The Artists in Residence programme takes place at St. Andrew’s Castle (Szent András Kastély) in Hungary. In the middle of Europe, yet at the end of the world. Surrounded by a park forest, two lakes and streams, fruit trees, plane trees and elm trees, we find the castle and chapel, which are under national monument protection, as well as the newly built guesthouses and wellness department.

Historically, castles functioned as cultural nodes – spaces of continuity, exchange and transformation. Artists moved between estates, influencing one another and shaping local and international cultural networks. Today, while castles no longer hold political power, they remain sites where architecture, landscape and art converge, carrying the values of the past while creating space for the future.

St. Andrew’s Castle continues this tradition by offering a setting dedicated to artistic focus, reflection and dialogue.

The residency programme was founded in 2015 together with Austrian-born painter Manfred Makra, who serves as Artistic Director and Curator. As part of the Artists in Residence programme, held annually at St. Andrew's Castle since 2015, four painters are invited to spend one month as guests of the Castle. The residency provides a private space suitable for focused artistic work, along with accommodation and full board, complemented by opportunities to discover the region and its cultural context.

The programme begins each year on the Saturday closest to April 24, as part of the St. George’s Day Picnic, when selected smaller works brought by the artists are presented to the public. Since 2019, the guiding theme of the residency has been: “The Space of Change”. At the end of the month-long programme, on the last weekend of May, an exhibition of the works created during the residency is organised at the Castle. The exhibition is opened by an art historian.

The programme also includes a symposium under the same title, bringing together Hungarian and international experts to reflect on natural balance, sustainable living, and the role of art in shaping contemporary consciousness.