Artesumapaz residency
October ‘24 - November ‘24
I was fortunate enough to spend my first artist residency at ArteSumapaz, in the rural mountains of Cundinamarca. Being immersed in this space gave me so much auditory and visual inspiration for my art practice. And, having such a large amount of space, both in the studio and out, provided me the proper time to experiment with different mediums and found material.
I really enjoyed cataloguing the mark-makings from natural found materials such as bee hives that had fallen to the ground. As well as using a field recorder to document all the magical sounds that the nature at Artesumpaz can provide. It also gave me the time to explore with new areas of interest, such as book-binding and singing circle experiences.
Artesumapaz deepened my connection to nature as a source of artistic and emotional inspiration, further attaching my commitment to tactile, exploratory, and environmentally conscious art-making.
it’s the sound of Guari's tail tapping the floor with excitement at seeing me
it's a cat kneading into my fleece
it's walking towards the Granero to use the wifi to continue my Duolingo streak
it's the pure joy of hearing that cake has been made and running down the hill to get a piece
it's ducking down as another beetle crashes into the wall
it's the view from the hammock as you read a book
it's the bird that sounds like a car alarm at 5am
it's cradling Cookie and looking at the clear view of the stars together
it's beating a drum with your hands and laughing
it's Guari leading you onto a hike
it's dancing in the dark in the LED lights
it's climbing a tree or a big rock
it's learning to hang upside down from the silks
it's watching the ants carry all sorts of leaves on their backs
it's picking a banana off the branch as a snack
it's seeing the lightning in the distance and waiting for the storm to arrive.
This soundscape intertwines wildlife recordings and a sincere audio message sent during the residency, reflecting on how my experience will stay with me forever.