Joya: AiR / Stephanie Kyek / Portugal

“I came to Joya: AiR with the intention of making an experimental short film, applying the concept of land maps to the human body. It was to be an extension of a previous work in residency.

On arrival, I was stunned by the silence of the valley. Ironically, I found myself more distracted in the peaceful Spanish countryside, than in the noisy city I came from. I began incorporating the wanderings of my mind into my work, by documenting the work/thought process. My initially experimental film started developing a surprisingly narrative arc and morphed into a documentary exploration of my relationship with the camera.

I’m always surprised at how residencies change my work, challenging me to evolve and stretch my practice in different directions. I certainly learned a lot about myself, and I’m incredibly grateful for my experiences in Joya, where I had the unique opportunity of being able to explore my practice without the pressure of time and to become intimately, most dearly, acquainted with my medium, the camera.

I warmly encourage future residents to let the valley inspire and challenge their work, as it did so beautifully mine”.

Stephanie Kyek

Born in Brussels to German and Portuguese parents, Kyek first started her artistic career in music as a preCollege student at the ZHdK in Zürich. Freom there she proceeded to studying cinema & moving image in Arco, Lisbon, before attending a postgraduate course in Norwich University of the Arts. Inspired by the combination of sound and image, she now work as an audio-visual artist, currently based in Lisbon. Her work has been awarded an honourable mention at Fnac Novos Talentos 2019, as well as a first prize in the open call “O resgate do soldado Brian” hosted by Balaclava Noir for the short film “Whale Song”. Her most recent films have been screened in the Cinemateca Lisbon, in the British Amateur International Film Festival and in Bad Film Fest '21. In collaboration with other audio-visual artists, she has also had the opportunity to exhibit films in Curtas Vila do Conde '21, IndieLisboa '21 and DocLisboa. Her work exhibits a strong emphasis on sound, very much influenced by her early education in music. Her interests tend to revolve around the topics of communication, water and female consciousness.