Huacui Museum Art Residency: “The Season of Breathing” – until May 25th 2026

On April 25, 2026, the prestigious Shanghai museum, Huacui Contemporary Art Museum, inaugurated the exhibition “The Season of Breathing,” which will run until May 25, 2026.

The exhibition features the three artists who won the Huacui Contemporary Art Museum Special Prize for the 2024 Arte Laguna Prize: Tania Welz, Jackson Villamizar, and Konstantin Ikonomidis, along with nine other artists from various countries.

With the constant aim of creating new connections and collaborations that contribute to the career advancement of the artists participating in the international competition, this prestigious collaboration was signed in 2024 with one of the most important museums in the city of Shanghai, the Huacui Contemporary Art Museum.

The Special Prize for the winning artists took shape not only in a group exhibition but also in a two months-long residency, during which the artists were able to develop new artistic research, explore a new culture, connect with new institutions, and share their experiences of a unique experience.

The artists’ experience

As Tania Welz tells us, “The people I met at the Huacui Museum are very friendly; they immediately made me feel at ease, and despite the language barriers, I always felt listened to and appreciated. Perhaps this is the most beautiful aspect of this residency: the human encounter, which was truly joyful. During my journey, I had the honor of working with Lu Lei, the co-director, and her assistant. They were both a great professional and personal joy because they understood me artistically, helping me overcome every obstacle. Without them, this exhibition would not have been possible. I am very grateful to have had them by my side!”

About her work, the artist tells us: “The installation “Indra’s Weave: Breathing Through Ruptures,” created entirely during my residency, consists of six sculptural constellations in copper wire. Each work is hand-knitted using German knitting needles, and is then subjected to an electrolytic treatment that mineralize the metal surface, giving the sculptures a powerful visual presence and a materiality layered over time. During the residency, I also had the opportunity to lead a workshop in which I taught the German knitting technique: the work co-created with the participants was selected and exhibited in the final exhibition.”

For Jackson Villamizar, it was like a dream come true, an inner metamorphosis, as he himself tells us:

“I’m here in Shanghai, in the city I’ve imagined for months and now live in thanks to winning the Arte Laguna Prize artistic residency at the prestigious Huacui Museum of Contemporary Art. The city doesn’t let itself be looked at from the outside. It captivates you, it asks you to listen. I spent days immersing myself: in the workshops, in the silences, in the gestures of the artisans, in the details of a culture that combines precision and poetry. And within this immersion, three presences began to speak to me. Not three works—not yet—but three threads that chance and destiny had woven for me in this corner of the world, marking a new stage in my artistic journey.

The first was my own zodiac sign. Discovering that 1983 was the year of the Pig, I felt the need to sculpt that part of myself. A seated figure, curved and gentle, was born. that speaks of origami, lightness, and identity. Not a portrait, but an echo.

Then they arrived: two pandas. Brothers. I thought of True Brothers. And I realized that piece would be the turning point in my work. For the first time, I dared to combine three materials that had previously been kept separate: resin, to capture the light in their eyes; copper, crafted like a jewel in homage to ancient Chinese tradition; and my transformed paper, which through my treatments becomes Corten steel and oxidized copper—a material that looks like metal but retains the fragility of memory.

The third thread is one I’ve had on my skin for years: a dragon carp tattooed on my leg. I saw it again here, where the water and the dragon are part of the city’s breath. I translated it into a sculpture that is not a copy, but an evocation. Waves that twist, a carp that rises, the tension of those who never stop. That too is made with my Corten paper, but the waves convey the movement of the river and the Calligraphy, of my own story that continues to unfold. Shanghai is not a destination. It’s a metamorphosis I’m still going through. And these sculptures are the visible traces of a transition that doesn’t end here.”

Swedish architect Konstantin Ikonomidis, during his residency experience, was able to blend architecture, art, and scientific research, continuing to explore the integration of landscape, local culture, and human narratives. In his installations, he explores glass as a translucent element that dissolves the boundaries between interior and exterior.

Press comment

The works created during the residency are on display at the Huacui Contemporary Art Museum until May 25th. The exhibition brings together three artists—Tania Welz, Jackson Villamizar, and Konstantin Ikonomidis—from Germany, Sweden, and Colombia, along with six young creators from the Shanghai Vision College.

As the exhibition press release states, “During their residency, the artists absorbed the atmosphere of the city, immersed themselves in the local rhythms, and poured everything they saw, felt, and thought into their works, expressing the warmth and strength of their respective cultures through the language of art.

From on-site exploration by international artists to collaborative creation with local talent, this is an artistic encounter that transcends borders and cultures, made possible by the sincere cooperation of all parties.

Each participant—curators, artists, and academics—brought their own personal touch to bring this exhibition to life.”