Artist residency: embarking on a cross-cultural journey
Print Edition
JAPANESE musician Shinobu Eto found inspiration for her new piece during an artist residency in Shanghai.
Growing up in a family of musicians, Eto began studying the koto, a 13-string Japanese zither, at an early age. Fascinated by the interplay of melody, language and text, she sought to create a new framework for contemporary Asian music.
In Shanghai, she found that inspiration while gazing out of her hotel window on the Bund.
“Before coming to Shanghai, I thought Japan and China shared many similarities,” said Eto. “But I soon realized that while they share cultural roots, each has its own unique and vibrant identity.”
The unique blend of Eastern and Western architectural styles on Nanjing Road, the iconic clock tower on the Bund, and the energy of the streets left a deep impression on her.
It’s also artist Li Guangzong’s first time in Shanghai during his residency in October 2024. A graduate from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Li moved to Japan over a decade ago, where he developed a passion for nihonga — a traditional Japanese painting technique rooted in Chinese origins but refined over centuries in Japan. This art form became a central theme in his creative journey.
During his time in Shanghai, Li created a nihonga painting featuring the Bund’s iconic skyline. Using ancient mineral pigments, he rendered the familiar scene with a poetic haze. The work reflected his unique perspective as someone navigating between cultures.
Li spoke highly of Shanghai’s diversity and energy, contrasting its vibrancy with the more restrained vibe of Tokyo. “I never imagined I’d find such playfulness in Shanghai,” he remarked, adding that he had applied for an extension of his residency to maintain this creative momentum.
Both Eto and Li participated in the Swatch Art Peace Hotel’s artist residency program, the largest of its kind in Shanghai. Since 2011, more than 600 artists from 59 countries and regions have taken part.
“The Hotel was created to give artists time and space,” explained Carlo Giordanetti, CEO of the project.
The project is a gift to artists around the world, allowing them to explore their creativity freely, he added.
This residency is just one among many in Shanghai.
Swiss graffiti artist Beat Baumann joined the “Art Flow Art District” residency in May 2024. Located in suburban Shanghai, the project is a sprawling art park within an industrial complex, home to nearly 50 artists. Initially focusing on young Chinese artists, the program has since begun attracting international talent, including Baumann.
Baumann incorporated “water” as a key theme in his work, inspired by the lakes of his hometown, Lucerne, and the two rivers that shape Shanghai, the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek.
“(Art is) like a flow,” he said, “You can just let it go and then you will end up somewhere.”
Artists are also encouraged to address global challenges during their residency. In the summer of 2024, the German Consulate General’s Department of Culture and Education launched the “Bridging Babel” project, inviting 12 international artists to explore the theme of language. The initiative aimed to reexamine the relationship between language and worldview amidst a rapidly changing world.
One installation, “Click,” uses coffee as a way to bridge language barriers. In another work, “The Crow and the Blind Woman,” the artists explore language through sound and touch, creating a sensory experience beyond text and visuals. It raises questions: Is language a tool for connection or a barrier? Does it reflect the soul like a mirror, or does it act as an invisible wall?
Dr Evelin Hust, consul of the department, emphasized the value of residency. “We hope to highlight the importance of exposing artists to new environments and giving them time and space to develop creatively, focusing less on immediate outcomes,” Hust said.
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