an international residency for contemporary artists, writers and researchers at the intersection between creativity and the environment

climate positive since 2006

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“Joya: AiR is an arts residency developed by artists for artists of every conceivable discipline. Consider Joya: AiR not only a unique, stimulating and contemplative environment for international artists, writers and researchers, but as a meeting point for divergent and creative thinking. This is a multi-disciplinary residency, self determined, critical and profoundly engaging”
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apply now: spring - summer 2026

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“Climate-positive since 2006, Joya: AiR functions as a generative space for the emergence of climate culture, where artistic exploration contributes to reimagining human-nonhuman relations through the lenses of sustainability, rewilding, and deep ecological thinking”
Joya: CineLibre
environmental responsibility statement

Joya: CineLibre

expanded cinema, performance and artists’ presentations in the open air

guest curator 2026

Annie Edwards BA (Hons), PGCE, MA RCA, GBA

Joya: flujo 2026

a four week intensive residency dedicated to exploring body-based performance and animatronics

group residencies spring 2026:

february - The Royal College of Art, London / sculptors

march - Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester

“Located in the semi-arid landscapes of southeastern Spain (BSh), Joya: AiR operates at the intersection of creative practice and ecological design

Köppen-Geiger climate classification/ BSh B = arid S = steppe h = hot”
this place past and future

publications and exhibitions

publications and exhibitions consequential to being in residence at Joya: AiR Gabrielle Kroese

  • "I came for the third time—there's a reason why this place keeps calling me back. I thought I'd work on writing, but instead discovered my black and white drawing needed to move towards painting and beyond the paper. I left with a nurtured heart and field of possibilities."

    Taïs Bean / FRA

    Mixed Media & Drawing

  • "I came seeking peace, creativity, and focus. Life moves in harmony with nature—studio hours, countryside walks, delicious food, conversations with other residents. I leave with all of that and having met wonderful people."

    Victoria Luengo / ESP

    Theater & Film

  • "The atmosphere promoted deep tranquility, encouraging introspection. The community of residents became close friends with transformative critical discussions. Simon's dedication to sustainability and Donna's artistry and cooking added layers of beauty to this unforgettable experience."

    Nina Zulian / BRA

    Design Curation & Editorial

  • "Without distraction I made watercolors, drawings, clay and driftwood sculptures, wove bamboo shades into sculptural forms. I sought to decompress and gain awareness of how to live with climate consciousness. Simon and Donna's cortijo is a climate positive enclave welcoming diverse creatives into an intimate setting."

    Eric Araujo / USA

    Sculpture, Drawing & Mixed Media

  • "For me Joya has been a nest, a safe space to create and share. Being here allowed me to dive deeper into my creativity. My work started shifting and evolving as I became more open to exploring new mediums and trying new ways."

    Marieli Pereira / ECU

    Multidisciplinary Art & Design

  • "My first artistic residency was two transformative weeks. Without expectations, Joya offered a magical environment where I could focus on my creative work. I wandered nature, climbed mountains, collected materials. Surrounded by generous hearts and extraordinary talents, we connected over warm dinners."

    Leonardo Uribe / COL

    Drawing & Mixed Media

  • "The warmth that my body could instantly feel through Donna's meals, through sincere conversations, through mutual caring energy. Being a resident provided me with tools for my next adventures. I worked with negatives for my project about the first female solo travel writer in the world."

    Nina Maria Allmoslechner / AUT

    Analog & Documentary Photography

Joya: AiR offers a site-responsive context where interdisciplinary practice is deeply embedded with the dynamics of place.

Joya: AiR emphasises the deep connection between artistic exploration and the environment, supporting practices that are responsive to the materials, rhythms and care required by fragile ecosystems.

international featured artists

Gill Ord / UK

Joya: resident artists

earlier resident artists writers researchers

“Set in the highlands of Almería, within the Comarca de Los Vélez, Joya: AiR inhabits a landscape shaped by wind, water, and time — a place where the mountains hold forests, and the valleys crack open into drylands. This is a transitional terrain: part wildland, part badlands, rich with contrasts and resilience.

Here, ecological boundaries are visible and felt — in the arid breath of the soil, the patterns of abandonment and regrowth, the erosional signatures etched into the land. Yet this is not a desert. It is a semi-arid ecotone where biodiversity and geological memory intersect, offering a raw and urgent context for creative exploration.

Artists-in-residence engage not just with landscape, but with process: of restoration, of listening, of imagining alternatives to extraction and decline. Los Vélez is not merely backdrop — it is collaborator, archive, and provocation.

At Joya: AiR, you are invited into dialogue with a territory at the threshold — where creative practice becomes an act of care, and the future of drylands is not yet written.”

deposition:

an installation

joya: senda

art in an ephemeral landscape

joya: air

environmental responsibility statement

field resources / sustainable darkroom

alternative & sustainable

FIELD RESOURCES / MATERIAL CULTURES