“I spent my time at (Re)Create rejuvenating my creativity and developing new ideas and new works, all while living in the beautiful Piemonte, Italian countryside. The art residency program offers a unique balance of solitude, camaraderie, sedentary moments, and bursts of energy. The foundation, and its location, make it a must for both artistic and individual development.”
— Richard Humann, July 2022
I participated in the (Re)Create Residency in Castelnuovo Calcea, Italy from June 19 to July 4, 2022. Director Gale Elston has made a truly magical place where we were allowed to freely re-charge the creative batteries. It starts with breakfasting on fresh figs from the tree outside my window. With Gale leading us we feasted on the best in local foods and win, soaking up the rich culture of the Piemonte region and nearby museums in Torino. All of this set the stage for me to relax and enjoy completing an “on location” zoom teaching project with dancers at a distance. As well, with the help of colleague Elga Wimmer, I was inspired to film short dances in sites in town around the famous St.Stephen Church. This provided material for the spontaneous performance with visiting performer Shipra on the sculpted floor mural of Ken Hiratsuka, and later seeded a new group dance in NYC in August 2022. In our final days we had t the Venice Biennale. The (Re)Create Residency is truly a gift.
— Gloria McLean, July 2022
A couple of the seed videos from Castelnuovo Calcea:
“I staged and photographed a series of mini ephemeral land art installations entitled Suite cone pyrometriques made with pyrometric cones normally used inside a ceramic kiln. Unfired the cones are straight and colored, once fired they melt in different shapes and turn white. The landscape of Hayden Lake (Idaho,USA), who's nature strangely echoed the one around my father's house and ceramic studio in Val-David, Québec, served as background in my photographs where the pyrometric cones find evocative shapes and new roles as sculptural objects a larger project part of my Madeleines minerales, a Proustien body of work including fired and unfired handmade ceramic pieces, image transferred on clay, and photographs.”
— Ève K. Tremblay, 2014
“Merci/Thank you to (Re)Create Artist Residency for the support and context, with no pressure to create, which contribute to the creation of this body of work.”
During the (Re)Create residency in July 2022 I continued development of her EDEN project.
EDEN is a new kind of organic network based on vegetal medium. As we know, all vegetal species can communicate with its environment. Instead of words they use different kinds of molecular emission. The communication can be established between trees of the same species, but it can also be addressed to a different organism: insect, or animal, including human. This aptitude helps trees to optimize their vital mechanisms and to protect themselves from potentials aggressors. Realized in collaboration with the Orange Telecom company from France EDEN transforms this encrypted communication into a comprehensive and open network. Humans can follow it through the works that I created.
In (Re)Create I worked in two different fields.
I realized measurements and plant communication records regional vineyard (Nizza, Grinzane Cavour…) in order to produce new EDEN artwork transciribing vineyards.
I also worked with white poplars in Guarene (Parco d’Arte Sabdretto Re Rebaudengo) to connect them to the white poplars from in Babyn Yar that I had been working with for 3 years. Babyn Yar is a very famous place in Kiev, Ukraine, where the largest single massacre in the history of the Holocaust happened in 1941. In 2020 I realized with trees planted in Babyn Yar after the massacre Memory Garden exhibition in IZOLYATSIA art center in Kiev. Thanks to the (Re)Create research session the trees in Guarene are connected with the Ukrainian « brothers » from Babyn Yar, and the artist follows their real time conversation in order to develop new, international support Memory Garden including both locations.
— Olga Kisseleva, July, 2022
“My 6-month residency at (Re)Create was undeniably a unique experience, one that left a lasting mark on both my personal and professional journey. It was a period of intense exploration, pushing the boundaries of my creativity in several media while immersing myself in the culture of the Piemonte. Simultaneously, and inspired by the knowledge gained from my personal residency experience, I devoted focused time to laying the groundwork for ARCAthens, where I now proudly serve as the Executive Director.
The experience at (Re)Create, while marked by its distinct character, played an influential role in shaping the core values and culture of ARCAthens. We've established a culture that centers our fellows, offering them unwavering support without rigid deliverables. This approach, inspired by my time at (Re)Create, ensures a nurturing environment for artistic exploration and growth.
My six months at (Re)Create were undoubtedly a transformative chapter in my life, and I am grateful for the unique impact it has had on my artistic journey and the establishment of ARCAthens.”
— Aristides Logothetis, Spring - Fall, 2016
The (Re)Create Artist Residency was a profoundly transformative experience for my studio practice. The “unplugged”, camping style residency challenged me to think creatively about how I would spend my time in way that would both embrace nature as well as be productive. I was beginning to get interested in creating data-driven art and working with physical computing as ways to explore chance and randomness in the process of art making. So, I brought a selection of drawing materials and solar powered toys and motors. During the 2-week residency, I created a series of abstract charcoal drawings on watercolor paper using the solar powered toys as drawing instruments. I also tied solar powered motors to pieces of charcoal from each evening’s campfire and left them on sheets of paper. Their spastic wanderings across the paper powered only by the sun created swirls, lines, and smears reminiscent of abstract expressionism or surrealist automatic drawing.
The residency setting and community was very inspiring, and we were wonderfully supported with beautiful accommodations and incredible meals. I have remained in touch with fellow resident artist Eve K. Tremblay as well as founder Gale Elston who have both directly supported my art practice since 2014.
I really appreciated Elston’s vision and thoughtful feedback on my work during the residency. After the residency, she curated an exhibition of our artworks at White Box Gallery in New York, NY with a public reception and panel discussion. She accepted the donation of my residency drawings to the (Re)Create Art Collection. She has also supported my studio with visits and purchases of other artworks. Tremblay facilitated an exhibition of my work in Montreal, QC as well as invited me to participate in her own curatorial projects. She and I continue to support each other as both friends and colleagues through studio visits and continued creative exchange.
When looking at my portfolio chronologically, it’s easy to recognize the (Re)Create residency as pivotal moment in my practice that began an expansive body of work using data, sensors, custom software, and physical computing to make a variety of artworks including prints, weavings, sculptures, durational performances, and networked sculptures. I deeply value such opportunities for self-directed exploration alongside such thoughtful artists and curators.
Thank you for supporting my work!
—Laura Splan, August 13, 2023
More About My Residency Project
Collaborations with the Sun, 2014
Created during open studio performance at (R)eCreate Artist Residency, Hayden Lake, ID charcoal drawings on archival watercolor paper created with solar-powered motorized instruments 12 H × 16 W in (30.48 H × 40.64 W cm) each
https://www.laurasplan.com/projects/collaborations-with-the-sun