Agenda

I’ll get personal here: I love Desirée’s sensitivity in leading the sessions—there’s something of the philosophy of difference in her approach—the warmth in her words, the joy of being with us even from afar. I feel genuinely welcomed. In our one-on-one conversation, Desirée was attentive to my proposal and offered solutions I hadn’t considered. We all felt truly embraced.

Having a set time and space to create—while seeing others in their own processes—greatly supports creative discipline. My creative energy fluctuates over time, from intense dives to moments of paralysis. But there, the residency becomes a space for thinking and reflection, which really helps during those stagnant phases. The team fosters a strong sense of belonging within the group and supports the organization of time, space, activities, and the technical aspects of each project.

The artist residency provided a stimulating environment for the development of my creative process. Mentorship was crucial in helping me explore new approaches and techniques, and the feedback I received helped refine my ideas. The available support and resources were essential in enriching my practice. I also highlight the importance of creating collectively and how the intertwining of different projects made the experience even more meaningful.

For me, the residency is both a commitment and a leap of faith. It requires surrender to truly create, and the leap to envision something bigger with the goal of presenting it to an audience—while staying consistent in the creative flow and enjoying the exchanges with others in the process. Desirée’s mediation inspires both individual and collective movements, nurturing new ways of making, being, and seeing oneself as an artist. Personally, I love the experience.

It was only within the group that I could truly recognize aspects of my creative process—my rhythm, peculiarities, challenges, and strengths. Through Desirée’s mediation, I came to understand art as both process and work: while desire gives it rhythm and direction, the artist’s effort and organization are what bring the work to life. This helped demystify the idea of art as an innate gift. Participating in the residency was crucial for my development, motivating and empowering me to pursue what I believe in and long to create.

The artist residency was a turning point in my creative journey, providing not only technical development but also an artistic maturity that I will undoubtedly carry into my future career. The collaborative environment of the residency pushed me to seek new challenges and to venture into more experimental projects, which expanded both my skills and visual repertoire. The mediation was essential in this process, offering steady and encouraging guidance.

The Residency offers me multiple creative sparks that lead to personal discoveries and also help me gain a clearer understanding of the artistic context I’m part of. It’s fascinating to see how everyone’s process takes shape — sometimes as a direct continuation of the initial idea, and at other times as its complete opposite. The attachment and detachment from an idea, the sense of self as an artist, and how we see and feel ourselves when being observed while creating — the Residency provides me with a new lens through which to create and share.

“Collapse” is the word that defines my process: I build walls of certainty, and my own art tears them down, leaving me groundless. With each new beginning, there is uncertainty — of success or failure — but I embrace this instability as part of the creative path. With every Residency meeting, through provocations, reflections, and pulsing desires, I am transformed in duality — I feel rage, but it always leads to a transformative ecstasy.