Banditto residency

I got contacted by The Banditto Residency in Italy. Did some research and got in touch with 2 artists who had been invited to go.
they ask people to apply but apparently end up inviting artists who already have a bit of exposure.
so is the process legit ? the fee just a mean to make a little extra ?
they have no press. seems quite fishy but i’d love to hear some other feedbacks.

38 comments
  • Anonymous

    Do not send him money. It’s a rather clever fund mining operation that does actually operate a Gallery in Tuscany *but* will blanket send out requests for applications to half of Instagram to pull in “Application Fees”. There’s little in the way of thoughful selection of who they contact to take part, pretty much anyone with an art-related profile on Instagram will get contacted.

    The goal is to get as many applications in as possible to fund a “Winner” and thereafter their profit. It’s deviously clever in a way because thanks to them having flesh and blood winning artists (who tend to actually be good) they can show everyone that it is indeed possible to win the prize. In some cases you’ll even get previous winners defending the gallery as genuine on review boards like here, unwittingly fulfilling their function as cover for what Banditto are really up to.

    What’s insidious about this is that Banditto are actually running a residency, so it’s not really fraud. *But* by casting a net out to a poll of artists where they themselves know that 98% of the applicants haven’t a chance from even before the email was sent….skirts the border of what you could call a scam.

    Avoid. Roy Ockers is spam-inbox keyword for many.

  • Anonymous

    Es una estafa. Mismos correos, descuentos, charla por whatsapp, a mi me lleva cortejano dos años, pero no me hablaba con claridad y cuando le enviaba alguna obra por correo o por su whatsapp su contestación era un poco infantil y de salir del paso y siempre alagando y sugiriendo que mi pintura encajaba en esas residencias. Lo que no encaja es le material que publica y que no sea conocida ni en la Toscana. No sueltes ni un “Leuro” es una estafa de mal gusto y que encima se la hacen a los artistas que estamos siempre tiesos de dinero y con ganas de ego jejejeje ESTAFA CLARA!!

  • Anonymous

    Yes RitaMarie, it is a scam. The artists on Banditto;s list of previous resident artists do not include Banditto Residency on their CV or web sites. If it was real, they would. He contacted me several times in 2020, offered discounts etc. Don’t send any money.
    Loueen Morrison

  • Anonymous

    I was contacted, offered ‘the discount’ but didn’t fall for it. Roy Ockers sent me several emails before it seems he has given up. What really surprised me is that the Banditto Residency info says not to contact artists who have held the residency!! But that makes no sense. Any artist who has been selected for a residency would put it on their CV, website etc. and be glad to converse with fellow artists about it. I checked several of the names of alleged ‘residents’. They are all real artists but never mention Banditto Residency on their sites or CV. So clearly a scam.

  • Anonymous

    I was also contacted several times & given a discount. Free round trip airfare for 2, use of a car, housing – it all sounds good. With each contact he asks for the same discounted amount. Not exorbitant but multiply it by several hundred artists & it can certainly fund his lifestyle which seems to be profiled on Roy Ockers Instagram account, He posts himself sitting in a variety of outdoor venues in Italy, drink in one hand & cigar in the other while in some pics a young boy (his son) is running about.

  • Anonymous

    Hi Andrea

    We have you in our database as an artist. I have had a lot of free time on my hands because of the restrictions here in Italy.. 🙁
    I’ve been using this time to update our lists and in the meantime get to know some of the artists personally. Are you still creating art?

    If so, I would love to see what you are working on. Are you on Instagram or do you have a website I can look at?

    I hope you and your family are doing well. Stay safe.

    Greetings from beautiful Tuscany,

    Roy Ockers

    Art collector and Founder @banditto.art

    Yes, it is a scam, and it’s still going.

    • Anonymous

      Hi Kelly

      Some time ago I emailed you about our Artist Residency in Tuscany, and despite the Coronavirus pandemic, we have been able to plan all our previous winners’ residency stays.

      This round’s winners, selected from 72 applicants, have just been announced and I wanted to share the latest press release with you. You can see who the winners are by clicking here.

      We have a new call for entries coming up, please check our website for more information, or contact me if you have any questions.

      Roy

      Art collector

      I just got this email this morning, this same email keeps pestering me, and I have responded before asking if this was a scam. And they are responsive. So I’m not sure who is behind this.

  • Anonymous

    Just got this exact same email and I was wondering “even though I’m an artist, why am I in your database? It’s so random” It does sound a little fishy because it came from nowhere but I think I’m going to stay in touch to see where it goes.

  • Anonymous

    I have been contacted as well, same exact email sent, he even spoke to me via whatsapp and offered me a discount.. My mail is flooded as we speak, he’s mailed me everyday in the past 4 days..

    What set off my suspicion though was his Instagram post last week. He posted a Pic of himself in South Africa yet he says he’s in Italy..
    How is he restricted in Italy yet he’s in South Africa?

  • Anonymous

    This just happened to me and he emails you several times too and acts like he gives a crap… really slimy 🙁 it makes me sad to think about that someone’s job is to try and scam artists who are ALREADY probably struggling like? lowest of the low these people

  • Anonymous

    100% SCAM DO NOT SEND $$!!!
    Whoever actually programs these algorithms to find “artist” info has been switching the fee amounts, curator names, and email contacts around for over 3 years now. I’ve found articles all over like this after searching Instragram for the profiles of the one who contacted me.

    Roy Ockers may be a real dude with a real life, ans the gallery may be a real place, but whether they or a 3rd party is behind the scam I cannot say. I have NO CONNECTION to these entities and live on an entirely different continent!

    Please keep researching before replying or sending money to ANYONE. Real legit galleries have 1,000s of artists clamoring to participate at high costs, so when “THEY” find YOU first, A L W A Y S Q U E S T I O N IT.

  • Anonymous

    This is what I received today..

    We have you in our database as an artist. I have had a lot of free time on my hands because of the restrictions here in Italy.. 🙁
    I’ve been using this time to update our lists and in the meantime get to know some of the artists personally. Are you still creating art?

    If so, I would love to see what you are working on. Are you on Instagram or do you have a website I can look at?

    I hope you and your family are doing well. Stay safe.

    Greetings from beautiful Tuscany,

    Roy Ockers

  • Anonymous

    I was contacted as well. Same friendly, personal email. Has anyone actually gone to Tuscany ? I read what some artists said & it was all praise. Round trip airfare for two. Car to use. Free housing. Not sure what the deal is on art supplies & food.

    • Anonymous

      Hi I got this personal invite from Roy:

      I hope you and your family are safe and well. As you probably already know, we host artist residencies in Tuscany Italy. Every quarter we have one winner who joins us in Montefollonico for 10 days.

      (I have attached a document with further details for you)

      Because we have been in touch, I would like to personally invite you to apply for our new round. I have seen your work and think you’re a great candidate for the residency program!

      If you are chosen as the successful applicant, we will schedule the dates with you for when it suits you, even if that be later this year or next year.

      Please let me know if you’re interested, and if so, when would it be best for you to visit us?

  • Anonymous

    I have been contacted this year and last year as well.
    Last year he gave me a discount saying that my art fits very well and bla bla, this year as well, he send me personally some mails early this year to ask me to follow him on Instagram and asking me how i was dealing with the situation as an artist, etc. Very charming and friendly but always was very weird for me. Why this person is so interested?
    A month later he send me another mail inviting me to participate this year again, he told me that there was not too many artist enrolled this year so i should definitely participate because i had “big” chances.

    It seems that he does this kind on things with a lot of people. This is so unfair, he’s playing with artist making them believe that they’re about to achieve a big thing and is all bullshit. So annoying

  • Anonymous

    I’m also being “courted” by Roy Ockers of the Banditto Residency. He is very responsive and charming and does actually look at your art work. One has to decide if they want to”pay to play” and although I usually say NO to artists paying for things like this- – it is possible that doing one or two of these residencies will lead to to other things. It’s really a personal decision. My last residency at the Chateau Orquevaux, in France was inspiring and I met two other artists that are now very close friends. It was a fntastc exoerience ans[d well worth the $1,500 euros that I spent to stay for two weeks.

    Lisa

    • Anonymous

      Lisa, the artists that are on the Banditto list of Resident artists, don’t have any mention of this residency on their web sites or CVs. Also the Banditto application rules say you are not allowed to contact previous artists. That’s just crazy. Any artist would be happy to talk to a fellow artist about their experience. This is a scam. Loueen Morrison

    • Anonymous

      I too have received emails EXACtly as the ones mentioned before. Really sad and I don’t know what to make if it. Sounds like a dream but if it’s too good to be true- probably is lol. No thanks !

      • Anonymous

        This is the email he sent to me after I replied to his first few (as I was interested but did some research and was like yep… most likely a scam) and then I just stopped.

        “Some time ago I invited you for our Artist residency in Tuscany.

        Coronavirus has hit the world hard, and the art world is no exception. There has been a drastic decrease in the number of applications for our residency, but since art is essential in this world, we are not going to stop. We have still been able to plan all our previous residency winners’ trips, and we are even more confident that because of the vaccine being made available, nothing will prevent us from having this round’s winner visit us soon.

        Despite the low number of entries, we are determined to make the residency program happen and I really want to have a winner for this round, so I am offering the residency opportunity to you at a discounted application fee of only $19 (normal price $49).

        Submit by 30 June using the discount code JUN19 to make use of the special discount.

        (I have attached a document with further details for you)

        If you are selected as a winner, we will schedule it with you for when it suits you even if later this year or next.

        Please let me know if you’re interested, and if so, when it would suit you to visit us in Tuscany?”

        • Anonymous

          Got the exact same email. He’s been mailing me back and forth. Today I gave in and made an application. I actually received a reply form one of the artist who was announced as a winner saying they are legit. I’m really confused. Anyways it’ looks like I’ve lost 19$

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