A4 Residency

Aims

A4 Residency Art Center is an interdisciplinary, open, and collaborative platform that embraces the residency program as its method and perspective. We are committed to promoting the integration of diverse creative resources among communities, cities, and international partners by tapping into local culture and international cooperation opportunities.

We also strive to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experiences related to residency programs, connecting various groups with shared values and aspirations driven by community engagement. Set against the urban context of emerging cultural forms and structures, our platform is designed to encourage communication and interaction among interdisciplinary creatives, inspiring and assisting residents, participants, and supporters to “utilize” the space and support provided by the platform efficiently and innovatively. The term “residency” encompasses a broad spectrum of scenarios, including tools, methods, resources, and more. It connects various creative resources and creates opportunities for exchanges among a diverse range of program participants, such as artists, scientists, writers, poets, scholars, musicians, architects, designers, and brand managers, promoting their communication with the local community, city, and the world.

History

From experimental exploration of contemporary art to community-based interdisciplinary co-creation, we have initiated in-depth exchanges and collaborations with 156 artists/groups, curators, and scholars from more than 23 countries and regions, and have continuously adjusted our systematic structure and goals in the course of more than ten years of exploration.

In 2011, as part of the A4 Art Museum’s development strategy, the A4 Artist in Residence International Exchange Program (ARIE) was officially launched. The program is committed to promoting annual exchanges of contemporary art and culture around the globe, encouraging artists or art groups with unique creative ideas and notable accomplishments in art research to create, communicate, and exhibit based on local culture, and further promoting cultural interactions within their regions. Throughout this process, the participants would embark on distinctive experimental endeavors, propelled by the engines of cultural differences and local connections. ARIE is not only built on the remarkable creativity and curiosity of the artists themselves but also on the cross-cultural institutional and social networks, as well as the creators’ aspirations. A profound sense of self-worth motivates us to provide local spaces and planning services for artists and researchers from different countries and regions.

In October 2019, upon completion of the A4 Residency Art Center, it connected surrounding public spaces and outdoor areas with itself. The establishment of the Residency Art Center opened new opportunities for artist exhibitions, public art projects, cultural events, regional interactions, and symbiotic innovation. We have also fostered extensive exchanges and collaborations with the surrounding community and businesses, connecting different people and institutions. An important feature of this phase is the transformation from individual experimentation and creativity towards communication and cooperation with the local context. Through this process, we have continuously reflected on the significance of linking to understand the essence of communication better.

In 2023, A4 Residency Art Center embarked on a new beginning as a more independent and interdisciplinary cultural institution, committed to serving the public. Aligned with our new goals and mission, we are determined to present ourselves to the public through a more proactive, collaborative, and community-oriented approach, and we are prepared for public inquiries and discussions.

01 Experimental Field

The unique and experimental location of the residence program is an irreplaceable advantage of the A4 Residency Art Center.

Luxelakes in Chengdu is fundamentally different from other communities constructed in China as it transcends the traditional perspective of urbanization and development. Hailed as an “experimental field” for global architectural design, it also includes the construction and management of the water environment, exhibiting power within the enormous development framework. In addition, its vast size also determines that the project cannot be simply accomplished through “building”. Luxelakes also hosts the most diverse collection of social organizations and community practices in China ranging from public welfare funds and community self-governance to cultural & artistic activities and entertainment commerce. Such an environment incubates and nurtures various community organizations, as well as cultural and creative institutions.

Here, a complex interplay of institutions, communities, and cities reflects multiple social phenomena of our time. They include not only topics one can easily relate to such as natural environment, daily life, public and private rights, social services, and education but also grander topics such as urban migration, historical and local relationships, localization and globalization, ecology, and climate.

02 Interdisciplinary

Interdisciplinary is the focus of A4 Residency Art Center’s current goals.

With the accelerating evolution of the new technological revolution and industrial transformation, new branches and growth points of disciplines are constantly emerging. Interdisciplinary research has become an unstoppable social trend. The disciplinary boundaries in artistic creation are thus constantly being blurred and dissolved.

Therefore, A4 Residency Art Center actively builds a more open and inclusive context and working ecology, expanding the recruitment target from the field of contemporary art to more humanities and scientific fields, and concentrating the residency period in spring and autumn. This is to create more opportunities for meeting and interaction, as well as the advantages of interdisciplinary knowledge exchange and sharing

03 Relationship between Community and Society

Responding to the local community is an important topic that A4 Residency Art Center has been continuously focused on. We emphasize an open, public, and community-based work model, and closely pay attention to the mutual relationship between people and places.

A4 Residency Art Center will actively assist residents in establishing deep and authentic connections with the community, including recruiting resident volunteer guides among the local residents, and helping residents to quickly integrate and utilize community resources to create work leads. In this way, we hope that both parties can work together to achieve a more macroscopic narrative and social mission from a seemingly microscopic perspective.

At the same time, we are also dedicating ourselves to exploring and striving to establish community relationships. “Community” brings together people with different cultural and personal backgrounds through collective resonance and expression, establishing new forms of communication and growth. We hope to create a “residency” community, which will serve as a label to bring identity and belonging to individuals who may otherwise feel unsettled in their community or urban spaces, breaking down social barriers caused by identity, knowledge, and geography.This community will become a platform for daily sharing and knowledge exchange among creators, residents, and all participants, ultimately facilitating greater social interaction and connection.

04 Sharing and Linking

Sharing and linking are key working methods of A4 Residency Art Center.

Different from traditional production-driven models, we fully respect the importance of “discovery” and the process of “happening”. We encourage resident participants to make the most of the residency program through sharing of knowledge, conceptual exchanges, and exploration of local community issues with an open, collaborative and participatory mind, rather than being confined by the format of the creation. We are also committed to being a converter of various resources, actively exploring avenues for materializing creative concepts and forming more systematic and long-term cooperative mechanisms and outcomes.

Join Us

A4 Residency Art Center welcomes creators from various fields who are interested in community engagement, local artistic creation, and interdisciplinary exchange. We also embrace communication and collaboration with various professional organizations, creative groups, and resource platforms dedicated to professional development and interdisciplinary cooperation. In the current context of globalization, we hope to work with our partners to explore and establish a residency system rooted in the development of Chinese cities and culture, cultivated in Chengdu and local communities. Through the seemingly micro perspective, we aim to achieve a more macro-level human narrative and social mission.

Contact Us

For any questions, please contact:

Address: A4 International Residency Center, Luhu Eco-City, Shuangliu District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China

Official Email: a4residency@a4am.cn

Website: www.a4resicency.com

WeChat: A4国际驻留艺术中心

Instagram: a4_residency_art_center

Red Book: A4国际驻留艺术中心

Resartis