About the residency
Descoverartists offers artist residencies on the island of Chios for independent artists seeking focused time, shared space, and meaningful exchange. The residency is self-directed and has no fixed schedule. Artists work at their own pace while living alongside a group of peers in a shared home designed for concentration, slowness, and depth.
Residencies take place at Eona House, a restored historic home in Nenita, Chios. Each resident can choose a private or shared bedroom and has full access to shared indoor studios, gardens, and communal areas. The house is designed to support both solitude and connection through shared meals and everyday moments.
This is a shared home,
not a hotel or Airbnb.
Who the residency is for
This residency is well-suited to independent artists at any stage of their practice, including writers, visual artists, designers, musicians, photographers, and interdisciplinary practitioners, who are seeking focused time rather than a rigid, structured programme and who feel comfortable with shared living and communal spaces.
It is ideal for people who may feel a bit stuck, are looking for an injection of fresh ideas, or want to be surrounded by like-minded creatives and cohabit together.
The residency is also well-suited to those who need something fresh, want a new routine, or simply want to try something different and reconnect with the enjoyment and fun of creating.
How artists typically work here
Most residents come to Descoverartists to focus on personal projects, research, or open-ended experimentation. For some, this time is used to push an existing body of work forward; for others, it’s a chance to slow down, follow curiosities, and explore ideas without pressure or expectation. The residency offers space to work deeply, reflect, and allow new directions to emerge naturally.
Some artists feel drawn to the island itself and choose to respond to place through site-responsive work, documentation, or projects shaped by daily life at Eona and on Chios. Others may initiate informal talks, workshops, or shared moments with fellow residents or the local community. These possibilities are entirely optional and unfold organically, depending on interest and energy. What matters most is an open, self-directed approach to your practice and a sense of care for the shared living environment and the people within it.
What’s Included
The summer residency is designed as a supported, focused working period that removes everyday logistics and allows residents to concentrate fully on their practice.
The residency includes daily breakfast, a house stocked with essential groceries for everyday use, accommodation and utilities for the full duration of the stay, full access to shared living and working spaces, as well as access to studio equipment and materials.
Each residency period includes two facilitated workshops and curated group visits to museums and exhibitions. Residents also receive ongoing guidance and presence throughout the residency period, as well as continued access to the Descoverartists network after their stay.
The experience and level of support remain consistent across all summer residency dates.
Practical Matters
Chios is easily reached from Athens by domestic flights (approximately 50 minutes) or by ferry. Car hire is recommended, but not necessary.
Most days we cook and eat together at the house, while there are also two local tavernas in the village and a beach within approximately a 25-minute walk, where you’ll also find a few seaside tavernas.
Residencies take place year-round, and living conditions reflect the season and rural setting. The house is a shared home rather than a hotel, and residents are expected to be comfortable with a simple, communal way of living.
Once accepted, we provide clear guidance on travel options, arrival timing, and how to reach the house. Residents are responsible for arranging and covering their own travel and personal expenses.
Residency formats and fees
2 WEEKS (13 nights)
• Private — €1,600
• Shared — €1,200
4 WEEKS (27 nights)
• Private — €3,000
• Shared — €2,250
A €500 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your residency dates. The remaining balance is due 4 weeks before arrival. Shared rooms accommodate up to two residents.
Winter Independent Residencies
(November–March)
During the winter months, we offer a limited number of independent, long-stay residencies for self-directed practitioners seeking time, space, and continuity for their work. This format is intentionally unstructured and suited to individuals who are comfortable working independently, without group programming or facilitated activities.
Winter residencies are suited to artists, writers, researchers, and other independent practitioners working on long-term projects who value focus, routine, and minimal interruption. Our winter format is not suitable for those seeking workshops, group dynamics, or a guided residency experience.
Residencies are offered for 4 to 12 weeks, with places limited, and residents selected through an application process. The fee for a private room is €560 per week.
What’s Included
– Accommodation for the full duration of the stay
– Utilities and internet
– Access to shared living and working spaces
– Essential groceries stocked on arrival
EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE
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Acrylic paints
Oil paints
Oil pastels
Watercolors
Weaving loom and yarns
Typewritter
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Carl Rönisch Piano, 1915
Fender Player II Strat RW WBL Electric Guitar
Fender Player II Precision Bass RW PWT
Fender FA-135CE Concert WN Black
Fender Champion II 100
Fender Rumble Studio 40
Fender CP-60S Parlor Sunburst WN
Millenium 8” Frame Drum (Natural Skin)
Nektar SE61 Keyboard
Hohner Special 20 C
Quantum HD 2 Interface
Eris Studio 5 Monitors (x2)
PreSonus PX-1 Mic
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Super 8 film video camera
Yashica-Mat Medium format camera
Ricoh GR-III
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Singer sewing machine HD6605
Samsung Freestyle Projector
What People Are Saying
“I had quit my job and decided to embark on a journey to Greece. I arrived at the port. Alone. As I looked for my seat, I saw others with different styles, same vibes - all artists. As we sat, the conversations arose without knowing that this first conversation was the beginning of something special. All in the same journey with different backgrounds. All chose to spend time away from all we knew to devote ourselves to our practice.
Christina, our host, a Greek woman, strong, independent and beautiful. In and out. I felt held, she had created a space where you felt at home, away from home. Where you could take up space and be yourself, to enjoy the Mediterranean lifestyle. Eat delicious, fresh food, drink house wine, and celebrate life just like the Greeks did in the old days. To read near the vast sea, to write, paint, or otherwise to disconnect to come back to yourself. To find solitude as you adventured through the island and to find a new family when you got home.
The house had character, different spaces to gather, a garden, a rooftop terrace with a fantastic view, a communal kitchen, and a living room. There was space to create and to chill, to feel inspired by the land and by the people that surrounded us.
I lived a dream, a dream I desire to come back to. I’d wake up, do yoga, cook breakfast, go out for coffee, go to the beach, read, eat, come home to create, go have dinner with my new friends, who later became family, and ended our day in a bar drinking, laughing, dancing. Ohhh what a dream!!!
It was an honor to have shared a space with so many wonderful artists, who inspired me and taught me from their practice, supported me through my journey and overall showed me a reflection of myself. All I could see was beauty, joy, kindness, peace, love…I came back to myself in this retreat. It was the start of a beautiful journey and of a new connection with an amazing human being, Christina, and many other beautiful souls that surrounded her. You are an inspiration to all of us. Thank you my dear Christina, overall for being you.”
“My stay at Descoverartists was incredible. Not working in my usual medium allowed me to explore and find inspiration in unexpected ways, and being based on a Greek island made the experience even more magical and unforgettable. I hope to be back soon”
“Christine is a magician of beauty and cosiness. She has created a gorgeous playground for artists to feel surrounded by harmony, intoxicating fragrances, and love.”