Artist Residencies in Arbon

Why Arbon is on artists’ radar

Arbon is a compact town on Lake Constance (Bodensee) in the canton of Thurgau. It’s not an art capital packed with museums and blue-chip galleries. Its draw is different: industrial textile heritage, access to production infrastructure, and space to focus.

The city’s identity is tied closely to its former machine and textile factories, especially the Saurer industrial complex. Parts of this area now host creative workspaces and the Kreativzentrum ZIK, which anchors a lot of residency activity. This combination of industrial past and contemporary experimentation is what makes Arbon interesting for artists.

If your practice touches textiles, materials, design, architecture, socially engaged or process-based work, Arbon offers something that’s hard to find elsewhere: quiet time, a walkable lakeside town, and direct access to companies and technicians who actually make things.

TaDA – Textile and Design Alliance: the key residency

The main reason Arbon appears on residency lists is the TaDA – Textile and Design Alliance Artist in Residence Programme. It’s not just a local initiative; it’s a cultural promotion programme supported by the cantons of St. Gallen, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, and Thurgau, tying Arbon into a larger textile region.

What TaDA is and how it works

TaDA offers a three-month work residency in Arbon to six creatives each year, usually a mix of Swiss and international artists. The focus is on experimental engagement with the textile and design culture of Eastern Switzerland in collaboration with regional companies and institutions.

Residents are based in Arbon but connected to a wider ecosystem that includes:

Textile manufacturers and production companies
Material and technology specialists
Museums and cultural institutions, including the Textilmuseum St.Gallen
Designers, engineers, and craftspeople in the region

Who TaDA is best for

TaDA is designed for artists and practitioners who want to treat textiles and design as active collaborators rather than just surface decoration. It suits:

Visual artists working with installation, textile, or material research
Designers (textile, product, fashion, interaction) interested in production contexts
Architects and spatial practitioners exploring structure, façade, or interior materials
Writers and literary practitioners who work with material culture or site-based research
Performing artists developing textile-based scenography or costume
Inter- and transdisciplinary artists connecting technology, craft, and social questions

You don’t need to be a technical textile specialist, but some understanding of processes and a genuine interest in industry collaboration helps a lot. The residency rewards artists who are curious about how things are made and open to iterative, process-heavy work with partners.

What TaDA offers

Support is structured so that you can focus on the project, not survival. According to multiple sources, TaDA typically provides:

Accommodation in Arbon – usually a private room in a shared apartment, walking distance from the workspace and Lake Constance
Travel costs covered – for arrival and departure
Contribution to living expenses – around 2,000 CHF per month
Workspace – in the former Saurer textile and engine factory (Kreativzentrum ZIK)
Access to infrastructure – selective use of machines, labs, and facilities of partner companies and organisations
Professional support – advice from the TaDA team, textile designer Martin Leuthold, and external experts
Public presentation – especially through the event “TaDA Spinnerei”, where residents discuss their projects with an audience and invited experts

The exact details can shift from year to year, so when you’re ready to apply, always confirm directly on the TaDA website at https://tada-residency.ch.

What TaDA expects from residents

TaDA is not a solo retreat with no obligations. The structure asks you to be present, experimental, and public-facing. Residents are generally expected to:

Develop a new project during the residency period, not just continue an existing one
Work in cooperation with local textile companies and respond to the region’s context
Engage in applied research or practical work, not just conceptual sketches
Present the work publicly – often via TaDA Spinnerei and possibly other events
Contribute to exchange – talks, workshops, or open studio formats as appropriate to the project

The residency is an ongoing dialogue between you, the local partners, and the wider textile scene. Strong applications usually propose a project that clearly shows how that dialogue could work.

How to approach an application conceptually

If you’re thinking of applying, it helps to think in terms of collaboration and process. A few guiding questions when shaping your proposal:

How does your practice intersect with textiles, material culture, design, or production systems?
What kind of expertise or machinery could you realistically use in three months?
How might your project benefit from dialogue with technicians, designers, or engineers?
What could you share back with local partners and the public (e.g. knowledge, methods, questions)?
How could your project grow into something that continues after the residency ends?

TaDA usually announces open calls well ahead of each residency period. Because calls change, treat the official site and partner listings (such as On the Move or arts organisations that announce the call) as your up-to-date sources.

The city as workspace: where you’ll actually be

Arbon’s scale works in your favour. You’re rarely more than a short walk or bike ride from anything you need. Instead of long commutes, you get a triangle of home–studio–lake, which shapes the residency rhythm.

Kreativzentrum ZIK and the former Saurer factory

The Kreativzentrum ZIK is the key hub for residency work. Housed in the former Saurer textile and engine factory, it retains an industrial character: large volumes, traces of machinery, and a strong sense of production history. For a lot of artists, this setting feeds directly into the work.

The space supports:

Installation and spatial experiments
Textile and material sampling
Prototyping and testing with partner companies
Shared studio life with other residents

Because it’s shared, you’ll have close contact with peers from different disciplines. This is useful if your practice thrives on cross-pollination rather than isolated studio time.

Where you’re likely to live

Residency accommodation linked to TaDA is usually a shared apartment in Arbon, with:

A private bedroom
Shared kitchen and bathroom
Walking distance to both the studio and Lake Constance

The setup is simple but functional, and the short commute has real advantages: you can move easily between studio, home, and the lake, and extend work sessions into evenings without worrying about transport.

The lake and the old town

Outside the studio, most artists gravitate towards:

Lakefront paths and parks – for walking, thinking through projects, and informal conversations with other residents
The historic center – cafés, small shops, and basic day-to-day needs
Residential streets near the center – quiet, easy to reach, minimal distraction

Arbon is not a nightlife destination. That can be a relief if you’re trying to move a project forward quickly. If you want more cultural variety or exhibitions, you usually look to nearby cities.

Regional connections: beyond Arbon

A lot of the value of being in Arbon comes from the broader Eastern Swiss textile region. St. Gallen is a key reference point, and the residency network often sits across several towns.

St. Gallen and textile culture

St. Gallen is about a short train ride away and is central for textile heritage, education, and design. Highlights for residency artists include:

Textilmuseum St.Gallen – a core institution for learning about historic and contemporary textile culture. The museum is often mentioned in relation to TaDA and regional textile projects.
Archives and collections – useful if your project is research-driven and you need historical references, patterns, or samples.
Design and art spaces – smaller project spaces and institutions where you can see how textiles intersect with contemporary practice.

Even if your main base is Arbon, planning some research trips to St. Gallen can expand your project significantly.

Partner companies and industrial contacts

One of the distinctive aspects of the Arbon–TaDA ecosystem is the direct contact with industry. Partner companies and organisations offer:

Know-how about weaving, knitting, embroidery, finishing, and technical textiles
Machine access for specific processes, when feasible
Feedback and dialogue around feasibility, scaling, and material properties

This is where you can test ideas that are hard to realise in a conventional studio. If you come prepared with clear questions and prototypes, the exchanges can be intense and productive.

Events and “TaDA Spinnerei”

TaDA Spinnerei is the flagship public event where residents present their projects to an audience that often includes international speakers, local partners, and the broader community.

For you as a resident, this event offers:

A structured deadline to articulate the project
Feedback from people outside your discipline
Networking with curators, designers, and company representatives

Beyond that, there can be smaller talks, workshops, or open studios depending on the year. These formats are particularly useful if you want to test ideas in front of knowledgeable but non-specialist audiences.

Practicalities: living and working in Arbon

Residencies rise or fall on practical conditions as much as on artistic concepts. Arbon is relatively straightforward to manage, but Swiss standards apply: high quality of life, high costs compared to many countries.

Cost of living

Compared with Zurich, Basel, or Geneva, Arbon is relatively affordable, but you are still in Switzerland. Typical cost categories to think about:

Food – supermarket prices are moderate-to-high, eating out can become expensive quickly.
Accommodation – market rents can be high for long stays; residency-provided housing is a big advantage.
Local transport – usually manageable; if you live and work in Arbon itself, you may rely mostly on walking and cycling.
Health insurance and administration – check your personal situation; for longer stays, this can be a significant cost or bureaucratic step.

Residencies like TaDA reduce most of this pressure by covering housing, transport to Arbon, and a monthly contribution toward living costs. If you plan an independent stay or an extension before or after the residency, make a realistic budget in advance.

Getting there and around

Arbon is well connected by Swiss public transport. Typical arrival route:

Fly into Zurich or another nearby airport (including some German or Austrian options depending on your itinerary).
Take a train to St. Gallen or another hub, then continue by regional train to Arbon.

Once in town:

Walking – enough for most daily needs.
Bicycle – very useful for quick movement between lake, studio, and downtown.
Regional trains – for trips to St. Gallen, other parts of Lake Constance, and further travel.

Visas and entry

Residency organisers usually support you with invitation letters and basic guidance, but visa responsibility stays with you. General points:

EU/EEA citizens – stays of a few months are often simpler, but you may still need to register locally.
Non-EU citizens – check Schengen visa regulations, long-stay options, and proof-of-funding requirements early.
Health insurance – make sure you understand what coverage you need for Switzerland; this is taken seriously.

Because rules differ by nationality and can change, always check official Swiss government sources and coordinate timelines with the residency.

How Arbon feels as a working context

Arbon is a good fit if you prefer intense working periods in a calm environment over constant events and a crowded art calendar. The rhythm tends to look like this:

Focused studio work in the former factory spaces
Regular technical or conceptual check-ins with partner companies and advisors
Occasional trips to St. Gallen or other regional institutions for research or meetings
Time by the lake to think, reset, and process feedback

The local art scene itself is smaller and quite intertwined with textile and regional identity. Instead of jumping between multiple galleries every day, you’re more likely participating in project-based collaborations and targeted events.

Is Arbon right for your practice?

Arbon is a strong choice if you are looking for:

Material-based research where fabric, fibers, or technical textiles are central
Direct collaboration with industry, including access to machinery and technical knowledge
Quiet working conditions with enough infrastructure but not too many distractions
Structured public presentation at the end of your residency

It is less ideal if your priorities are:

Building a commercial collector base during the residency
Participating in a dense gallery or club scene
Working in a big-city environment with constant cultural events

For textile- and design-oriented artists, or anyone interested in how industry, material, and culture intersect, Arbon and the TaDA residency can be a powerful combination. Keep an eye on the TaDA website, refine a project that genuinely needs this context, and think of the town not as a backdrop but as part of your working process.