EMPACT - Residencies at Espacio Rojo (ER)
18-29 of September 2023 | Espacio Rojo (ER) Spain
We are pleased to announce that the Espacio Rojo 12-day artistic residency promoted by the innovative project EMPACT – Empathy and Sustainability: The Art of Thinking like a Mountain, is about to begin! It will start on the 18th to end on the 29th of September and has been co-funded by the EU Creative Europe Programme (Grant Agreement No: – EMPACT – CREA-CULT-2021-COOP-2).
As part of the European project EMPACT – Empathy and Sustainability: The Art of Thinking Like a Mountain, three accomplished visual artists from Greece and Italy are set to arrive in Madrid to embark on an inspiring artistic residency. Coordinated by Espacio Rojo, this initiative aims to support projects that collectively address the role of art in raising awareness and acting against climate change.
The three selected participants for the ESPACIO ROJO/EMPACT program are Konstantinos Kotsis, Rebecca Sforzani, Margherita Isola. Each of the resident artists will engage in an artistic research process with the goal of fostering change and social inclusion. These artists will position themselves as key agents in promoting empathy and sustainability within their respective communities. To this end, they will have the opportunity to interact with diverse vulnerable and social collectives in the Carabanchel area of Madrid. These collectives span from schools, community kitchens, and neighborhood associations to women’s groups, climate change movements, activists, artisan networks, and artistic collectives. Each artist will select a specific group to collaborate with on their research. All projects will be around the topic of Nature, Health, and Care.
THE ARTISTS
The three selected artists, whose stay in Spain is planned between September 18th and 29th, are as follows:
- Konstantinos Kotsis – Greece: His investigative focus centers on creating safer, inclusive, and non-hierarchical public spaces. Kotsis will explore the concept of ephemeral monuments to be placed in public spaces, highlighting the interconnectedness between human and non-human entities. His research will also address the housing crisis and the impact of water in the urban environment, issues of relevance in both Greece and Spain.
- Rebecca Sforzani – Italy: Sforzani’s project aims to generate collective reflection on the role of the environment in contemporary society. Building on the inclusion of the concept of «Pachamama» as an entity with rights in the Ecuadorian Constitution, Rebecca seeks to expand this conversation to various communities and contexts, bridging countries and promoting imaginative solutions to the climate crisis.
- Margherita Isola – Italy: Isola’s project invites the community to participate in building a «Guerrilla Pharmacy,» a healing space that houses historically marginalized, capitalized, and unseen medicinal plants. Through this effort, Isola aims to forge an interspecies alliance that celebrates ancestral and communal health practices.
The progress and discoveries of these artists will be presented and shared at the “Creativity and Sustainability» seminar, organized by Espacio Rojo from September 20th to 22nd at Casa Encendida. Additionally, some of the resulting artworks will have the opportunity to be part of an exhibition scheduled for October 2023 at the Vorres Museum in Greece.
On September 29th they will present their projects to the local community and anyone who would like to visit ESPACIO ROJO in Carabanchel, Madrid, Spain.
If you are passionate about nature, health and care you can find additional information about the programme at website espaciorojo.com or contact info@espaciorojo.com
Join EMPACT social media and keep updated about empathy and sustainability through the arts: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
