Exhibition 9 residencies for artistic creation and research. This program features projects selected by a jury through a public call launched annually by MUA, with the aim of revitalizing the arts sector and fostering creativity and research in contemporary art.
In this ninth edition, a total of 32 projects from around the world were considered. This year, five projects were chosen to be developed by six artists over a two-week residency at MUA facilities. Since September 11, MUA technicians have supported the participants within the framework of their training, under the guidance of the program’s coordinator, Bernabe Gomez.
The five selected projects were created by artists Ángel Arias, Rubén GoMo (Radioboy+), Sonsoles Masiá, Lucas Selezio de Souza, and the CaraCoLab collective (María Ponce and Ana Salom). During the residency, artists have the opportunity to work inside the museum, share experiences with fellow artists, immerse themselves in the center’s dynamics, and receive practical feedback from technical staff to help shape their work. Recipients benefit from production scholarships of 500 euros to realize their ideas during the residency, and two residents also receive accommodation scholarships of 1,000 euros when moving from other cities. Some participants from previous editions also receive additional support.
Projects
Angel Arias undertakes a visual and spatial narrative built around the concept of “other graphics,” a term describing graphic forms that challenge the institutional discourse of art. The project is enriched by relationships with the surrounding environment, drawing from petroglyphs, medieval inscriptions, and elements of urban art.
Rubén GoMo (Radioboy+) presents a personal exploration of identity through art by combining plastic materials with works of political and social tension, references to contemporary culture, and technology, addressing vital issues and everyday tools.
Sonsoles Masia explores a return to the earth and the feminine by analyzing sacred sites across the Mediterranean. The artist conducted a pictorial ritual during a moment marked by the solar transition.
Plus Ultra, by Lucas Selezio de Souza, presents six textile pieces that reflect on the textile industry, global capitalism, precarious labor, and cheap labor across women and children, alongside migration and modern colonial exploitation.
Finally, Trips We Never Took by the CaraCoLab collective (María Ponce and Ana Salom) invites a situational exploration of the contemporary city. The project follows the artists’ homes in Alicante and Berlin, approaching each city with a sensitive lens and recording smells, sounds, rhythms, and the sensations they evoke.