Creative journey beyond stereotypes: artist testimonials from the Venice Workshop Week
In April 8-12, 2024, the picturesque and legendary city of Venice hosted the second PMP Workshop Week, a collaborative event that brought together 24 artists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines. This unique experience fostered a rich environment of creativity, dialogue, and exploration. Here, three artists share their experiences, highlighting the workshop’s impact on their artistic journeys.
Sharing the experience with generosity and respect
“It’s been more than a month since I participated in the Venice Workshop Week with the PMP Spanish team, thanks to Centro Espronceda. It was a unique experience to work not only in Venice but also with the city itself, it´s streets, and it´s inhabitants, moving away from its stereotypical image and being able to play and create with the city. Most of the residencies or artistic experiences in which I have participated focused on each artist’s individual project. It was very enriching to share this experience with such incredible and diverse artists and to get involved not only in joint activities but also to develop a collective artistic project. Thanks to the hosting organization, Perypezye Urbane, and the participants, a creative space was built where multidisciplinarity, generosity, dialogue, but above all, where respect and care were the epicenters of everything.
Personally, apart from feeling grateful for all the shared exprience and the artists I was lucky enough to work with, I had the chance to experiment with some tools and new media that I have continued to explore after the Workshop Week and will incorporate in my way of creating and investigating artistically.”
Elvira Martos, painter, Spain
IG: @elviramartos
Gaining new skills and collaborating with other artists
“What I really enjoyed in the PMP Workshop Week in Venice was the workshops themselves, especially the one on intersectionality that Niv Melamed led. I really liked the inclusive environment that was fostered in the workshops. We even got the opportunity to mix with all the artists, exchange ideas and engage in relevant creative discussions that took place both within the workshops and in the time that we spent outside the workshops.
I gained new skills in taking photos of digital urban art which I could practise while I was walking around Venice in the late afternoons and evenings. One thing that I really enjoyed from this experience was the collaboration with the other artists on projects that were impactful to society and to us as individuals. These were carried out in public areas in Venice, which was something that I have never done before so it was really fun. I got to dance in Piazza San Marco!
I also enjoyed presenting to everyone my story as a young performer and advocate with Down Syndrome through the Pecha Kucha presentation. I am now really excited and looking forward for my very first artist residency with Perypezye Urbane in Venice in June!”
Angela Bettoni, writer, Malta
IG: @angelabettoni18
Learning, reflecting, discussing and being aware
“The Workshop Week in Venice was very enriching. Thanks to the work of all the coordinators, in a few days we were able to learn many things, reflect on different working methodologies, and establish new relationships with other artists. Living with them for a few days, discussing digital technologies and their relationship with art, putting things in a common framework, showing our work, and making a group project (or at least initiating one) according to our interests. All this, in an environment as stimulating (especially for artists) as the city of Venice. I consider this type of experience to be highly beneficial and necessary in an artist’s career: to get to know other countries, other cultures, and other people, and to reflect on art in different contexts than the usual one.
In short, my week in Venice consisted of getting out of the routine, out of our comfort zone, leaving aside the inertia to be more perceptive and creative, being more aware after living together of the great diversity that exists in the context of art.”
Marla Jacarilla, Visual artist, Spain
IG: @marlajacarilla
Conclusion
The PMP Workshop Week in Venice was a remarkable convergence of creativity, learning, and collaboration. Through the shared experiences of Elvira, Angela, and Marla, it is evident that the week was more than just an artistic workshop —it was a transformative journey that allowed artists to explore new dimensions of their work and engage deeply with the vibrant city of Venice and the other artists. As these artists continue their creative pursuits, the impact of this workshop will undoubtedly resonate in their future projects.
