The city:
The port of Genova is the second largest seaport on the Mediterranean after Marseille. Emigrants once set off from here to find their fortune in the wide world. At the beginning of the 20th century (1914), the construction of a maritime railway station was initiated to be able to handle the growing number of passengers. In the past, large ocean liners set sail for America; today, cruisers from all over the world head for the port of Genova. The city is an important metropolis in northern Italy with a tourist, rather locally oriented cultural offer. Cultural production in Italy has been in a difficult situation for some time: severe financial restrictions have considerably reduced the municipalities' room for action. The promotion of contemporary cultural production lacks the consistency and tradition cultivated in Switzerland. Nevertheless, in the mix of old and new, spruced up and run-down, public and hidden, international and local, there is always something new to discover - intensified by simple Italianità.

Studio / Apartment:
The two studios of the SKK are very centrally located. They are located in the Unione Elvetica building (built in 1890). On the first floor (primo piano) there are two studios and two living rooms of approx. 20 square meters with a kitchenette (2 hotplates) and a small bathroom (shower and sink). The studios are bright and spacious. The smaller one, which has a direct water connection, is intended for artists of visual arts. In the larger one there is a grand piano belonging to the Swiss Club but may be used without further ado. SKK-Atelier: Atelier Mondial invites applications for the foreign studio of the Swiss Conference of Cities for Culture (SKK) on a cyclical basis on behalf of the Canton of Basel-Stadt.

Special features:
The studios are set up for a single person, but artist duos who create their work together can also apply. Visits by the partner are permitted but should be limited to a few days. A daily fee of EUR 50.00 is charged from the 5th day of the visit.

Requirements:
The studios are not suitable for people who are sensitive to noise, as the traffic can also be heard at night. In general, the SKK studios are not suitable for people who have a strong sense of entitlement. A certain degree of independence and self-responsibility is expected for the stay in Genova. The studio offers ideal conditions for the production or realisation of already planned projects.

Address:
Unione Elvetica, Sezione culturale, Via Peschiera 33. I-16122 Genova

Further Information:
Städtekonferenz Kultur (SKK), Monbijoustrasse 8, Postfach, 3001 Bern. Tel: 031 356 32 32, info@skk-cvc.ch; http://skk-cvc.ch/de/Info/Auslandateliers/Genua