
JAVAR International Art Residency
JAVAR International Art Residency is an annual winter program by OIR Art Hub Mongolia, starting in 2026 around the frozen Khuvsgul Lake, Mongolia.
The first edition explores Javar; the Mongolian concept of frost as a metaphor for resilience, hibernation, and inner renewal. Each year, the residency will continue in new environments with different themes, fostering artistic research, reflection, and cross-cultural exchange in extreme landscapes.
“JAVAR” International Winter Art Residency 2026 Concludes in Khuvsgul Province
​
Khatgal, Khuvsgul Province, Mongolia – The volunteer-based art collective OIR Art Hub Mongolia has successfully concluded the “JAVAR” International Winter Art Residency 2026, the first winter residency of its kind in Mongolia. The program took place from February 25 to March 1, 2026, in Khuvsgul Province, bringing together Mongolian and international artists to create new works within one of the country’s most pristine winter landscapes.
​
The residency was developed around the Mongolian concept of javar, a term that signifies piercing cold while also evoking a deeper emotional and psychological state of inner frost. Through this conceptual framework, participating artists were invited to confront endurance, inner conflict, and their own personal “javar” while working in an extreme natural environment.
​
Located along the shores of Lake Khuvsgul, artists produced site-responsive works shaped by severe winter conditions, isolation, and the distinctive geography of Mongolia’s northern region. The residency encouraged artists to explore how natural materials, environmental forces, and the landscape itself could become collaborators in the artistic process.
​
Public Programs and Cultural Exchange
​
Following the residency, a series of public programs and educational activities were organized in Ulaanbaatar to extend the residency’s impact and foster dialogue around contemporary art and environmental practices.
​
-
February 25 – March 1, 2026: Artists resided and created works in Khatgal – Lake Khuvsgul.
-
March 3, 2026: Residency artists conducted a collaborative visual arts workshop for elementary school students at Elite International School in Ulaanbaatar.
-
March 3, 2026: Participants visited the exhibition Everything in Flow by Mongolian artist N. Zultsetseg at Lkham Gallery, Zanabazar Fine Arts Museum, and several artist ateliers, engaging in dialogue with the artist and local art community.
-
March 4, 2026: A two-hour public lecture on Land Art and environmental artistic practice was presented by Mark Antony Haden Ford, Rebecca Ford, and Peter Pal at the School of Film, Television, and Media Arts of the Mongolian National University of Arts and Culture, attended by approximately 60–70 students and art enthusiasts.
-
March 4, 2026: The residency officially concluded with a closing gathering, during which commemorative certificates were presented to all participants.
​
Additionally, participating artists appeared on the Mongolian television morning program Өнөө Өглөө on Mongol TV on March 5, 2026, sharing insights and experiences from the residency.
​
A documentary video capturing the process and outcomes of the “JAVAR” Winter Art Residency will be released in April 2026 on the official OIR Art Hub YouTube channel.
​
The “JAVAR” International Winter Art Residency 2026 was supported by Mongolian Handicrafts LLC.










