In May 2027, for the sixth time, an artist will be invited to participate in the Nida Photography Residency. The residency programme is part of the international photography symposium NIDA. Meeting Photography and is organised in collaboration with the Vilnius Academy of Arts Nida Art Colony.

The aim of the residency is to explore and expand the possibilities of photography both as a medium and as a means of artistic expression. The programme is aimed at artists whose practices promote critical thinking, question established practices within the cultural field, and engage with current social and political changes and issues.

The open call attracted artists from 19 countries, with nearly 100 projects submitted for consideration.

The selection jury was supported by book designer Gytis Skudžinskas, artist Visvaldas Morkevičius, Director of the VDA Nida Art Colony Neringa Bumblienė, and Chair of the Lithuanian Photographers’ Association Vilma Samulionytė.

The selection criteria included the relevance and significance of the proposed theme, the applicant’s previous experience, as well as their interest and ability to develop a project by bringing together the specific context of Nida, the expanded field of photography, and their own artistic practice.

We are pleased to announce that German artist Norman Behrendt has been selected for the 2027 residency at the Nida Art Colony.

Behrendt is interested in Nida as a fragile border zone between the European Union and Russia. Its vulnerability, shaped by overlapping ecological and political systems, connects to his artistic practice, which explores frictions and thresholds in latent landscapes — places where shifting environments and conflicting narratives intersect.

In projects such as EXIT (2022–2024), Behrendt investigates hidden infrastructures within urban environments, using interventions in Berlin’s subway system to reveal moments where systems of control, security, and vulnerability intersect. His Kyiv–Berlin Metro (2023–2025) project, a large-scale sculptural installation presented in public space, extends this inquiry into an international context, reflecting on mobility, war, and the fragile connections between cities shaped by crisis.

Norman Behrendt is a Berlin-based artist working across photography, installation, sculpture, and expanded image practices. His work explores the shifting conditions of public space, political narratives, and the construction of collective identities.

The work created during the residency will be published in a printed publication and presented as part of the main programme of the 2027 international photography symposium NIDA. Meeting Photography.

The 11 other artists who received the highest scores in the selection process will participate in the evening projection programme at the 2027 symposium.

Participating artists

Reinis Hofmanis (Latvia)
Anna Filippa Moberg (Sweden)
Ola Skowrońska (Poland)
Ivy Ma King Chu (Hong Kong / Lithuania)
Antonia Zennaro (USA)
Valentyn Moroz (Ukraine / Lithuania)
Hiro Tanaka (Japan)
Yufan Lu  (China)
Emilia Martin (Poland / Netherlands)
Arvydas Gudas (Lithuania)
Das Vegas (Lithuania)