One aspect of the artistic experience which gains increasing relevance on the international scene is the possibilities brought about by residencies and exchange programs. From 2003 onwards, Associação has sought strategic agreements with training-, research- and production-oriented institutions in Brazil and abroad, so as to create a network of residency partners and offer exchange opportunities to artists participating in the International Contemporary Art Festival. The aim is to create a rotational dynamic to broaden the range of residencies available to artists from the geopolitical South of the globe. From 2003 to 2010, ten artists shortlisted for the Festival were awarded residency prizes, including the Brazilians Wagner Morales, Cao Guimarães and Caetano Dias, the Argentinean Federico Lamas, and the French-Moroccan Bouhra Khalili. In 2011, by means of the Videobrasil Residency Network, the 17th Festival granted residencies in three different continents to eight Brazilian and foreign artists. The current program includes residencies offered by the Armando Alvares Penteado Foundation (Brazil), Instituto Sacatar (Brazil), Galeria Kiosko (Bolivia), Videoformes (France), the Vrije Academie Werkplaats voor Beeldende Kunsten (Netherlands) and pARTage (Mauritius), and is backed by the Prince Claus Fund, the Cultural Center of Spain, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the French Consulate to São Paulo, and Alliance Française. The program offers the following prizes: Artist Residency Prize – FAAP – São Paulo, Brazil (two prizes) Headquartered at a building named Edifício Lutetia since 2005, the FAAP Artistic Residency is geared towards Brazilians and foreigners in the visual arts field. The Armando Alvares Penteado Foundation’s School of Fine Arts is an established facility for art production in Brazil. The program is held at Edifício Lutetia, a building in the center of São Paulo, and encourages artists to investigate the urban context. Artist Residency Prize – Sacatar – Itaparica, Brazil Instituto Sacatar, in Itaparica (state of Bahia), is a member of the Worldwide Network of Artist Residencies and of the Alliance of Artists Communities. Its international residency program stresses the importance of ambience to establishing interactive and collaborative relationships between artists. The prize is backed by the Prince Claus Fund. Artist Residency Prize – Kiosko – Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia (two prizes) Established in 2007 as a part of residencias_ en_red, the program brings together artists from Bolivia and other nationalities for two-month-long interaction processes. Marked by a political and social concern, it encourages artists to tackle cultural issues through original propositions. Artist Residency Prize – Videoformes – Clermont-Ferrand, France Located in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Videoformes is a center for production and dissemination of video- and digital technology-based artistic languages. Its residency program grants artists technical support and knowledge exchange. Artist Residency Prize – WBK Vrije Academie – Hague, Netherlands An independent interdisciplinary center for postgraduate studies in art in Hague, Netherlands, the academy grants access to its image in motion department, including postproduction and rehearsal studios for installation formats and media-based performances. Artist Residency Prize – pArtage – Flic-en-Flac, Mauritius Established in 2003 by artists, the pARTage contemporary art center, in the Mauritius Islands, encourages projects which are responsive to the environment, fostering interaction with local artists and locals. The prize is backed by the Prince Claus Fund.