Serendipity Arles Grant 2025
About
In 2020, the Serendipity Arts Foundation and Les Rencontres d’Arles announced the biggest lens-based media grant, supported by the Institut français en Inde, with the shared purpose of promoting cultural practices in the South Asian region. The winner of the previous two editions of the grant, Sathish Kumar (2022) and Paribartana Mohanty (2024) were awarded the grant to develop and showcase their respective projects Town Boy (2022) and A Fate’s Brief Memoir (2024) at Les Rencontres d’Arles.
We are now open to receive applications for the third edition of the Serendipity Arles Grant 2025-26, inviting project proposals from South Asia, stemming from photography, video, new media and other lens based explorations. The initiative seeks not only to empower artists from the region, but also further a spirit of regional cooperation and representation.
The Serendipity Arles Grant will be awarded in two phases.
Phase 1 would select 5 shortlisted projects awarding INR 70,000/- (€800 approx.) each to showcase their proposed projects as a work in progress display at the upcoming edition of Serendipity Arts Festival 2025. One winner would be selected out of the 5 projects, marking Phase 2 of the grant.
Phase 2 would award the selected winner a total of €15,000 (INR 13,50,000/- approx) out of which €7500 (approx INR 6,70,000/-) to be given to the artist to develop the grant project, and €7500 (approx INR 6,70,000/-) extended to support the production, travel, logistics and accommodation costs for it to be showcased as a final presentation at Les Rencontres d’Arles in July 2026. Production costs include production of the works (prints, collage, framing) and also wallpaper, lettering, translation / subtitle (if there is a video), shipment of the works and insurance.
The grant will cover development, research, production, logistics costs for the winning project, break up details given below:
- €7500 – Project Development Grant & Artist Fee
- €7000 – Production costs to be dispersed by Rencontres d’Arles
- €500 – Accommodation costs at Rencontres d’Arles 2024 to be dispersed by Arles
Duration
Deadline
April 18, 2025 at 11:59 pm IST.
Process
The grant will be awarded in two phases:
PHASE I
In the first phase, 5 practitioners will be shortlisted by an eminent jury based on their applications, proposed projects, and a virtual interview.
The 5 practitioners will receive a production grant of INR 70,000/-* each to produce and showcase the series of work proposed by them in their applications. Each shortlisted artist shall send in their works with a complete installation plan/brief for SAF 2025. SAF to cover transport of art works to Goa. In case of physical artworks, SAF recommends sending exhibition prints which will be destroyed after the showcase in Goa. In case the works are required to be returned, the artist is responsible for its return from Goa.
A selection of these works will be showcased as a work-in-progress exhibit in December in Goa at the Serendipity Arts Festival 2025. The jury present at the Festival will choose one out of the 5 bodies of works of the shortlisted artists as the finalist for the second phase of the grant.
*subject to 20.2% tax deduction for international payments and 10% TDS deduction for payments within India. The deducted amount can be claimed by the applicant at the time of filing their taxes.
PHASE II
The winning grantee will get the opportunity to further develop their project and put up a solo presentation of their project at Les Rencontres d’Arles in July 2026.
Deliverables to the winner:
- €7500/- Project Development Grant and Artist Fee
- Air Tickets to Arles and back – upto €1200 Euros (to be booked within stipulated timelines)
- Visa Facilitation fee
- €7000 – Production Support (to be disbursed by Rencontres d’Arles on behalf of the artist) Additionally, any expenses to produce the work over and above of the production grant will be borne by the artist including tax deductions.
- €500 – Accommodation Costs (to be disbursed by Arles directly to the hotel)
Eligibility
- Submissions are open to all lens-based South Asian practitioners from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan & Sri Lanka.
- Submissions are open to projects produced by individual artists or artist collectives.
- Applicants must be residents of countries mentioned in point 1, who have been practicing for 5 to 10 years.
- Age – 30 years and above (as of announcement date)
- The call is open to projects in progress. Applicants must submit supporting documents to outline the progress.
- The proposed project should not have been shown in any form; in whole or in part, before the submission for the Grant.
- Applicants who have received a grant in the past 1 year for the same proposed project, from the date of announcement of the Serendipity Arles Grant are ineligible to apply.
- In case the applicant is currently at a residency, or would be part of a residency between September to December 2025, the application would be ineligible.
Selection Process and Timeline:
- Last date of submission – April 18, 2025
- Selections will be undertaken by the Jury appointed by Serendipity Arts & Rencontres d’Arles.
- 5 selected projects will be included in the Serendipity Arts Festival in December 2025
- In case the jury required more information on the project, short interviews or calls would be lined up for the selection process.
- The 5 selected artists will be informed by May 23, 2025
- 5 selected artists will be supported with a grant of INR 70,000/- (approximately EUR 800)*. This amount is inclusive of infrastructure & logistical support for their exhibition at Serendipity Arts Festival 2025.
- Serendipity Arts will provide 2 nights stay in case the shortlisted artists decide to come for Serendipity Arts Festival 2025.
- 5 selected artists will be responsible for their visa, local transportation and food in Goa. Additionally, any expenses to produce the work over and above of the production grant will be borne by the artists including tax deductions.
- The finalist of the Serendipity Arles Grant will be announced during Serendipity Arts Festival in December 2025, after the Jury selection at the Festival.
- The winner will have from January to June 2026 to finalise their proposed project for Rencontres d’Arles 2026.
- The finalist will exhibit at Rencontres d’Arles, France in July 2026 while the installation of the artworks will happen in June 2026.
- It is the responsibility of the recipient to determine their income tax liability as it relates to the grant award and to file appropriate tax forms. For photographers based in countries other than India, the grant body will get in touch with the recipient and determine the modalities for disbursing the grant.
- In case of physical artworks, Rencontres d’Arles recommends sending exhibition prints which will be destroyed after the showcase in Arles. In case the works are required to be returned, the artist is responsible for its return from Arles.
* The grant amount will be based on the conversion rate at the time of awarding.
Terms and Conditions
- The selected artists are required to share fund utilisation documents as and when required by Serendipity Arts & Rencontres d’Arles .
- Any permissions required to produce work is the sole responsibility of the artist.
- Project should be feasible in terms of costs and scale, and should meet the dates set in the proposed timeline by the artist.
- The final decisions take into consideration the overall quality of each application in relation to all the others. Serendipity Arts and Rencontres d’Arles supports artists from diverse cultural, ethnic, and sexual backgrounds.
- Serendipity Arts & Rencontres d’Arles does not discriminate based on age, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, or ability/disability of artists.
- An incomplete or incorrect applications will automatically be disqualified. Please read the application guidelines carefully.
- All applications are handled confidentially. Only the organisation and its members have permission to view the uploaded files. Your data will not be published and/or shared with other parties or artists during the application process.
- The applicant must abide by the code of conduct policy.
- The Jury’s decision as to whether a project has met all criteria is final and not subject to any appeal for reconsideration.
- At the conclusion of the project, the finalist can donate an artwork to the collection of Rencontres d’Arles & Serendipity Arts, in case they wish to do so.
JURY
FAQS
Q1. What do you mean by new media? Can I submit a VR based project?
A1. For SAG 2025 -26, new media projects must arise from lens-based practices using technology that includes computer animations, computer games, human-computer interfaces, interactive computer installations, websites, virtual worlds – VR & AI, etc.
Q2. If I live outside any of the countries mentioned under eligibility, can I apply?
A2. Unfortunately, you are not eligible. Applicants must be residents of countries mentioned, for at least 5 years or more, and practicing for the same amount of time.
Q3. I turn 30 after the open call announcement, am I eligible?
A3. Unfortunately, you are not eligible. You must be 30 years or above at the date of the announcement.
Q4. If I am a part of a residency which concludes in October 2025, am I eligible?
A4. Yes, as long as the commencement for your residency is before September 2025.
Q5. If the proposed project is in collaboration with a curator or institution, am I eligible?
A5. No, you are not eligible. The submissions are open to projects produced by artist and artist collectives only.
Q6. If the proposed project has been shown in any form in the public forum, will I be eligible?
A6. The proposed project should not have been shown in any form; in whole or in part, before the submission.
Q7. For the budget plan, should I focus on Phase I or Phase II?
A7. The budget for the proposed project should focus on Phase II for the grant. If you are shortlisted for Phase I, we will be in conversation with you regarding your budget for Serendipity Arts Festival 2025.
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