photo Simon Beckmann

‘There is something beautifully unexpected about Joya: AiR. Something that will surprise you each day whether it is the way time expands, or how it snows in mid April or the sheer vastness of the deserted paths you can venture on. There’s something to be said about the people you meet there too, the conversations you have over dinner, and the value of humans looking for a time and space to do creative work. There are many thanks to be awarded to Simon and Donna for providing a perfect location to get in touch with how expansive life, in all its many forms, can be.

Joya: AiR opens a door to connection, with oneself, with strangers and with the beautiful nature it is surrounded by. The two weeks I spent there gave me a lot of hope — and even if my path doesn’t take me there again, it will be a memory I will hold dear for a very long time. Thank you’.

Zade Boreas

Made Boreas has a background in biochemistry, environmental studies and food culture & identity. Her work for the past years has revolved around creating spaces that foster human interaction by bringing together people and their talents and so forth creating a community. She is the co-founder & owner of Lille Bakery in Copenhagen, she has been a part of the creative team of several events in Copenhagen (Grøent Market, Mercurial Sundays, Spring Together, Idle Spaces) and in Rio (Bananal, Junta Local etc). She is a reader and a writer, the non-DJ part of a DJ collective and have been living in several countries for the past 12 years.

photo Simon Beckmann

‘The 14th of April, I woke up at Joya: AiR to a cloudy sky that became more and more orange by each passing hour of the day. At around 4 pm, when it was tangerine in the atmosphere, we got the news that it was red Saharan sand blowing into Southern Spain from storm Cecilia. The next days, the rain washed away the sand creating beautiful patterns on the floor in front of the house. As an artist using mainly raw materials in my art, I couldn’t walk by without trying something. Handcrafted lokta paper pressed into the wet sandy ground became prints of the Sahara.

These last days tainted by this strange phenomenon felt surreal, but in retrospect, not as surreal as the place and the people I’ve met at Joya: AiR. Simon and Donna have created an oasis. An oasis for creativity and sharing that remained one, despite the desert winds and the rain.

Sarita Wallengren

photo Simon Beckmann

‘The space, to think, be and feel in such a pure environment. 

Founders Simon and Donna welcomed me into their little oasis. I have high praises for their commitment living off-grid, their ethos and life’s work related to art with sustainability, the environment, connection and history of species and people of the area is so inspirational. 

The works I have created here has been in pure flow, I had time and space to think and connect, to relate to my passion for the ‘leave no trace’ approach but creating three projects on site, on land and then removing them. 

These three projects surrounded the theme of Air and what it means in Ayurveda. As humans,  without Vayu ( air) we cannot breathe and this does not allow for Prana ( life force energy to come through).

The projects were painted on, printed creating memory with hands and paper appreciating the present moment, installed in a semi sculptural format. They included upcycled bed sheets soaked in acrylic water, dried, printed with washi paper, soaked in by upcycled paper form my studio, London which I brought up here, pastels, … Each project was filmed with me in and out of the context of my work , no words out loud, documented, written about in my notebooks, sketchbooks and on my online portal: Instagram. There will be an ongoing dialogue and continued approach to the SERIES: AIR practice online and if I am allowed back I would love to continue to explore it here again. 

Somehow and maybe unknowingly, Simon and Donna have helped to unlock the truest essence of me and my work without apology, with reverence for nature in a way I have only dreamed my work could be. 

It’s not surprising either than on this occasion all the creatives on this art residency were empowered, inspirational, leading women, living and being their truth. I have made beautiful friendships. We had fun each night, eating together as a Joya: Air family and then drinking red wine, talking, playing and watching movies together. 

Unforgettable. 

Thank you’. 

Crystal Fischetti

photo Tessa Roosenstein

‘Being two weeks in the Joya: Air residency felt like a breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively. Literally because you are surrounded by kilometers of raw nature. (I think I have never seen so few cars in 2 weeks’ time.) Figuratively because it was so refreshing to be in another environment for 2 weeks and spending so much time on your creative practice.

The project I worked on is about reconnecting to nature and reconnecting to the natural/wild characteristics in ourselves, and what other place is better to experiment with that than Joya: AiR?
I am still at the beginning of this project, so felt the need to experiment and be playful with this theme. At Joya I got the time and space to do that. The natural park of Vélez Blanco in which Joya is located, felt like a wonderful playground.

I collected rocks and soil to make natural pigments, I tried making land art, I added some embroidery work in the 'Barranco’ and experimented with doing a performance that is inviting to experience and feel nature instead of just seeing it.

All of this, and all the walks, the chitchats, and games I shared with the other artists and, not to forget, the enjoyment of Spanish January sun gave me a new perspective. A refreshing new direction for my project and life in general. Thanks to Simon and Donna for hosting such a beautiful and special place’!

Fleur Moerenhout

photo Simon Beckmann

Joya: AiR / Berk Icli and Zeynep Ercan / TUR

‘This testimonial would have been written in the perspective of ‘I’, if not for our experience in Joya: AiR that bent and later broke down our boundaries, enabling us to work together as a ‘we’. Through the urge to cross unknown territories caused by the grand landscape, we gained courage to stir things up in relation to our disciplines, hence we came home with a lot to unpack and even more to manifest. The little things such as conversations, hikes, dinners, games and laying by the fire, all can be easily taken for granted, but with a closer look one can realize how carefully curated Joya: AiR is. Our time is well spent, we are grateful for the memories. Love to Simon, Donna, Hassan, Fou Fou & Frida -’

Berk Icli & Zeynep Ercan

Zeynep Ercan graduated from Pratt Institute is an interior architect from Istanbul who works in home design, modular spaces and art curation.

Berk Icli graduated from The New School's College of Performing Arts: Mannes Conservatory - BM in Composition (2014-2018). He is a composer & piano player from Istanbul, who writes mostly modern classical, ambient & electronic pieces. You can see more here… Berk Icli

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2i2Cy1rrirCZdKiEZ4Q8H0?si=8rJ9NrL4StCWiNxFv32sgg

photo Simon Beckmann

Joya: AiR / Zahira Mous / NED

‘I came to Joya: AiR with the intention to create material for a new performance project. I am working on an absurdist, tragicomedy performance art solo about mental health that utilizes live art, physical movement, and vocals, creating a visceral experience and visible landscape for an intimate audience.

During my residence, I asked myself each day what I wanted to explore within the realm of my prompt. I loved carving out the time for just this project. It was a unique experience. I painted. I danced. I walked (and got lost – follow the dry river, folks). I thought. Many thoughts. I wrote. I spoke. I recorded some thoughts, which turned into poetry.

Within the space of nature and being amongst other creatives, I started to feel grounded again in myself and within my artistry. I thoroughly enjoyed our evening dinners (Donna is a fantastic cook!) as well as our game nights, especially when we played charades with Leanne, Alkie and Lourdes in one team and Zeynep, Berk, and I in the other. Later on, Stella, Giulia, and Jasper joined. We have made wonderful connections and friendships were built. I got to collaborate with Jasper Erkens on his new music video by dancing in it, which was an unexpected highlight.

Thank you, Donna and Simon, for all that you do, for creating a beautiful space to bring such diverse groups of people together. I absolutely adored celebrating my birthday with you. My residence still creates waves within. The creativity continues, the friendships blossom, and life has a more flowery fragrance. And, last but not least, I love FouFou and Frida!

Zahira Mous

Master of Fine Arts in Dance & Graduate Certificate in Women’s & Gender Studies, The University of Oklahoma (US) (2010)
Bachelor of Theatre in Education, Noordelijke Hogeschool Leeuwarden (NL) (2007)
Director, dance theater company Project Zahira in Amsterdam
Director, dance education outreach program Changing Lives Through Dance
Founder NGO Healing Arts Foundation
Choreographic works shown and workshops facilitated internationally in the United States, the Netherlands, Brazil, India and Greece

Zahira is a dance maker, performance artist, dance educator, and writer. Additionally, she is a certified Ayurvedic Yoga Massage therapist, aerial yoga teacher, and has completed training in art therapy, meditative therapies such as Mystic Rose and No Mind, Primal, and Path of Love. 

Additionally, she creates Energy Art; these are paintings created by meditating on and tuning in with her client’s energy, evolving into artworks that show the person’s aura and energy through colors and shapes. 

Beyond my artistic work, she is a writer. She wrote for Dans Magazine (NL) for seven years as a dance critic and dance reporter, having switched over to Theaterkrant in 2020. Currently, she is finishing her memoirs about trauma healing through art and spirituality, which are predicted to be published in 2022.

photo Simon Beckmann

Joya: AiR / Jasper Erkens / BEL

‘My time at Joya: AiR has been one of beauty and contemplation in the sense that while I was there, I was able to disconnect from the larger society and nestle into a smaller community of likeminded people where we were pampered by the communal dinners every single evening, meanwhile surrounded by the vast landscape that we’d explore on our daily walks with Frida the dog and FouFou the goat. 

In between our own projects we even managed to shoot a music video for one of my tunes, with the help of fellow AiR ‘Zahira Mous’ featuring as the great dancer she is. Both Hearts on Fire made at Joya: AiR

In conclusion, this place is magical and it’s been a priviledge to be allowed to be a part of it, even for a short while. Joya: AiR is a truly pioneering project with a mission I fully support. Thanks Simon & Donna for recharging our batteries, you guys are incredible!

Jasper Erkens

spotify.com

photo Simon Beckmann

‘Arriving at Joya: AiR I immediately felt the peacefulness and the quiet the landscape gives. Even though I had in mind to work on alternative processes in photography, the landscape really gave me a project that I wasn’t expecting to focus on. Everyday I went out walked just anywhere without a destination in mind and by doing that I realised the importance of just being there and doing what comes instinctively. The incredible quietness, history and process of the place gave a meaningful reflection and inspiration to my work giving me space to reset my thoughts on my art practice and where I want it to lead me. This also was heavily influenced by the conversations with the inspirational artists that I met throughout my two weeks at Joya AiR. I am grateful to them and Joya: AiR for helping me realise what I am doing at the moment and where I would like to go. Coming out of it I miss the quiet in a noisy London and every day I try to remember the feelings I felt while I was at Joya: AiR’.

Leanne Wiggers

Leanne is a Dutch Photographic and Installation artist based in London.She has a BA in Photographic Arts from University of Westminster and in 2018 she graduated from MA Contemporary Photography at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. Her work has exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery as part of the London Grads Now, the 'Final not Over: Sesssion 3' at the Unit 1 Gallery London, 'What is the Ground' at Slash Art Gallery, 'A Thousand Normals' at Tension Fine Art Gallery and 'K Book Show' at International Photography Symposium in Nida. Her work has been published on F-Stop Online Magazine ands has been shortlisted for the 'Emerging Talent Award' at the CRS Art Awards and 'This Earth/0 Maison Award'.

photo Simon Beckmann

‘Somos dos colegas, Lourdes y Alkie, que trabajamos desde diferentes lugares del mundo y disciplinas artisticas el tema del paisaje y la naturaleza.

Decidimos ir a Joya: AiR para encontrar y trabajar desde la cercania un proyecto comun y desarollar nuestros objectivos personales dandoles mas riqueza, reflexion y analisis a partir del dialogo.

La bienvenida fue verdaderamente maravilloso, la tierra blanca que rodea Joya nos regalaba la explosión de los almendros en flor.

Trabajamos juntas y a la vez individualmente sin presión y ruido externo.

Al final decidimos realizar 4 collares que crecian con los objetos y materiales  que ibamos encontando por los caminos.

Sin herramientoas y materiales la idea desarolla una obra efimera que fue una expresion de nuestros trabajos

Joya ha sido un soplo de aire fresca a nuestra obra y nos ha encantado conocer y compartir el espació con los demas artistas.

www.alkie-osterland.de

Joya ha sido el paso para empezar el proyecto del collar infinito, un trabajo donde se une la joyeria y la huella de los recuerdos en forma de corto.

Os invito a participar

photo Simon Beckmann

‘I initially felt apprehensive of the chance to go on an artist residency and spend time focusing on my work when I didn’t have a clear vision of what exactly it was or rather where I wanted to go with it. Joya: AiR gave me the much needed opportunity to pause and think about this in a welcoming and encouraging space.

It was a joy to encounter the absolute quiet and awe of the landscape around Joya: AiR and the impact of this embeds itself in your work. When I first started writing I felt an immediate relaxation and disentanglement in my thoughts, clearing a path for me to take my next steps in my writing. At the end of only one week, I had made important steps in my project which I had struggled to do for previous months. This I owe to Joya, the time that was given to me and the time shared with the other artists. 

I am still unpacking the residency - going over the people I met, the conversations I had and all the notes written, but I am confident that being at Joya: AiR was an invaluable opportunity and a special experience’.

Joseph Clark

Joseph is a writer, artist and designer based in London. Currently he is writing a fictional story relating to his fascinations with science-fictions, memory, surveillance and the supernatural in technology. He attended Glasgow School of Art: BA Fine Art Photography 2016-2020 and the University of the Arts Helsinki: Time and Space Art - Study Exchange 2019

photo Simon Beckmann

‘Before I arrived at Joya: AiR, I had an idea in my head about how my stay was going to go: isolated from society and my everyday cares, I was going to hunker down, be disciplined, and write a lot of pages. 

But soon after I arrived, I came to see this wasn’t going to happen. Not because of the place itself - Joya: AiR is an oasis in the desert, beautiful and spare, and my studio space could not have been more ideal for writing - but because the days had their own rhythm: waking to conversations over breakfast with my fellow residents, going for long walks in the crisp air, sharing beautiful, nourishing meals in the evenings, relaxing by the fire at night with games and a bottle of red and endless laughter, letting the darkness and the silence cradle me as I slept. 

I resisted at first, determined to make progress, but when I gave in my writing gained its own rhythm. I’d write in my studio for one or two-hour spurts throughout the day, soaking in the view of breathtaking valleys and mountains when I’d get stuck, taking occasional naps and sharing delightful little moments: a spontaneous studio visit from my fellow artists, a long chat with Donna in the kitchen, Frida’s footsteps shuffling by. 

In the end, I got more work done than I expected but not as much as I’d hoped. But that’s ok, because I got something so much better: a warmth to sustain me through cold, lonely days, and laughter I’ll always remember.’

Bernadette Roca

Bernadette is a writer currently based in Barcelona. She holds a BA in English literature from UCLA, an MA in Modern Literature and Culture from University College London (UCL), and a second Master of Information Studies from the University of Toronto.

photo Simon Beckmann

Joya: AiR / David McGovern / IRE

‘Joya: AiR was just what I needed in January. It was a place to have peace and clarity, but also get stuck into some challenging work. I loved the structure of the day: chatting with other artists over breakfast, periods of focused work, and lots of walks and fresh air to keep myself well. In the evening it was always a pleasure to let go of the work, enjoy unbelievably delicious food, and chat by the fire.  

I was working on something that was quite laborious and sometimes frustrating. It was great to be able to step away from the work and be in a beautiful and welcoming environment. I felt supported by the other artists, and of course by Donna and Simon. You have the opportunity to speak about and show your work if you wish, but it is not an obligation. 

It’s hard to pick a highlight of my two weeks there. The fresh, healthy meals really stand out. But perhaps the most enriching thing was the exchanges with other artists. We were able to reflect on our practice, and share it with each other if we wished. We also had lots of fun, and got to know each other outside of our work. I feel completely renewed after my time at Joya: AiR.

David McGovern

David is an artist and educator currently based in Ireland. He is a visiting lecturer in moving image at University of the Arts London, including Central St Martins and Chelsea School of Art and Design. He runs a variety of workshops that reimagine our relationship to film. Thinking Through Moving Image uses video-making as a tool to unblock the thought process, much like you might use a sketchbook when you are stuck. He has delivered this session in a variety of environments outside the university, including schools and studios in Nepal and Japan.

At London College of Fashion he is the head of the fashion film short course. Using both theory and practice, the course plays with the ambiguity of fashion film, encouraging the students to widen the definition rather than narrow it. He believes that fashion films should have a conscience and a purpose, even if that purpose is escapism and wonder. His expertise of the topic has led him to judge and speak at a number of fashion film festivals globally.

Previously David was Senior Video Creative at The Future Laboratory. He used his penchant for experimental film to examine and abstractly communicate the trends and shifting behaviours. He developed site-specific video installations of future scenarios that were screened across London; including Barbican’s Milton Court, Shoreditch Town Hall and the Southbank Centre. He directed work for a number of international clients including Design Hotels, Jameson and Gucci.

photo Simon Beckmann

Joya: AiR / poet / Guy Russell / ENG

‘I was here in late January for just over two weeks. For me, Joya: AIR has been a terrific place to work on long fiction. There’s been nothing to distract me unless I really wanted to be distracted, so that long periods of uninterrupted concentration have been easy to secure. The comfort of the set-up (with my own studio, no less) has made me feel spoilt and valued. The fantastic food and wine more than sorted the trophic side of things. The well-organised and untroublesome covid processes made me feel kept safe. And the kindness, discretion, efficiency and warmth of the dueños has been something only way better writers than me could do justice to. 

What’s more, it’s been for me an inspiring place in its own right: the surrounding mountains, the almond orchards, pine forest and ravine. The bird-song, wild animal prints, land art, olive trees, morning frost and afternoon heat. The moon and stars. The silence. The house itself: simple and sophisticated, warm and cool, uncluttered and relaxing. Not to forget walking the goat, watching the sunset, and admiring the various eco systems (solar and wind power, waste-water treatment, hydraulic engineering, new planting). All these things have generated material that’s crammed my diary while I’ve been here. 

Last but far from least, it’s also been fun, thanks also to the exceptionally nice and interesting people (hello David, Sabina, Glen, Bernadette and Fleur) who were here at the same time as me. How great after a tough day at the typeface to sit round the wood-burner and then the dinner-table talking not just about literature and art but hosts of other stuff. And listening to presentations, playing Bananagrams, and enjoying Simon and Donna’s hilarious tales of everything and everywhere. Who knows if the 20Ks’-worth of dodgy novel that I wrote here will ever see the light of publication day? But it’s 20K under the belt, and produced in the most congenial of circumstances I’ve ever come across’.

Guy Russell

Guy has a Masters degrees in Classics and Creative Writing. Stories in Brace (Comma Press), Madame Morte (Black Shuck), Somewhere This Way (Fiction Desk), No Spider Harmed (Arachne Press), To Hull And Back 2018, Liars League, Prop, Scheherazade, Northern Stories vol.3 (Arc) and elsewhere. Poems in Troubles Swapped For Something Fresh (Salt), The Iron Book of New Humorous Verse (Iron), Poems on the Buses Guernsey (displayed on Guernsey buses), Spirit of Bradford (Redbeck), The Affectionate Punch, Aireings, Blade, Braquemard, Envoi, Fatchance, The Frogmore Papers, Headlock, Helicon, The Interpreter’s House, Iota, Krax, Obsessed by Pipework, Orbis, Other Poetry, Poetry Nottingham, The Projectionist’s Playground, Ramraid Extraordinaire, Red Lamp, The Rialto, Rustic Rub, Scratch, Seam, Smiths Knoll, Staple, The Yellow Crane and elsewhere. Competition 1st prizes: HE Bates Award; Leicester Poetry Society (judged Jackie Kay); Ware Sonnet Prize (judged John Mole); Cannon Poets; Flash500. 2nd prize in Poetry on the Lake Competition, sonnet category (judged Carol Ann Duffy). He reviews poetry for Tears in the Fence, and has done for Stride, Thumbscrew and Poetry Quarterly Review. Journalism in New Statesman (on Irvine Welsh).

A few links:

 https://www.thefictiondesk.com/anthologies/somewhere-this-way.php 

 https://www.christopherfielden.com/short-story-competition/results-2018.php#GuyRussell

 https://tearsinthefence.com/blog/ 

https://www.liarsleague.com/liars_league/2016/04/asking-friends-by-guy-russell.html

photo Simon Beckmann

"Joya: AiR was simplicity but also complexity in terms of exploration, adaptation, discovery, space and time. It's its own dimension. When I first got there and entered this small galaxy I felt overwhelmed, curious, spaced out but also relieved. A silence that can be weird to many at first, I found to be really calming, grounding and invigorating. It really helped me find the time to think. The colours of the landscape match the peace of the silence.

Time felt slow in the beginning, then suddenly really fast. The initial discomfort turned into a true appreciation of a simpler and slower pace: the conversations, meals, serene moments and the walks complemented the time spent working. The different sections of the day and their rituals became all really special and hold a warm place in my memory, which I hope to partly repeat in the future.

The environment, the care with which the place has been made as well as the stories associated with it gave me that kind of detachment and change that is needed for new ideas, self development and general views of the world.

While my main practice is something I am keen on continuing to grow, exchanging with different artists and hearing their stories was a reminder to continue expanding beyond one medium. To me this is what makes a residency and experience most valuable: learning from and being inspired by others. Simon and Donna have been able to create this physical as well as creative space that is unique and my work and overall mindset strongly benefited from. I will be excited and looking forward to visiting again!"

Sabina Plamenova

Sabina is an 'Interactive Media' postgraduate (Goldsmiths) and 'Sound and Media" graduate whose work was primarily in music production, vocals and audiovisual projects.
Although becoming involved in music at a pretty young age, she was previously also dedicated to photography, a field which she never completely abandoned.
She is currently a user researcher in music software, which has widened her perspective in terms of understanding the tools we use from both sides. 
As a musician and DJ she has performed at large scale festivals as well as smaller venues across Europe. She has also worked on different kinds of sound design projects (adverts, music for film and more).
She has lived in Berlin where she was active as a performer in the fields of both music as well as, for a short period of time, dance.

photo Simon Beckmann

“Durante mi estancia en la residencia, me he sentido en casa desde el primer momento. Me he sentido arropado por un paisaje increíble en medio de la nada, unas noches estrelladas tan bonitas que daban miedo y un compañerismo y un trato excelente por parte de Simon y Dona. Ha sido una experiencia increíble. Solo pude pasar cuatro noches, pero mi labor en la residencia no se detuvo en ningún momento.

Cerca de Murcia, mi lugar de nacimiento, decidí dejarme llevar por las sensaciones personales y los elementos que me rodeaban. Arropado por unas montañas majestuosas, donde el eco de los pájaros y los ladridos de Frida se repetían hasta el infinito. Este "eco", fue el punto de partida para desarrollar mi proyecto musical en JOYA.

Como productor de música electrónica, quise conectar con la naturaleza y hacer música partiendo de recursos orgánicos, todos ellos recogidos de la naturaleza.

Cada día, escogí un material que destacase en la residencia, lo recolecté, y lo manipulé para poder grabar los sonidos y las texturas que aportaban. Estuve componiendo piezas musicales manipulando las grabaciones obtenidas y convirtiéndolas en patrones rítmicos y melódicos inspirados en el clima. Temperatura, hora, humedad y localización.

Terminé mi estancia con un total de cuatro piezas musicales donde la madera, el viento, las piedras y el fuego fueron los protagonistas y los encargados de darle voz a cada una de las canciones”.

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3hOScRnbfQX1CcPtA0wJgG

Ángel Diaz Fernandez

photo Simon Beckmann

Italian text below…

“If I think about my residency at Joya:AiR two words come to my mind: struggle and freedom. When I arrived in this amazing lunar place I was so overwhelmed by what I was seeing that my brain could't record anything without being lost. It was a never-ending try of focusing on a kind of knowledge I didn't have. I had no confidence with the landscape and probably I didn't have the confidence I thought with my body and myself, but with days I understood that what I thought it was discomfort was actually the best thing I have ever felt. Being out of my comfort zone made me be more perceptive about things around me and gave me the chance of being really free. That was really what I was looking for. So I started to question my background, my education and all the cultural stereotypes that are part of me and of my culture. I worked on myself in many ways thanks to the landscape that pushed me to do things I could have never done in my daily life, like working with the white clay taken from the "barranco", or climbing some rocks in order to get to a prehistoric cave. I could finally feel that every single muscle and cell of my body were working together to make me go through all the things I was scared by. I worked on these feelings during the residency and I realized a shaman mask that I wore in a video performance I did there. In the end I decided to leave the shaman mask in a special place inside the barranco. That place, with a tree that is almost completely out of the ground but silently keeps its complex roots in the vertical wall and struggles everyday to survive, that place really looked like me.

After the residency my body has news scars and cracks, and I have no longer reference points, and this is a really good point because it's the beginning of freedom”.

Lucrezia Costa

I was born in Rome and I've been living in Milan since 2000. I'm 25 and I graduated in Photography in 2019, then I took a master degree in Visual Art and Critical Studies in 2021. I partecipated to "Give photography a chance" in Brixia (2019), to "Somewhere along the lines" in Milan (2020) and to a virtual exhibition during Covid published on Artribune called "Blackout Book" in 2021. In 2021 I made a performance for MUDEC Milan about ecological and vernacular architecture, I partecipated to "AURA" exhibition in London in October (Gallery Holy Art) and I am expected to partecipate at "Artisticamente" (Area Contesa Gallery) in Rome in December. I published some interviews and readings on a contemporary art magazine called Juliet and I partecipated to Regina Josè Galindo performance "El canto se hizo grito" in June 2021 for Prometeo Gallery (Milan).

Italiano
Se penso alla mia residenza a Joya:AiR mi vengono in mente due parole: fatica e libertà. Quando sono arrivata in questo meraviglioso luogo lunare sono stata così sopraffatta da ciò che vedevo e sentivo da non essere in grado di registrare gli eventi senza essere persa. Era un tentativo continuo di focalizzarsi su una conoscenza che però non possedevo. Non avevo confidenza con il paesaggio e probabilmente nemmeno con me stessa e con il mio corpo come pensavo, ma man mano che i giorni passavano ho capito che quel senso di discomfort che sentivo era la cosa migliore che mi potesse capitare. Essere fuori dalla mia comfort zone mi ha permesso di essere più ricettiva nei confronti di ciò che mi succedeva intorno e di essere davvero libera. Così ho iniziato a mettere in discussione il mio background, la mia istruzione e tutti i costrutti culturali che fanno parte di me. Ho lavorato su di me in molti modi grazie al paesaggio che mi ha permesso di fare cose che non avrei mai potuto fare nella mia vita quotidiana, come lavorare con l'argilla bianca presa nel "barranco", o fare un'arrampicata per arrivare a vedere delle caverne preistoriche. Ho sentito finalmente che ogni muscolo e ogni cellula del mio corpo stavano lavorando insieme per farmi superare ogni mia insicurezza o paura passata. Ho lavorato su questi sentimenti e ho creato una maschera da sciamano che ho indossato nella videoperformance che ho realizzato a Joya. Alla fine, ho deciso di lasciare la maschera da sciamano in un posto speciale dentro al barranco. Quel posto, con un albero che ha le sue radici ormai quasi completamente fuori dalla terra e che combatte silenziosamente ogni istante per rimanere aggrappato alla parete verticale, quel posto sembrava proprio me. Dopo la residenza il mio corpo ha nuove cicatrici e crepe, io non ho più punti di riferimento e credo che questo sia un buon inizio per la libertà.

photo Simon Beckmann

“Joya: AiR equals time. Just being two weeks there has given me (and I think all the others residents could confirm it) another perception. In Joya: AiR, time works in a different way: days are longer, although we always surrounded the fire at 6.30 pm, as if a low warming voice were inviting us to sit down and enjoy reading, talking or wondering about what wonderful dinner would Donna cook that night.

I have had lots of spare time to distribute in between organizing, documenting, correcting and working on my writing, wich has been key, but also I was able of taking long walks around the area (with its pine forest, dry rivers, caves, ruins and different landscapes to explore); watching the sunsets and the stars, getting to know the other artists and feeding myself with all those experiences. I felt I was not only in a providing environment but in the right place for me and for the incredible people I have met there.

Last week, I came back home knowing something has clicked in my mind. Joya: AiR is still with me or I am still there, somehow. And I am sure this is going to get me to a new (mental, artistic, maybe geographic) place. And I am thankful for that”.

Iria Fariñas

Iria studied Professional Formation in Visual Arts (Coco School, Alicante), a Poetry Masters (Billar de letras, Madrid) and she is currently studying Translation (Universidad Europea, Madrid). She has six publications: a short story called "Gritar en voz baja" (ed. Entre Ríos) and four poetry books: "Las huellas deshabitadas" (ed. Talón de Aquiles), "Antinomia" (Postdata ediciones), "Vista aérea" (ed. Entre Ríos) and "Ayer ya será tarde". The other publication is a novel she published more than ten years ago. She has won awards (mostly in micronarratives and some in poetry) and she has been published in various magazines, fanzines and anthologies. In addition she directs sociocultural project that work creativity with underprivileged schools in Alicante.

photo Simon Beckmann

‘During my residency at JOYA: AiR, I wanted to reconnect with my Spanish roots and create artworks inspired by the residency’s surroundings as well as explore themes of personal displacement and national identity.

After my arrival, I immediately felt a sudden sense of peace that I hadn’t experienced in a very long time. The landscape, the fresh air, the silence, the animals that lived there, the fruits and olive trees. Everything was so stimulating, it was like pure magic. All these factors led me to experiment with what nature was providing. 

Inspired by JOYA’s ecological mission, I felt the need to create sustainable work, so I collected clay from the mountains and made clay from scratch. The process involved collecting the soil, sifting it, mixing it with water and kneading it until ready. Through this newly discovered ritual, I found myself going back to the starting point and trusting my primitive instinct. 

The sculptures that I created were hybrids of the animals that lived near the complex (cats, goats, found bones) and the fruits that were growing in the land (persimmons, olives, pomegranates). 

Besides creating new work, part of the experience was to share thoughts with the other artists and learn more about other disciplines. We inspired each other somehow, either by asking for feedback or just by listening to each other in front of the fireplace every night after the wonderful dinner that Donna would prepare for us. 

I will be forever grateful for the time I got to spend at Joya: AiR. The environment felt so welcoming and peaceful, I even remember saying to Simon "I feel at home!" after only having spent a few hours there. Thank you, Simon and Donna, for doing what you do and for letting me live this experience’.

Kora Moya Rojo

Kora Moya Rojo is a visual artist creating paintings that revolve around fluidity, nostalgia, and womanhood. Rendered in a pulsating palette of cold blues and warm reds, her vibrant works infuse autobiographical, historical, and religious iconographies with a rural sensibility. Examining the complex effects of childhood trauma, female oppression and urban migration, she investigates personal displacement and national identity in symbolic scenarios that overflow with utopian potential. Digitally reconstructing dreams, imaginations and memories into enchanting drawings and canvases, Moya Rojo creates eerie worlds that inhabit the liminal space between the conscious and the unconscious. Her androgynous, embryonic figures stretch beyond the earthly domain to the otherworldly as they hybridize with provincial food, coalesce with existing objects, and mutate with unspecified surroundings. In a continuous metamorphosis, the internal and external forces at play make the familiar foreign, and the foreign disturbingly familiar.

Kora Moya Rojo (b. 1993, Spain) lives and works in London. She graduated with a BA in Fine Art from the University of Murcia (Murcia, Spain, 2015). Recent exhibitions include ‘Into the Cosmere‘ in Shoreditch (London, UK, 2021), ‘Euphoric’ at Procrastinarting (online, 2021), and ‘Every Woman Biennial’ at The Copeland Gallery (London, UK, 2021). Latest features include All She Makes and Friend of the Artist. Moya Rojo is part of the Winsor & Newton private art collection. She recently finished her residency at Joya Air (Spain, 2021) and has another one coming up at ArtHouse Pani (Mexico, 2022).

photo Simon Beckmann

‘At Joya: AiR, I felt free to wander, physically and artistically. There is a natural emphasis on respect for and reciprocity with one’s environment which, for me, opened up a different way of thinking about my creative process.

Everything about the surroundings at Joya lends itself to reflection: the architecture, the landscape, the company of other artists. It is an environment where beauty and inspiration are easily found. I was able to reflect on my writing in a way that I previously hadn’t been able to, I reoriented myself and my work. Initially I worked on a long-form fiction project, but soon I found myself experimenting with the work in other genres and mediums.

Conversations with artists from a such wide range of disciplines broadened my understanding of my own writing. These past two weeks were a turning point for me as a writer, as an artist. Simon and Donna were wonderful hosts; they have created such a breathtaking and necessary space. I arrived at Joya: AiR with an intention, and left the residency with a renewed insight into my practice’.

Kandace Walker

I am a writer and filmmaker based in Wales and London. I studied MA Black British Writing at Goldsmiths, University of London. My writing has been published in The Guardian, Prototype and The Good Journal, among others. My short film 'Last Days of the Girl's Kingdom', produced in collaboration with DAZED and the ICA, was aired on Channel 4's Random Acts. In 2019, I won the Guardian 4th Estate BAME Short Story Prize with my story 'Deep Heart'. My essay 'Everything I Will Give You', exploring representations of intimate partner violence in Welsh and Kenyan mythology, appeared in 'Just So You Know', an anthology of Welsh writers published by Parthian Press. I am represented by Abi Fellows at The Good Literary Agency.

photo by Kandace Walker (wild swimming in November)

photo Simon Beckmann

‘During my residency at JOYA: AiR I created a new series of sculptures and interventions that aimed to explore new forms of agency and awareness within my artistic practice. The works, inspired by ancestral Iberian material culture, unravel potential reinterpretations of ritual power, archaeological heritage, national identity and cultural appropriation.

JOYA’s land and ecological knowledge encouraged me to create artworks that reflect on the permeable boundaries that define our world and the larger-than-human dimension that defines it. For five weeks I explored the role that materiality can play in the negotiation and production of authenticity, identity, myth and place, acknowledging this land as the complex network of reciprocal interdependence that it truly is.

I also followed the footsteps of “El Corro y el Rosao”, two (con)artists from the nearby town of Totana who in the early 1900s, inspired by local archaeological discoveries, sold hundreds of ‘fake’ artefacts to collectors and institutions all over the world —including the Louvre and the British Museum. I was privileged to spend a few days in Totana working with local potters, giving shape to new works while combining history, legend, beliefs and my own personal expectations.

At the end of my residency I decided to honour this land by making a ritual offering at a pre-historic cave in the Parque Natural de Sierra María-Los Vélez. Eight sculptures were carefully placed inside the cave: sentinels of local spirits and deities, expressions of an ancestral knowledge that is real and imaginary at the same time’.

Jorge Mañes Rubio

Artist / TED Fellow / Watch his TED talk here go.ted.com/jorgemanesrubio

Based in Amsterdam, Jorge graduated in Design Products from the Royal College of Art London in 2010. He is also co-founder of the Design Museum Dharavi, a TED Senior Fellow and a recipient of the S&R Foundation Washington Award. He has recently collaborated with the European Space Agency on a pioneering project revolving around the future colonisation of the Moon, turned into a thought provoking TED talk.