The Brief History of the Kastel Residency

Kastel residency is a project of the Artist Suncica Kuzmanic (Perisin Tomljanovic) which began in the year 2007. The reason of embarking on such a project was the lack of a simmilar residency in the region, whilst a large number of artist friends where staying at Sunci's studio in Kastel Kambelovac, and delighted by Kastela and the life in the mediteranian small town, they painted, wrote, photographed, produced installations. The wish to make this enchanting place available to more artists, inspired Suncica to open up her own studio as a residency.

There are so called residencies in Croatia- where artists are invited to eat and drink and create industriously in exchange for leaving all the work they create as a price for their stay. The quality of such work is always questionable.

The aim of the Kastel Residency is to provide selected artists with a place to create and stay. To host the artist in a way that they may get to know the region, the people, enjoy the life style of the charming small  sea side town, full of life and character, and that in exchange that the artist makes works inspired by their arrival in some way. The perceptions of artist may in turn  open up the eyes of the local people to the beauty, details, that the locals fail to observe or apriciate and which can only be pointed out by someone with fresh eyes.

An important element of the residency is the potentional for international exchange, the introduction of  the local artists and curators to the artist in residence , enabling future  collaborations and projects, as well as potential exhibitions for the residents in other local institutions.

Kastel Residency and the Museum of the city of Kastela

This year 2016 the project Kastel Art residency is expanding, and Kastel Residency will be  entering the Museum of Kastela space, and  summer programe to become a part of the living museum.

The residency which had upuntil now hosted artists in private accommodation is relocating to new , much larger city space available to the Museum,  to the astounding grounds of the heritage castle Rusinac, in Kastel Luksic. In the city space, visitors can visit the artist at work, observe the progress of art works, come in to contact with the artist, making the residency  interactive with the public.

The very Castle Rušinac in this way is being rejuvenated and brought to life. A new creative energy is entering the old castle -whose late owner was in fact a painter- and who together with his lady wife was, a lover of culture and arts, and had generously donated the castle to the city of Kastela