Atelje Azil (Asylum Studio) is located in Ljubljana. It is a part of Autonomous Cultural Centre Metelkova mesto, placed in a building called Hlev. It hosts artists and authors who come here for a work visit within the Artist-in-Residence project. It was launched in 2006 when the Art Središče / Art Centre team was looking for a temporary solution to be able to stay and continue their projects in Ljubljana since it had been temporarily evicted from its studio in Goričko.

On the basis of an agreement with all the users of AKC Metelkova mesto and with the help of members of KUD Mreža, they turned a part of the attic into a studio and an apartment . Already then, they developed a plan to transform Atelje Azil into an artist residence after the Art Središče team would have returned to Goričko. The studio as a residence facility was established with two objectives; the first one was to connect the activities of Art Središče, which is located in a rural environment in the North-east of Slovenia, to the city of Ljubljana, and secondly, to establish an accomodation and woring facility for foreign artists in Metelkova mesto. This would contribute to a more open, lively and innovative atmosphere.

Atelje Azil residences can last from a a few days to up to three months. Artists are welcome throughout the year. However, the most convenient period is from the spring to the autumn.

The hosted artist is invited to perform a public presentation of the project (an exhibition, a workshop, a concert, a performance, etc).

Description of the studio:
The studio measures 40m2 and includes working and living area separated by a glass wall. It has basic furniture: a bed, tables, chairs, closets, a refrigerator and an electric heater. On the same floor, there are a kitchen, a toilet and a shower, shared by five studios (Atelje Azil, three art studios and A-Infoshop). The Internet connection and some basic tools are available.

Administers of Atelje Azil will provide:
- contact with local artists and cultural workers,
- assistance in project realization,
- help with the project presentation in Metelkova mesto or other venues in Ljubljana,
- help with the promotion activities,
- assistance in fund raising for the residence, however only after preliminary such arrangement (six to twelve months prior to the start of the project).

The costs of the residence comprise:
- costs of transportation
- daily costs (food, mobile telephone, ...)
- material cost
- utility costs.


All those interested in the residence are kindly invited to send:
- a brief presentation of their reasons for choosing Atelje Azil,
- a brief presentation of their project or activities they wish to perform,
- examples of their work or their website and contact information.

We wish to draw the artists' attention to the specifics of Atelje Azil. AKC Metelkova mesto is an array of clubs, organizations, groups, artists, activists and visitors, which guarantees a creative and stimulating environment and requires a certain amount of patience and persistence.

For any additional information, please e-mail to: julijb@gmail.com (Julij Borštnik) or natasa.serec@gmail.com (Nataša Serec, KUD Mreža) with a subscript 'Rezidenca – Atelje Azil.


Former artists in residence: