Hulda Guzmán at International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP)
Brooklyn, New York
September–November, 2015
Guillermo Rodríguez at Atelier Mondial
Basel, Switzerland
October–December, 2015
David Gumbs at Red Gate Gallery
Beijing, China
April–May, 2016
Luis Fermín Ceballos at Künstlerhaus Bethanien
Berlin, Germany
April–June, 2016
The Davidoff Art Initiative announcesthe latest selection of artists to participate in the Davidoff Art Residency for fall 2015 and spring 2016. Originally launched in 2013 with residencies in New York and Berlin, the Art Residency program currently partners with four organizations worldwide: the International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP) in Brooklyn, New York, USA; the Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin, Germany; Red Gate Gallery in Beijing, China; and its most recent addition, Atelier Mondial in collaboration with the Institute of Art at the FHNW Academy of Art and Design in Basel, Switzerland, which was announced earlier this summer.
The selected artists are: Luís Fermín Ceballos (b. 1978, Dominican Republic), David Gumbs (b. 1977, Guadeloupe), Hulda Guzmán (b. 1984, Dominican Republic), and Guillermo Rodríguez (b. 1986, Puerto Rico). All four artists applied for their specific residencies with clear purpose and goals. The diversity of applications and interests, as well as respective artistic practices, reflects the diverse cultures throughout the Caribbean.
In the new Basel residency, Rodriguez will undertake a sustained period of formal and theoretical experimentation, focusing on an ongoing investigation based on and informed by artistic practices concerned with, in the artist’s words, “open source aesthetics.” Guzmáns choice of working in New York is due to her personal experience: She had visited the city and noted that it harbored the virtue to trigger both the best and the worst in her; through the intensity of its daily rhythm and its crowds, the city will nourish Guzmáns practice in many aspects. “When I say also the worst would be triggered, I mean it in a positive way,” says Guzmán. “I want to be in contact with my demons, and examine how different energies dwell inside our being and study these states in order to understand more.”
Ahead of his Beijing residency, Gumbs’ project originated from influences within a Caribbean context: the social complexity of a colonized population and its dense historical landscapes. It questions the pressure of existence beyond the boundaries of an island, as well as an aim for international interconnectivity and awareness for the art itself. His decision to go to China grew, according to Gumbs, from a need to explore new contemporary forms of creation inspired from my offscreen interactive video series. The shells and flora used in these fractal animations create very graphic and hypnotic visuals, from which emerge complex hybrid masks and animal and anthropological creatures that inspire the living. After many observations, the question of shaping these new geometries into the material world and out of the projected screen became obvious. China is known for its strong history of ceramic culture, which has spread worldwide. So what better place to start this new exploration? Plus, it’s also one of the world leaders in the 3D printing industry.
The Davidoff Art Initiative is delighted to welcome the artists to their respective residencies. Please look forward to forthcoming news on the selection of international artists, who will be announced in September.
About the Davidoff Art Initiative
At the core of the Art Initiative, Davidoff aims to engage closely with the arts and culture of the Dominican Republic, where much of its production and many of its employees are based, bringing opportunity and visibility to the art and culture of the Caribbean region, and extending the companys long-standing commitment to artistry, craftsmanship, community and quality.
Media contacts
Pamela Hernandez, Blue Medium Inc.: [email protected]
Oettinger Davidoff AG: [email protected]
