A4 Art Residency: A Transformative Journey of Art, Sustainability, and Self-Discovery

As I sit at the airport, waiting for my flight, I am filled with a tapestry of memories from my first art residency program—the A4 Art Residency, which has now come to a quiet end. This experience has been an invaluable and unforgettable journey of self-discovery and creative exploration.

An Unlikely Start in the Art World

As a professional in the sustainability field without a formal education in art, I considered it a stroke of good fortune to participate in this residency. Filled with curiosity and anticipation, I travelled to Chengdu, eager to explore community-based sustainable development through an artistic lens. It was a challenge! Little did I know that this experience would mark the beginning of a profound learning journey.

Building a Foundation in Artistic Practice

During my residency, the vibrant community life and the wonderful new and old friends I met were crucial in helping me build my understanding of art residency and creative practice from the ground up. Each challenge and experience was a stepping stone, strengthening my determination on my artistic path. I often found myself immersed in late-night work sessions, fully engaged in artistic creation until 2 or 3 a.m. This deep immersion allowed me to explore my style and achieve a state of self-awareness, self-acceptance, and confident freedom.

Interdisciplinary Insights into Sustainability

The cross-disciplinary exchanges with different partners opened up new horizons for me.

• Art Development Perspective: The concept of "Art Development" introduces a new dimension to the discussion of sustainable development. It transcends traditional and new media, embracing art forms like drama and dance as powerful tools for communication. Drama, with its unique storytelling and performance tension, can effectively highlight sustainable development issues. For instance, immersive experiences, allow the audience to deeply understand concepts such as peaceful cooperation and resource allocation. Dance, characterized by its graceful and rhythmic body language, expresses a beautiful vision of harmonious coexistence among individuals, communities, and nature, inspiring a collective aspiration for a sustainable lifestyle. From this perspective, art forms serve as a bridge connecting the public to the principles of sustainable development.

• Environmental Sustainability Perspective: The "Environmental Sustainability" perspective has heightened my awareness of the urgency and importance of sustainable development. Regarding urban biodiversity, we need to shift traditional real estate developer concepts and help them appreciate the beauty of ecological "wildness." This means moving away from high-maintenance, luxury gardening to a low-cost, rustic, and natural model that achieves cost reduction, increased efficiency, and ecological friendliness. For example, instead of simply clearing and burning green waste in park areas, the community has now implemented a comprehensive in-situ composting solution. In constructing drainage outlets in small wetlands near lake areas, treated water with low nitrogen and phosphorus content can now be discharged into natural water bodies, significantly reducing urban sewage pollution and enhancing the urban water ecological environment.

• Eastern Philosophy Perspective: The "Eastern Philosophy" perspective was truly captivating. Chinese character culture highlights the close relationship between humans and nature. For instance, the "Bamboo Flow" series emphasizes that excessive busyness can lead to the death of the spirit, while excessive anger can make one a slave to their emotions. This idea reminds us of the importance of harmony between humanity and nature. The wisdom found in Eastern philosophy enhances the cultural understanding of sustainable development.

Growth Amidst Love and Community

Participating in the first Lukelake Co-Creation Night and the Luhu Spring Festival Gala was an incredibly moving experience. With over 1.76 million viewers tuning in for the performance last night, the on-site atmosphere was truly remarkable. The hundreds of amateur community actors delivered professional-level, heartfelt performances through their hard work and dedication. Having taken part in several rehearsals, I witnessed the immense effort that went on behind the scenes. This experience was not just about art; it was also about the profound love everyone had for the community.

During my 1.5 months in Chengdu, I encountered many first-time experiences: my first art residency, my first time chopping firewood, my first time knitting with Icelandic wool, my first time dancing flamenco, and my first time participating in a community Spring Festival Gala. Thanks to the warm hospitality and care of my friends, each day was filled with warmth and has become a treasured part of my memory.

This art residency has transformed me both physically and spiritually. Although it has concluded, the memories feel like bright stars shining in my heart, and they bloom like flowers, filling my soul with joy. As I look forward to the future, I am excited about where this new chapter in my life will lead me, and I eagerly anticipate reuniting with my friends around the world to continue our stories. May we all be embraced by happiness in the new year, with our wishes granted and every step taken on a smooth path.

More About:

• A4 Art Residency：

https://www.a4artmuseum.com/en/a4-residencyartcenter/about-residency/

https://www.instagram.com/a4_residency_art_center/?hl=en