AIR: Artist-in-Residency Program
Our Artist-in-Residence program offers artists, writers, and researchers a quiet retreat in close dialogue with nature—an environment designed to inspire reflection, experimentation, and new ideas. Rooted in the belief that creativity flourishes through connection to place, QdB AIR encourages work that engages with themes of sustainability, well-being, and interdisciplinary inquiry.
Guided by its mission to unite art, sustainability, and education, the residency fosters creative innovation, environmental awareness, and transformative learning. While not a full-scale institutional program, QdB AIR provides space, time, and inspiration for residents to explore their practice and develop projects in a setting that values both contemplation and the deep exploration of ideas.
The Quinta da Bufala Artist-in-Residence program fosters the intersection of art, sustainability, and education to inspire a collective vision for a better future. By connecting artists with the natural environment and interdisciplinary fields, the residency promotes creative innovation, environmental awareness, and transformative education that addresses global challenges.
Our Mission
Our Vision
QdB AIR envisions a future where art serves as a catalyst for hope, innovation, and collective action. Through a deep connection to nature, forward-thinking programming, and interdisciplinary collaboration, the residency aims to inspire sustainable practices, foster well-being, and explore creative solutions to environmental and societal challenges.
A few words from from Alena Ahrens
The experience at Quinta da Búfala was truly magical—one of those rare opportunities where time seems to slow down and the natural world eclipses the worries of modern life. After an intense period of activity in New York City and coming from the United States, I found the quiet beauty of Sintra not just refreshing, but deeply replenishing to the soul. The rolling hills, lush forests, and ever-changing light created an environment that felt both grounding and expansive, allowing me to reconnect with my own rhythms and priorities.
The residency offered exactly the kind of space I needed for material experimentation and thoughtful reflection. With uninterrupted access to the studio and the serene surroundings, I was able to push my practice in new directions, exploring latent ideas and experimenting with natural pigments and dyes. The stillness of the mornings, accompanied by the gentle sound of birdsong and the soft rustle of leaves, became the perfect backdrop for both deep creative focus and meditative observation.
About the QdB AIR Residency Program
Founded in the summer of 2025, QdB AIR is an international residency program that offers artists a quiet respite for creative work, reflection, and engagement with nature and the unique atmosphere of Sintra. Residents live in a beautiful cabin known as the Forest Pavilion—one of three structures on the sustainable property of Quinta da Búfala.
The month-long residency is offered up to three times a year for international artists, writers, and researchers seeking a period of focused, independent work in dialogue with nature and material process. Designed for those who thrive in solitude, it provides time and space for artists to work autonomously, without external pressures or distractions.
Residents are encouraged to engage deeply with their own rhythms—whether through research, reflection, experimentation, or recalibration. The surrounding forest, natural materials, and changing atmospheric conditions are offered as quiet companions to the creative process.
While the residency is not outcome-driven, there is the option to participate in a low-key open studio at the end of the stay, for those who wish to share works-in-progress or reflections with a small invited audience.
For information and eligibility and how to be considered for residency, please see our guidelines.
The Star Within, Alina Georgiana Teodorescu
PERMAFROST MEANWHILE, Alina Georgiana Teodorescu
