Villa Filanda Antonini ARTIST Residency
Villa Filanda Antonini (VFA) is an artist residency in Lancenigo, Treviso, Italy, established in 2021. VFA is supported by the nonprofit Arper Feltrin Foundation, founded by the Feltrin family, creators of design company Arper. VFA’s mission is to foster transdisciplinary dialogue among art, design, and architecture, and to support cultural initiatives that engage with contemporary art, creativity, place, and community.
Located in the historic Villa Filanda Antonini and its former industrial spaces from the 1880s and 1960s, VFA operates at the intersection of artistic research, social engagement, and territorial inquiry. The residency offers artists time, space, and resources to develop projects through close interaction with the local landscape, heritage, and community. Each residency lasts at least one month and supports research, experimentation, and the exchange of ideas. Residents receive living accommodations, a studio equipped with essential tools and materials, a monthly stipend, and access to curatorial expertise and a network of local suppliers. These resources enable artists to fully engage with their work and the local environment.
Since 2021, Villa Filanda Antonini has hosted 20 artists from diverse disciplines, including visual arts, sound, performance, film, design, food, and ceramics. At VFA, artists collaborate closely with local artisans, producers, archives, and communities. As one local metal smith noted, ’Collaborating with the VFA artists did bring new life and perspective to our daily work. It’s like seeing our work through fresh eyes, reminding us of the value of our work.’ Projects developed during the residency do not simply occupy the site; they critically interpret it, addressing themes such as memory, identity, ecology, labor, and the transformation of post-industrial spaces.
VFA serves as an open platform for knowledge sharing and public engagement. In addition to the residency program, VFA organizes exhibitions, performances, open studios, workshops, talks, listening sessions, and community gatherings, creating opportunities for meaningful encounters between artists and local audiences. These activities help build a locally driven network of individuals, practices, and shared knowledge, reinforcing the role of contemporary art as a tool for reflection and collective imagination.
Each residency at Villa Filanda Antonini leaves more than an artwork; it generates new connections, perspectives, and experimentation. Through its commitment to long-term thinking, experimentation, and collaboration, VFA positions itself as a living, evolving space that nurtures artistic research while remaining attentive to its social and territorial context.
Villa Filanda Antonini aims to maintain its role as a long-term cultural hub rooted in the Veneto region while remaining internationally connected. In the coming years, it seeks to expand its public program through partnerships with cultural institutions, universities, and independent initiatives in Italy and abroad. By doing so, VFA intends to amplify its impact while preserving its core identity as a place of sharing, experimentation, and collaboration. The future of Villa Filanda Antonini is envisioned as an evolving process, shaped by artists, collaborators, and communities who collectively redefine the role of art within society.
Villa Filanda Antonini ARTIST Residency
Villa Filanda Antonini (VFA) is an artist residency in Lancenigo, Treviso, Italy, established in 2021. VFA is supported by the nonprofit Arper Feltrin Foundation, founded by the Feltrin family, creators of design company Arper. VFA’s mission is to foster transdisciplinary dialogue among art, design, and architecture, and to support cultural initiatives that engage with contemporary art, creativity, place, and community.
Located in the historic Villa Filanda Antonini and its former industrial spaces from the 1880s and 1960s, VFA operates at the intersection of artistic research, social engagement, and territorial inquiry. The residency offers artists time, space, and resources to develop projects through close interaction with the local landscape, heritage, and community. Each residency lasts at least one month and supports research, experimentation, and the exchange of ideas. Residents receive living accommodations, a studio equipped with essential tools and materials, a monthly stipend, and access to curatorial expertise and a network of local suppliers. These resources enable artists to fully engage with their work and the local environment.
Since 2021, Villa Filanda Antonini has hosted 20 artists from diverse disciplines, including visual arts, sound, performance, film, design, food, and ceramics. At VFA, artists collaborate closely with local artisans, producers, archives, and communities. As one local metal smith noted, ’Collaborating with the VFA artists did bring new life and perspective to our daily work. It’s like seeing our work through fresh eyes, reminding us of the value of our work.’ Projects developed during the residency do not simply occupy the site; they critically interpret it, addressing themes such as memory, identity, ecology, labor, and the transformation of post-industrial spaces.
VFA serves as an open platform for knowledge sharing and public engagement. In addition to the residency program, VFA organizes exhibitions, performances, open studios, workshops, talks, listening sessions, and community gatherings, creating opportunities for meaningful encounters between artists and local audiences. These activities help build a locally driven network of individuals, practices, and shared knowledge, reinforcing the role of contemporary art as a tool for reflection and collective imagination.
Each residency at Villa Filanda Antonini leaves more than an artwork; it generates new connections, perspectives, and experimentation. Through its commitment to long-term thinking, experimentation, and collaboration, VFA positions itself as a living, evolving space that nurtures artistic research while remaining attentive to its social and territorial context.
Villa Filanda Antonini aims to maintain its role as a long-term cultural hub rooted in the Veneto region while remaining internationally connected. In the coming years, it seeks to expand its public program through partnerships with cultural institutions, universities, and independent initiatives in Italy and abroad. By doing so, VFA intends to amplify its impact while preserving its core identity as a place of sharing, experimentation, and collaboration. The future of Villa Filanda Antonini is envisioned as an evolving process, shaped by artists, collaborators, and communities who collectively redefine the role of art within society.