We have a wonderful interview in the works that is still in the editing phase. But meanwhile, Check out some great work that Alexandra Jo did while in residence at ArteSumapaz.
https://www.alexandrajoart.com/artesumapaz/
Alexandra Jo
AIR: Chiara Ciabattoni
Chiara is a writer training as a Biodanza facilitator. She is an intrepid explorer of the inner and outer worlds, loves to celebrate human light and shadow through ritual and dance. She is a theatre lover, who graduated in cultural Diplomacy and worked at the Italian Cultural Institute in New York and at ArteSumapaz – a cultural hacienda in the Colombian countryside, helping create cultural hubs and promoting Arts. Chiara has spent the past decade working front-of-house at the Gate Theatre, Sadler’s Wells and Orange Tree Theatre; as well as Press Rep to actress Lucy Roslyn in The State Versus John Hayes at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She is currently working as Theatre Manager for Gate Theatre and Theatro Technis @ 26 Crowndale, and as part of the Young Vic Welcome Team.
From: Italy
Artistic Preference or Outlets: Writer, Playwright, Dancer
Age: 41
Most Beloved Memory at ArteSumapaz:
“I became a vegan chef for the community for almost two weeks. Playing with foods and creating meals for the hacienda inhabitants gave me purpose and awakened my mothering side, my nature_rooted powers and allowed my creative juices to flow and merge with the fruits of the earth.”
“It was incredible to spend time with a community of artists hidden in the heart of nature, it felt like being born again within the giant legs of the mountains, held within green breasts and dreamy clouds.”
https://www.gatetheatre.co.uk/about-us/the-team/
Three Words: nurturing, raw, harbor
AIR: Matt Lasensky
“I studied engineering and was in a rough place during my studies. I’ve always loved drawing and decided to take an art class and it changed my life. Art has been my greatest hobby since and continues to be an outlet for me. I’ve mostly worked in factories and manufacturing settings and I’ve always loved machinery. I find old, rusty industrial equipment aesthetically beautiful in a wabi-sabi kinda way. Conversely, being in nature is my other great passion, which is what drew me to ArteSumapaz.”
From: Pennsylvania, USA
Artistic Preference or Outlets: Mixed media
Three Words: Cleansing; Peaceful; Stimulating
Most Beloved Memory at ArteSumapaz: A percussive jam session on the patio under incredible stars. Great music, people, conversations, and overall time well spent
AIR: Kirsty Nicoll
Kirsty Nicoll is a Scottish artist based in Leiden, The Netherlands. She graduated from Leith School of Art in July 2021. Prior to this, she received an MA in Art History from Glasgow University in 2017. Since leaving university in 2017, her main focus has been travelling, working at a seasonal job in London between trips. In 2019, a month-long residency at ArteSumapaz reignited her love for art and led her to apply to art school. She has a background in textiles, designing and selling fabric at her family’s linen mill in Fife.
From: Scotland
Artistic Preference or Outlets: Painting, analogue photography, silk screen printing
Three Words: Enlightening; Nourishing; Grounding
Most Beloved Memory at ArteSumapaz: Watching the sunsets over the gorgeous mountain view together every night.
AIR: Antoine Sugita
Born in northern France into a musical family, Antoine Sugita began studies in piano at the age of four. Winner of a competition in contemporary music interpretation at ten, he completed his studies at the Conservatoire de Lille with Alain Raes. Antoine’s passion for improvisation became clear with time, and his music has been chosen for several short films. Filled with a warm and peaceful atmosphere, Antoine is now focusing on both music production and composition. A new album will be launched beginning of 2022 with the purpose of showing many facets of his music.
From: Lille, France
Artistic Preference or Outlets: Music
Three Words: Trust; Simplicity; Balance
Most Beloved Memory at ArteSumapaz: The simplicity of Ric and I sharing both Christmas and New Year’s Eve by ourselves, with good food, beers and a chess board
“As a ‘new artist’, I was in this new phase of sharing my music, the open/true heart and speech of Ric, really accompanied me in this journey of launching my first album of improvisations. As a symbolic act, I put Ric’s favorite improvisation (of mine) in the album, called Grateful. Ric also made the cover of my album! This experience could not have been better.”
https://www.facebook.com/makimusic.prod
AIR: Poppy Litchfield
Poppy Litchfield is an artist whose work examines the passing of time and its interaction with environment and human experiences. Working across the mediums of print, installation and video she aims to engage audience with interactive and event-based work. She received her BSc in Psychology, Durham University, before working in artist residency spaces. Central to her work is an ethos on communality, considering how space can change and facilitate exchange. Poppy is currently doing a Post Graduate Diploma in Fine Art at Chelsea College of Art.
From: Derby, United Kingdom
Artistic Preference or Outlets: Print, installation, video
Three Words: Connecting; Nurturing; Community
Most Beloved Memory at ArteSumapaz: Countless kitchen moments preparing food together whilst dancing in the kitchen.
AIR: George Crotty
Canadian cellist/composer George Crotty’s inquisitive eclecticism embraces fiddle-derived ornamentation, the agile one-finger gestures of Indian classical music, adapted electric guitar techniques, and the bold articulations of jazz bass. One half of the Loose Roots Duo with West Coast fiddler Gabriel Dubreuil, and leader of his titular world-jazz inflected Trio, the Toronto-based Crotty’s modernist genre-bending is heavily influenced by his hometown’s vibrant pluralism.
From: Toronto, Canada
Artistic preference or outlets: Cello, improvisation, performance, recording
Three Words: open; heart; presence
Most beloved memory at ArteSumapaz: a viaje under the stars
“Rick, Pedro, and the current residents when I visited pre-covid were so warm, generous, encouraging. I cherish the experience, and look forward to visiting again.”
www.facebook.com/georgecrottycello
Return to Home: Three US-Colombian Artists
Since the 1950s, millions of Colombians fled the country primarily motivated by the violence and economic upheaval, in what’s been called the Colombian Diaspora. Today, the US hosts over 650,000 Colombians, along with over 300,000 second generation US-Colombians. Many Colombian-US artists have been making the trek back to Colombia to reconnect with the land of their parents and grandparents. We recently had the opportunity to interview three of those artists who spent time in residence at ArteSumapaz; Nicole Combeau, Camilo Cardenas, and Isabel Balcazár.
Continue readingMochilero – A striking performance about identity, rebirth and ritual
With his intimate performance piece Mochilero, US-Colombian experimental artist Camilo Cárdenas reminds us that identity is fluid, widely auto-constructed and an ongoing process, rather than a completed state. Mochilero took place during the Colombian COVID-19 lockdown at the artist residency ArteSumapaz, (located a three hour drive from Bogotá) and is still available for viewing online in summary (length: 15 minutes).
Continue readingMidnight
Outside at midnight
I suddenly notice,
not far from the terracotta porch,
a slender ladder.
Its silver quenched with days of harvest,
it waits forgotten under the mandarin tree.
Feet sunken, shallow anchors
in a lake of dark grass.
Its head bathing in moonlight.
Above it,
Mandarin lampions
dimmed by evening’s veil.
Faded orange chronographs
in a country
indifferent to seasons.
But gravity still pulls.
Fructose hourglass.
Oval clocks ripening
to tell us how much
time has passed.
by Christina Rupp, Artist in Residence
Christina Rupp is an artist and poet-in-residence, from Germany and South Africa. You can see more of her work at at www.christinarupp.com and https://www.instagram.com/christina.rupp/
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