by train or low-emission transport is not just a condition — it’s part of the concept. A slow arrival matters.
We can host 5–6 artists in 2025. The selection is based on the relevance of your reflections to the context — not on past achievements or project proposals.
What we offer
- €1000 artist fee
- All travel, accommodation, and food covered
- Additional allowance for long train travel
- Support with necessary hiking gear
What will happen
- A walking experience, partly led by a local guide
- 5 days of hiking + 2 days of rest and reflection
- Shared accommodation in mountain cabins
- Simple meals, meaningful conversations, unpredictable weather
We will move together, rest together, sometimes talk, sometimes not. The hike is a form of curating. We invite intuition as methodology. The landscape will shape the conversations.
Apply by 18 June 2025 using the form here
Final participants will be confirmed by end June 2025
Who we are:
The Institute of Hiking is curated by:
Siri Forberg (Artistic Director, Høstscena Festival, Ålesund)
Lisa Gilardino (Freelance Curator, Bologna, Italy)
Trine Røssevold (Visual artist & Principal, Ytre Artschool, Ålesund)
Benedicte Holen (Director of Art Programs at the Vitimusea)
Solfrid Otterholm (Art Curator at Vitimusea)
Website: [www.hostscena.no]
Contact: [siri@hostscena.no]
Practical information: [miriam@hostscena.no]
Follow us on Facebook or Instagram: [@hostscena]
Supported by the Norwegian Arts Council