PACA Proyectos Artísticos Casa Antonino

Artist Run Space. Creación y educación artística contemporánea en el campo. Artist In Residence programmes.

Context_ What is PACA?

PACA is a space for interdisciplinary contemporary art projects based in a traditional farmhouse (casería) near the city of Gijón, on the coast of Asturias, Spain. The residence is in a dense, fragile and complex environment in which traditional agriculture, architecture and landscape coexist alongside heavily industrialized areas (Gijón´s city center is 15 km away). Asturias is located in the north-western region of Spain that is known for its spectacular coastal area, lush green mountains and medieval architecture. But he central area of Asturias has also been intensely industrialized since the end of the 19th century and today a highly polluting industry based on coal continues (steel, thermal power plants, industrial port with import of coal and open-air storage), in an attempt to transition towards less polluting industrial models and less dependent on fossil energies.

PACA IS NOT A RETREAT IN THE WOODS, IT´S A TRADITIONAL FARMHOUSE AT THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN OBSOLETE CHIMNEYS OF THE STEEL AND COAL INDUSTRY AND AN ABANDONED AND TIRED PERIURBAN RURALITY. WE TAKE CARE OF IT AS AN OASIS HOME FROM WHICH WE CREATE BEAUTY AND POSSIBILITIES OF HOPE.

PACA_ Proyectos Artisticos Casa Antonino is an artist run space founded in 2013 that focus on contemporary art, environmental practices and art education. The objectives of PACA_Proyectos Artisticos Casa Antonino are to promote the introduction of environmental and ecological attitudes in the arts; to conduct training, production, diffusion and education; to create collaborative networks of local, national and international institutions, universities, associations, foundations and cultural institutions; to enrich the local cultural structures by encouraging dialogue between artistic communities and other members of society. PACA creates, organizes, manages and produces cultural projects; conducts educational and didactic activities with social, democratic and comprehensive objectives; carries out theoretical studies, field research and art works on artistic and environmental themes; organizes site-specific and community projects, art residencies, exhibitions and art workshops; documents, diffuses and communicates art projects using publishing (pacabooks) and digital tools. PACA_ is run by artist Virginia Lopez in collaboration with art restorer Giovanni Lanterna and enlarged with participatory collaborations in each new project.

Network:

To date we have developed artistic projects in collaboration with public and private, national and international institutions, participated in research seminars, presentations and art fairs, among the main ones we point out:
Municipal Foundation of Culture and Popular University of the Gijón City Council. / Sala Mendoza Foundation, Venezuela. + Embassy of Spain in Venezuela / Laboral Center for Art and Industrial Creation, Gijón. / Art For Change La Caixa Foundation (2020) / Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation / Villa Romana de Veranes Archaeological Museum / Government of the Principality of Asturias, Ministry of Education and Culture / Nieuwe Instituut, Netherlands (Pluriverse Project) / Cerezales Antonino y Cinia Foundation / University of Seville / Environmental Humanities Research Group, UPV, Valencia. /Student internships: ERG School Bruxelas + Oviedo Art School / Inner Nature Network International Video Art and Ecology Exhibition (UPV, Valencia) / Arcu Atlánticu Festival of Gijón City Council /Xixón + Recrea / ALNORTE Contemporary Art Week in Asturias, II Culture and Rural Environment Forum organized by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (Jaén 2018), Culture and Citizenship program (Donosti, 2022), JustMad Art Fair (2014-2015) ; ARCO Art Fair Spain- ArtLibris (2017).

PACA is a founding member of the spanish network for art spaces in rural settlement: El Cubo Verde.

The house. The art residency:

The house offers a space of 4 bedrooms, bathrooms, an open space with a shared kitchen and living room, and 1 hectare of land with an orchard, gardens, and a vegetable garden. Residents can also use PACA’s library, and they have a fully equipped studio for working next to the house. Outdoor spaces are open to the artist’s practice.

PACA residency offers a workspace, housing, and include support, information and feedback from staff and PACA community: artists, curators, researchers. We always try to offer ideal conditions and artistic support for artist research. We take specially care about networking: connections between artist and cultural agents related to the artist practice.

Working space (shared Studio 60 mq) with  and access to PACA equipments: Internet Connection, HP print and scanner, Tascam digital recorder and microphones, Arteina T600 TS press (Characteristics: 5mm 600x1000mm plate. Rocker bearings. Upper roller diameter of 120mm. Pressure clamp system) proofing press for letterpress printing with antique wood and metal types, painting and generic tools, sink, work desk, video-projector, tripod, small dark room for analogical photography (photographic enlarger, no chemicals provided).

Art Residencies types / Modalidades de Residencias Artísticas

PACA offers 3 types of residence that adjust to the specific characteristics of our space and our professional and life path.

• Art Residencies are aimed at artists and researchers from different disciplines who wish to develop a project, create work in a concentrated way, initiate or continue artistic research; It may be the case that they just want to think and pause.
• Gardening Residencies have a specific program, they are not designed for artists although they are obviously welcome, but for all those people with an interest in green, that green that is critical lymph, beauty, cyclical rhythms, entangled thought, manual work. A garden between agriculture, aesthetics and thought, art and nature. One part of the program is a theoretical approach and another is manual and daily work in our garden and orchard.
• Learning Residencies are designed for those people interested in learning or perfecting a specific artistic technique. It is about generating a personalized program that adjusts to the needs and concerns of each person, adjusting teaching hours and content while enjoying the garden, the trees, in short, and for everyone, a concentrated time.

Las residencias están abiertas a lo largo de todo el año desde el 15 de septiembre al 30 de junio.

(No hay residenicas durante julio-agosto).