The Arts and Culture Division of the Austrian Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport promotes contemporary art in Austria as well as Austrian artists abroad and is responsible for the federal funding programs for all segments of contemporary art. Amongst others the Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport offers residencies for Austrian based artists in several  foreign studios (among these the Artists Residence Herzliya) from three to four months. Each year, the Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport sends around 50 artists abroad to discover and expand the artistic situation on site and their own work in a foreign environment. Around 800 Austrian artists have worked at a studio provided by the Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport  abroad since the 1970s. Many of them are well known – artists who represented Austria at the Venice Biennale, documenta or other renowned exhibitions of contemporary art, who pass on their experiences and know-how to the next generation at national and international art universities and who succeed in the global art market.