Ripple outward—Residencies in East Asia

March to May 2024, Shanghai

Residency: During our residency, we focused on further developing our collaborative artistic work with performer Keng Chen (Hangzhou/Shanghai), as both three of us are part of the Asian-European artist collective RRRRRR, active since 2018, with members Wen-Chi Liu (Taipei), Dino Radoncic (St. Gallen), and Eneas Prawdzic (Zurich). Over the years, we have transformed our efforts to stay connected across continents, borders, and cultural differences, into poetic snapshots of a fragmented yet inevitably interconnected world.

In May 2024, Keng and us starting from Shanghai and Wen-Chi starting from Taipei embarked on a four-day journey to come as close to each other as possible, while Dino and Eneas followed online. At the narrowest point, between Xiamen and Kinmen islands, only six kilometers separated us. (Journal extract, day 2): Today, we faced each other but couldn’t see one another. We rented a speedboat, held colorful balloons, used cameras, binoculars, and even received some piece of advice from a local fortune teller. And yet, we missed each other. So near, so far. At night, we video-called with the entire group: ‘So, for tomorrow: what to try next?’

Followup: Later supported by the Co-Creation Program, this journey will serve as the basis for an audiovisual performance, Wen Keng We Meet? – On Connection, to be presented in 2026 as part of the OPEN STUDIO by Dimitri de Perrot at Theaterhaus Gessnerallee in Zurich.

March to May 2024, Shanghai

Residency: My three-month residency at the Shanghai Museum of Glass was a great opportunity to immerse myself in working with complex glass materials and learn about the different processing and manufacturing forms. I was able to make my first attempts in the museum’s hot shop, where I was taught the basics of glass blowing and other techniques so I could experiment with the material and create different objects. I had the opportunity to show the results at an open studio at the museum.

Thrown into a different symbolic order, I was also fascinated to see how and if power relations, identity discourses, or the handling of intimacy in Shanghai, differ from those I know. This led me to deepen my research into the topic of ‘shame’ and find out about its specific role in Chinese culture.

Followup: My current work in progress is an attempt to bring the theoretical and material research of my residency in Shanghai together. Exchanges with local artists/curators were made possible by Pro Helvetia Shanghai. I met some great people I met again in Basel and am still in touch with. 

February to May 2024, Shanghai

Residency: During my residency, I deepened my long-term research on what humans can learn from the social organization of cockroaches.

Cockroaches embody decentralized, non-hierarchical collective action. My transdisciplinary research – where I investigated the ecological roles of cockroaches, Daoist principles of non-domination, and Chan Buddhist ideas of insight in unexpected places – led me to cockroach farms, botanical and ancient gardens, and exchanges with artists, curators, filmmakers, scientists, and a science-fiction writer. This exploration transformed my artistic practice, revealing how the perceived ‘lowly’ and marginal can hold the key to reimagining social structures and fostering collective transformation.

Followup: Insights from my residency continue to inform current projects — rooted in themes of re-worlding — including my contribution to KUNST BRAUCHT KOHLE, a collaboration with Chantal Romani for an exhibition in the Museum Helmhaus in Zurich featuring three public roundtable discussions that question entrenched hierarchies and explore collective, non-hierarchical forms of organization.

March to May 2024, Shanghai

Residency: The residency was successful in terms of artistic output, allowing me to create a new body of work inspired by my time in Shanghai. I had the opportunity to engage with local art professionals, gaining insights into the unique blend of traditional and contemporary art practices in China.

This residency had a profound impact, expanding my artistic horizons and deepening my appreciation for cultural diversity. It challenged me to step outside my comfort zone and fully immerse myself in a new environment. It also reinforced my belief in the importance of cross-cultural exchanges, as interacting with artists from different backgrounds broadened my personal and professional perspective. Additionally, it instilled a greater sense of independence and adaptability, which will influence my future creative and professional endeavors.

Followup: One of the biggest achievements was the successful exhibition of my work DELIVERY in a local gallery, and a group exhibition ‘The Land We Long For’ at the Deqing Contemporary Art Center.

March to May 2024, Chongqing

Residency: During my residency at Organhaus, Chongqing, I was welcomed into a rare and nurturing community of artists dedicated to collective values. In contrast to the commercial and individualistic focus of Western art markets, Organhaus emphasized care and collaboration, fostering a safe and supportive environment. This experience deeply resonated with my desire to explore intercultural themes central to my visual practice.

My time in China allowed me to examine my cultural identity and express these reflections through painting. Observing and blending these insights with my Western artistic education, I aimed to create an engaging dialogue between cultures and histories.

Followup: This residency also marked a turning point in my work. Moving beyond introspection, I now focus on constructing a personal mythology — an imaginative synthesis of influences that shapes my evolving visual language and strengthens my identity as an artist.

June to August 2024, Chengdu

Residency: Do fish sleep at night is a project emerging from a two-month stay at the A4 Residency Art Center in the Luxulake area of Chengdu. It was an installation of a tablescape with wood-fired ceramics made of clay dug out of Luxulake and Dujiangyan’s ground. The ceramics were covered with glazes made with the ashes of local trees: pine, apple, and lychee.

It unfolded into a performative dinner event in collaboration with ZIFI Luxulakes restaurant, which provided insight into Sichuan cuisine and tastes through local ingredients. Fish from the lake, seasonal mushrooms and organic food from a local farm will be served. Through the display of the ceramics into a performative scenography, the project later unfolded into a tablescape, proposing things to see, to smell, to hear, to feel, to taste. As part of the event, a leaflet has been printed that gathers various interviews from local specialists: geologists, urban designers, and water specialists.

Followup: My experience at A4 helped me to create valuable contacts and that I plan to come back and further develop those connections to be able to enhance my research around local clay and other materials with a deeper understanding.

October to December 2024, Shanghai

Residency: I feel lucky because I arrived when different parts of the art world came together for the busy week of Shanghai’s art fairs. Through Pro Helvetia Shanghai, I was introduced to different people within the arts and cultural sector. The Chinese people are very open and direct, so it was easy for me to make new friendships. I am in contact with all of them after arriving back in Switzerland, and I would love to come back again!

Shanghai is a place full of energy and potential, and the contemporary art scene is very interesting and pushes boundaries. All the studio visits I did impressed me to the point that I think it will impact my own way of living and making art. My research goal was to learn about the city as an economic hub, as well as its history and its architecture relating to capitalism. I was astonished by the rapid growth, while the city still keeps its traditions and history. Some key moments were visiting the Shanghai Stockmarket Exchange Museum and the office of a Hedge-fund in Pudong. I was fascinated by the different architectural styles and the vibrating night lights during evening walks along the West Bund area, coming from all the facades of the surrounding skyscrapers. 

Followup: This research and experience led me to new ideas. I started off by intuitively trying to capture my impression of the city with oil colours on paper, referencing not only the diffusing lights when there is fog within the skyline, but also the silent rush hour, the crowded and empty spaces, the organic shapes merging with the historical buildings. I made a series of sketches for a large-scale sculpture series, including combinations of steel bars. My work Phasing Shanghai was exhibited at the Deqing Contemporary Art Center.