Artists
Photo Credit: NIU Chun-Chiang
YANG Hsi-Hsia
YANG Hsi-Hsia
| Location | France / Marnay-sur-Seine |
|---|---|
| Residency | Centre d'Art - Marnay Art Centre (CAMAC) （Permanently closed） |
| Year of the Grant | 2003 |
| Work | Mourn Wither |
Artist Statement:
I have lived in the city for a long time. A conglomeration of things and people constantly interrupted my life, while the time, space, and state of mind suitable for creating art were also scattered and incomplete. Focusing on art was a desperate and unrealistic hope. Participating in a residency program abroad can not only eliminate external distractions for an artist, but it can also be eye-opening and productive to an artist’s practice, creating a turning point in his or her career.
Centre d’Art Marnay Art Centre (CAMAC) is located in a small town called Marnay-sur-Seine in the Champagne area, about a one-hour drive Southeast of Paris. Marnay-sur-Seine had nothing more than a church, a garden, a small bar, an inn, a few houses, some elderly residents, large fields of crops and forests, and an abundance of time free of trivial things in life.
During my residency, I had some insightful conversations with Celine, an installation artist from Quebec,. The two of us, one who relied on hearing aids and spoke French most of the time, another with a mediocre ability in English, had some interesting exchanges together. Celine and I both worked on topics related to sound and the body, and our discussions always led to deep and calm resonances inside me that took form in my later work.
CAMAC is located in an extremely rural area in France. During my residency, I took trips to see exhibitions, experience the city, and observe the people in Paris. I returned to the tranquil little town from these trips and reflect on my findings in the city. CAMAC provided an open platform for creating art. The program emphasized the importance of the process of creation instead of results and did not organize any final presentations for the resident artists. In this way, I was able to experiment and develop ideas more freely, and I also found new beginnings and turning points in my art practice during my time in France. I believe the artistic experimentation and personal growth that I experienced during my Artist-in-Residence abroad will continue into the future.