Artistic Research and Exchange with the State Academy of Fine Arts Karlsruhe

This year as well, we welcome young artists to the Opera Village for a short research and working stay. Our guests were Liz and Melina, two students from the State Academy of Fine Arts in Karlsruhe. During their stay, they were accompanied by the Burkinabè artist Marcel Ahondo, who supported the exchange on site and provided insights into the local art scene.

Liz and Melina used their time at Opera Village to explore the surrounding landscape and to engage deeply with the unique atmosphere of the place. Encounters, conversations, and observations shaped their artistic practices, which include not only visual arts but also experimental writing and performance. From this open-ended research, the first ideas and conceptual approaches for future works began to emerge.

Such stays are a central part of our work, as Opera Village is far more than infrastructure. We see it as a place of encounter where art functions as a means of communication and social dialogue. International artists collaborate here with local partners and develop projects in exchange with civil society—not following a top-down principle, but based on mutual learning and shared experiences.

Short research stays in particular open up new perspectives. They allow artists to question existing artistic practices, learn from one another, and create space for new narratives to emerge. For us, art is not only a form of expression, but also a tool for self-determination, exchange, and transformation.

Liz and Melina are already planning to return to Opera Village Africa in March to deepen the dialogue they began and further develop the ideas that emerged during their research. We are excited to see what works will grow out of this process.