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Time period of this residency was August 4-24, 2024. Residents decided to stay all three weeks in the Black Hole residency – in cultural hub Viskaļi (viskali.com) located in Riga.

Out of the 256 applications submitted to the 'Arte Laguna Prize,' 9 artists were invited to the 'Black Hole' residency. Arrived the Arte Lagua special Prize winner chinese performance artist Jingyi Wang from Beijing, american performance artist Kevin Frechfrom New York and serbian photographer Ljubica Dennkovics from Belgrade, from the last minute call in on-line art magazin 'Echo Gone Wrong' – slovakian artist Jozef Mazarik from Bratislava and from Viskaļi cultural hub – artist Lidija Zaneripa from Latvia.

Jingyi Wang: "My experience in Black Holes residence was unlike anywhere else. As the name implied, I didn’t know what to expect at the beginning. I felt a bit disoriented in the middle. But I left with something deeply imprinted on my journey. If you expect something unexpected, Black Holes might be a right place."

Jingyi Wang from Beijing, China	Kevin Frech from New York, US	Ljubica Denkovics from Belgrade, Serbia
Jozef Mazarik from Bratislava, Slovakia	Lidija Zaneripa from Riga, Latvia	Moderators Laura Prikule and Kaspars Lielgalvis from Riga, Latvia

Kevin Frech:
"The value of residencies like the Black Hole comes in two parts. First, it's an opportunity to explore new ways of working while collaborating with artists from around the world, who each bring different techniques and perspectives that opened my mind. Second, the physical site of the residency is unique, with an incredible history, and it impacts the work that is made there, almost as an additional collaborator."

Getting to know each other	Getting to know each other	Puplic artist talk
Exploring local context	Exploring local context	Exploring local context
Exploring local context	Getting to know each other	Exploring local context
Exploring local context	Exploring local context	Exploring local context

Ljubica Denkovics:
"I have found black hole residency ideal for experimenting and experiencing art in a new environment. One of the most valuable things that this residency offered to me is time, space and fostering collaborations with artists across the borders, from which I gain valuable insights into different artistic perspectives, expand my network and ultimately enrich my artistic practice."

Collaboration	Research	Experimentation
Stepping out of box	Creation	Sharing
Playing	Talking	Thinking
Testing	Editing

The sharing was not only artistically rich due to the representation of artists of various art fields, schools and generations, but also cultural due to the different traditions and perceptions of Europe, America and Asia.

Participants cooked together, learned tango, celebrated togetherness, support, freedom and care.