Artists in Residence

Sound Art

Juanita Fernández

For her project «Choir of Species», music and sound artist Juanita Fernández aims to take territorial tours in different parts of Switzerland and record them. These recordings should be worked on in collaboration with a local artist, creating pieces for each tour and, later, exhibited in three formats: postal pieces; a printed postcard with the map where the tour took place; and a QR code, sent by email, where it will be possible to listen to the piece and the primary recording. Juanita, who is in close contact with the traditional music of Uruguay, draws inspiration from candomblé culture and the principle of welcoming collective manifestations.

Country of residency: Switzerland

Music

La Nefera

A musician from Basel with a wide range of influences, Jennifer Perez, aka La Nefera, has always preserved much of her Dominican roots and brings to her musical production a mix of hip-hop, electronic, and Latin sounds. Along with her co-band leader Victor Hege, she will participate in a residency in Colombia to collaborate with local artists, drawing from their previous connections with multi-instrumentalist Sebastián Rozo [CO], a member Frente Cumbiero band. The duo also intends to present their recent work in the country.

Country of residency: Colombia

Visual Arts

Martina-Sofie Wildberger

A performance artist focusing on text, as material, and on the political aspect of poetic expression, Martina-Sofie Wildberger aims to research the feminist movement «Ni Una Menos» in Argentina, which is described as a “collective scream against machista violence” and refers to the high number of femicides in the country. Martina has been researching the connection between voice and empowerment, notably with her last performance, «SCREAM» (2019), where she subjects screaming to close observation. Her goal for the residency is to create a starting point for a collaboration through meeting local activists and artists, attending events, and researching content and theory.

Country of residency: Argentina

Theatre

Sebastián Squella

An artist dedicated to political theatre, Chilian Sebastián Squella will develop the project «Beyond Democracy», where he intends to create a work that reflects on the concept of democracy, a democracy that is suffering violent crises worldwide, the so-called “crisis of representation”. Collaborating with the Swiss performing arts scene, Sebastián proposes to portray, in a play, what happens in a society where the constitutive power of the citizens and the mandate given to the government is not enough for a full life.

Country of residency: Switzerland

Music

Sol Okarina

For her project «Analoge Undine», musician Sol Okarina draws inspiration from the myth of the undine, a nymph who protects waters, to explore different pallets that merge organic and synthetic sounds. During her residency, in which she will collaborate with artists from the Swiss experimental scene, she intends to experiment with voice, electronic textures, and real-time audio processing in an analogue format. Through undine, an ancient mythology present in different cultures, Sol assembles a diversity of rhythms (with some Latin American influence) and searches for fluidity in her musical creations.

Country of residency: Switzerland

Dance

Tamara Alegre

Tamara Alegre’s work revolves around sensuality, erotic force, and political content. During their residency in Chile, the dancer and choreographer intends to research the local context, exchange with artists and practitioners (a contact they have been having through online events) and make connections between South American culture and her own – born in the Canary Islands, the artist feels a closer relation to the Latin culture. Tamara also proposes to present works in Chile and to offer a workshop for female and non-binary teenagers.

Country of residency: Chile