Casa Robinia Residency: Sponsored by Gillian Jason Gallery
The Residency
At the heart of Casa Robinia is the Italian notion of il dolce far niente - the sweetness of doing nothing. Not as idleness, but as an invitation to slow down, observe and create with greater intention. Here, inspiration is found in the studio itself as much in long afternoons spent in the garden, walks through the surrounding countryside and the rhythms of everyday Italian life. Residents are encouraged to immerse themselves in a different pace of living, where conversation, nature, food and quiet reflection become part of the creative process.
Designed for artists seeking both focus and stimulation, the residency offers dedicated time for independent research and making while balancing the tranquillity of the landscape with access to some of Italy's richest cultural destinations. Alongside uninterrupted studio practice, residents have the opportunity to take part in optional excursions to museums, historic sites and exhibitions, with previous programmes including visits to Milan's leading cultural institutions, the Venice Biennale, Renaissance monasteries and further places of artistic significance.
The Villa
Casa Robinia is housed within a beautifully restored nineteenth-century villa, surrounded by mature gardens and the rolling landscape of northern Italy. More than simply accommodation, the house is intended to become a temporary home, where artists share meals, conversations and ideas while enjoying the privacy needed for focused work. The villa offers indoor studio spaces alongside a covered outdoor workspace, while the gardens and wider grounds are conceived as an extension of the studio, inviting artists to work beyond its walls and engage directly with their surroundings.
Instead of being located in either remote rural settings or busy urban centres, Casa Robinia occupies a unique middle ground. It provides the quiet and restorative qualities of the countryside while remaining within easy reach of internationally renowned museums, galleries and cultural events. This dialogue between retreat and discovery, solitude and exchange, forms the essence of the residency: a place where artistic practice is shaped not only by time in the studio, but by the experience of living well, looking slowly and engaging deeply with the culture that surrounds it.
