Argo Studios is a multidisciplinary art residency in the heart of Athens, Greece.
Residents have private bedrooms and studios, and most residencies last several months. The program is intended for artists, writers, scholars, and performers seeking inspiration from this vibrant city.
The City
〰️ Work and stay in the heart of Athens, Greece 〰️
〰️ A short walk to amazing museums 〰️
〰️ Dozens of contemporary art galleries, project spaces and performance venues 〰️
〰️ A strong tradition of political engagement and protest 〰️
〰️ Vibrant nightlife and queer scene 〰️
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Athens is a wonderful paradox.
Of course, it is an ancient city steeped in history, known for its classical architecture and archaeological treasures. Amidst the remnants of its past, though, the city boasts a vibrant arts scene, hundreds of contemporary galleries, and cultural festivals. Local artists draw inspiration from their surroundings, blending traditional themes with modern expressions. This unique juxtaposition creates a dynamic atmosphere where history and creativity coexist harmoniously.
Exarcheia is our beautiful, grubby, intense, relaxed neighborhood. It’s famous for being a center of political activism and for its vibrant atmosphere of creativity and resistance. It’s not all protests, though: the neighborhood is also dotted with charming bars and cozy cafes, making it a popular spot for both locals and visitors to eat with friends, sit all day with a coffee and notebook, or party all night.
The Studios
〰️ Large private studios 〰️
〰️ Shared kitchen and lounge 〰️
〰️ Filled with light 〰️
〰️ Access to shared woodshop 〰️
〰️ Views of Lycabbetus Hill 〰️
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Argo Studios is located on the 4th floor of a brutalist concrete building on Kallidromiou street. The building is an acquired taste - a friend recently described it as having “peak 90’s aesthetics” - but we love it. There are huge windows in every studio, and we share the building with a dance studio, a performance rehearsal space, and a ghost writer (whom none of us have ever seen, though we hear he is handsome).
We provide residents with large, private studios simply furnished with the basics you will need to let your creativity expand: a table, a chair, shelves, a lamp. Standing and desk easels will be available for those who want them.
The shared common areas include: a cozy studio living room, a simple kitchen with all the basics for cooking a nice lunch and making tea and coffee, and a woodshop full of tools and materials. We also offer six TVs (ranging from vintage to flatscreen), a mic and amp, and other AV equipment for those who would like to use them.
The Accommodation
〰️ Large private rooms 〰️
〰️ Neoclassical beauty 〰️
〰️ Shared kitchen and hang-out space 〰️
〰️ Rooftop terrace 〰️
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Housed in the nearby neighborhood of Kypseli, the accommodations (which we half-jokingly call “the Mansions”) are spread across two apartments in a gorgeous neoclassical building from 1928. Residents will have comfortable private rooms, except those who choose to share for a reduced price. There are two bathrooms, two kitchens, a sumptuous living room (with a carved archway), several balconies, and a rooftop terrace, where we expect you will eat all of your spontaneous shared meals together, especially in the spring and summertime.
The building overlooks Plateia Agiou Georgiou, a bustling and lovely square (that is actually a circle) full of bars, cafes, and restaurants bordering an impressive cathedral. On weekends especially, this circular square fills up with local families having hours-long Sunday lunches, and young people drinking freddo espressos late into the evening.
The accommodations are a 20-minute walk from Argo Studios, and most of that is through a lush, green park (Pedion Tou Areos). We find this walk is the perfect time for reflection and generating good thoughts, all under the watchful eye of the statue of Athena.
The Experience
〰️ Residencies for 2 weeks to 3 months 〰️
〰️ Up to 6 residents at a time 〰️
〰️ Time and space to develop your practice 〰️
〰️ Independent exploration and a supportive community 〰️
〰️ Focus on process, not products 〰️
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Argo residencies provide time and space to develop your practice in a social, supportive atmosphere. We can host up to six residents at one time - four with private bedrooms and studios, and two sharing a larger bedroom and larger studio. That means you’ll be sharing your kitchen, bathrooms, and maybe your ideas and dreams, with your fellow residents, but you’ll also have private space to focus on your work.
We encourage residents to use their time and space to focus more on process than product, more on research and exploration than rushing to finish an exhibition. Athens, Exarchia, and your fellow residents will provide rich sources of inspiration, and we’re here to support your practice and development.
Argo residencies can be challenging and rewarding in equal measure. Greece is a fierce place in both climate and temperament, and we encourage residents to respectfully challenge each other’s ideas.
While you are here, you will also have access to a rotating series of cultural events hosted in our project space: artist talks and lectures by visiting guest artists, group and solo exhibitions, film screenings, workshops, and performances.
The Schedule
〰️ Monthly shared dinner with your fellow residents 〰️
〰️ Contemporary art tour to visit galleries, museums, local artists’ studios, and/or local curators 〰️
〰️ Cultural history day trip to a museum or archaeological site 〰️
〰️ Open Studios to share your work with the public 〰️
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The minimum stay for residents is two weeks, and the maximum three months, but we recommend that most people come for one to two months. That’s because we run on a monthly schedule. Each month, we offer four events that are designed to introduce you to the cultural climate of the city, and to showcase your work:
A monthly shared dinner with your fellow residents.
A contemporary art tour to visit galleries, museums, local artists’ studios, and/or local curators.
A cultural history day trip to a museum, archaeological site, or similar.
A day-long Open Studios event, in which the public will be invited to come and see your works in progress.
Each of these are optional, as we also respect the powerful container that a residency provides, allowing you to delve deeper into your creative practice without the distractions of everyday life. We welcome you to follow your creative flow and honor the working rhythms that emerge during the residency. In other words, do what best suits you, whilst knowing there is a rich atmosphere of community and creative exchange available for you to engage with.
The Cost
〰️ €500 per week standard price 〰️
〰️ €400 per week each if you share a room and studio with a friend 〰️
〰️ €400 per week if you apply early 〰️
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The standard price for an Argo residency is €500 per week. This includes a private room, a private studio, participation in monthly events, and access to the woodshop. It doesn’t include the cost of your travel, or food while in Greece. We recommend you budget €100-€300 per week for food.
If you come with a friend and share a (large) bedroom and (large) studio with them, you’ll both get a discount—the weekly price is €400 each.
If you apply for a residency before the early bird deadline, you’ll get the same discount: your residency will cost €400 per week. The early bird deadline for our current open call is 8 June.
Lots of residents apply for funding to cover the cost of their residency. We can provide a letter of support if that’s you.

FAQs
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FAQs 〰️
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Residencies at Argo Studios last from a minimum of two weeks to a maximum of 3 months. We recommend residents stay for one or two months to fully take advantage of all the monthly events and programs we offer.
There is so much to see, do, and experience in Athens. In order to fully immerse yourself in this inspiring atmosphere and have time to explore it in your creative practice, we believe a month long residency is the ideal starting point.
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The Argo Mansions are a pair of 107-year-old neoclassical apartments in Kypseli. Honestly, they are beautiful, with plaster moldings on really high ceilings.
The bedrooms vary in size, but all have tall ceilings and natural light. There are two kitchens and two bathrooms - all fairly small but perfectly functional.
There is also a huge rooftop terrace, which is shared with only one other tenant in the building. The building itself is located a few feet away from bars, tavernas, cafes, and a lovely gelato shop.
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Yes, you will! Each of our studios is spacious, full of lovely natural light.
We have one studio that is available to share between two friends or a couple. If you choose to share, you get a discount on the cost of your residency - €400 per week each.
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Anyone aged 18-118 with a creative project or practice: artists, writers, thinkers, academics, performers, dancers, directors, etc.
We welcome both emerging and well-established creative practitioners and scholars.
If you’re interested in a residency but aren’t sure if you or your project will fit in, just get in touch with us!
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We offer simple studio set-ups, with tables, easels, lamps, and storage. In terms of media, we can accommodate painting, drawing, writing, research, performance, sculpture, dance, and textile craft.
You will have access to a wood shop, with tools and safety gear.
In terms of art supplies, you will need to provide your own materials. There are 6 excellent art supply shops within a short walk from the studios; we will be happy to guide you there.
There is also some AV equipment available, including TVs, a mic, and an amp. If you are interested in specific performance/dance rehearsal space, let us know, and we can arrange that as well.
You will also have access to a rotating series of cultural events hosted in our project space: artist talks and lectures by visiting guest artists, group and solo exhibitions, film screenings, workshops, and performances.
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The standard price for an Argo residency is €500 per week. This includes a private room, a private studio, participation in monthly events, and access to the woodshop. It doesn’t include the cost of your travel, or food while in Greece. We recommend you budget €100-€300 a week for food.
If you come with a friend and share a (large) bedroom and (large) studio with them, you’ll both get a discount—the weekly price is €400 each.
If you apply for a residency before the early bird deadline, you’ll get the same discount: your residency will cost €400 a week. The early bird deadline for our current open call is 8 June.
Lots of residents apply for funding to cover the cost of their residency. We can provide a letter of support if that’s you. If you are interested in applying as a group, please get in touch with us.
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We are working towards making our program as financially accessible as possible, in order to include as diverse a residency community as we can.
At the moment we cannot provide scholarships or stipends, but please sign up for our newsletter or follow us on social media to stay updated on developments in the near future.
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Athens is a dynamic city pulsing with electric energy, and Exarcheia is one of the liveliest neighborhoods of them all. Historically, Exarcheia has been home to radical political gatherings, and today is no different: alongside trendy boutiques, cozy cafes, and welcoming neighborhood bars there are anarchist gathering spaces, socialist collectives, and a whole lot of graffiti. Is it safe? Generally speaking, yes. As in any major metropolis, keep your wits about you, especially when you walk around late at night. There can be pickpockets throughout the city who tend to target tourists, but we have never heard of anyone being robbed in our neighborhood. You will see riot police patrolling the (now walled off) central square of Exarcheia. Don’t be alarmed- they are there every single day, and most of the time they drink coffee, chat with each other, and stand there looking intimidating. We recommend avoiding interaction with them.
In general, Greeks are a passionate, politically engaged people. When there are calls for a general strike, or a major protest, everyone turns out: parents, children, students, senior citizens. These can sometimes become fiery encounters, usually heightened by riot police tactics, and/or far left activist movements. (See: recent nationwide protests about the Tempi train crash). The center of downtown, where these protests usually take place, is about a 30 minute walk from the residency. So you can choose whether or not you want to witness/ participate in this kind of event.
There are also occasional clashes between protestors and police in Exarcheia. These usually amount to young men throwing bottles at the police, or sometimes molotov cocktails, and the police using stun guns or spraying teargas in return. These encounters are rare nowadays, and usually take place at around 2 or 3 in the morning, when they do happen. But still, we recommend keeping your wits about you, and being aware of your surroundings. We live here all year round, and feel very safe. Feel free to ask us any questions or for more information on this subject.
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While we would love to be able to accommodate everyone, unfortunately the answer is no.
The residency accommodation is up one flight of stairs in an old building with no elevator, making it inaccessible for people with certain physical disabilities.
There is an elevator in the studios building.
In terms of other forms of accessibility, please get in touch- we are happy to find solutions to make our residencies suitable for your needs.
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Dog: no.
Everyone else: probably.
If you want to do a residency with your partner or friend, and don’t mind sharing a room and studio, you’ll both get a discount - each week will cost €400.
We don’t generally allow individual residents to share their room with someone who isn’t doing a residency - the accommodation would get very full if we did.
All this said, if you have any questions about bringing someone with you, please get in touch and we’ll try our best to accommodate you.
If you are interested in applying as a larger group, please get in touch with us as well- we are happy to discuss a specific residency reserved for your group only.
