The incoming program is aimed at international artists who are interested in experiencing Kunstmeile Krems, the city of Krems, the Wachau World Heritage Site, the state of Lower Austria, and Vienna as well as forge artistic connections. Invitations are extended to artists from the fields of visual arts, literature, architecture, culture, music, and digital media.

AIR offers temporary accommodations and working opportunities in five-week residency sessions and a grant of €1,950 per artist in Krems. Eight sessions are advertised annually via an open call. Expenses for travel, transfers, materials, and meals are borne by the fellowship holders themselves.

The artists arrive and depart on the same dates, and each session begins with an orientation day, allowing them to get to know AIR and its surroundings and to initiate institutional and intercultural exchange. 

AIR is located in the center of Kunstmeile Krems, between the historic districts of Stein and Krems, in the urban heart of the UNESCO World Heritage region of Wachau. AIR’s neighbors include three major exhibition venues: the Kunsthalle Krems, the State Gallery of Lower Austria, and the Karikaturmuseum Krems, in addition to the Artothek Niederösterreich, the Susanne Wenger Foundation, the ORTE Architekturnetzwerk Niederösterreich, and the Unabhängige Literaturhaus NÖ.

AIR artists have access to five live-work studios, a large coworking space, and the AIR Base located in Studio 25. The Kunstmeile Krems event rooms and its small library are also available for use.

The spaces are equipped with projectors, a sound system, visual arts materials, and a piano. Each studio has a kitchen, bathroom, living room, and bedroom. Two studios feature a terrace with a view of the Danube.

All fellowships for 2025 have already been awarded. The open call for 2026 fellowships runs from February 10 to April 30, 2025. Applications can only be submitted via the online application portal.
Application deadline: April 30, 2025, 11:59 pm.

No applications will be accepted by e-mail. Submitted application material will not be returned. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Artist collectives are welcome to apply for a residency. However, the fellowship award of €1,950 does not change.

Fellowship award winners will be notified via e-mail by the end of June 2025. A discipline-specific advisory board selects participants for AIR.

The basic criterion for receiving funding is the completion of a discipline-specific artistic education (university degree). In the absence of an academic degree, equivalent qualifications must be demonstrated through the artistic career. In all cases, applicants must demonstrate consistent artistic activity within the supported fields. Applications from the disciplines of architecture, visual arts, digital arts, literature, and music are accepted. Austrian artists and artists residing in Austria are excluded from the award.

• AIR is an attendance scholarship with an 80% attendance requirement.
   
• Partners, children, family members and friends cannot be accommodated in the accommodation during the scholarship stay.
   
• Pets are not permitted. (Exception: assistance dogs)
   
• Arrival and departure dates will be communicated in advance and must be adhered to.