WORKSHOPS
Summer creative workshops
Proyectoarte natural
Laguna de Rocha
What is Arte natural Laguna de Rocha?
Arte natural en Laguna de Rocha Artist-in-residence program: residency opportunities allow artists from all nations to stay and work 'for art's sake'. The program offers conditions that are conductive to multidisciplinary creativity and provide working facilities, ready to be used by individual artists for a period of 3 weeks in a paradisiacal natural environment located at Laguna de Rocha, La Paloma. Uruguay.
Our profile:
Arte Natural Residence project is focused on experimental multidisciplinary creative workshops for artists, performers, musicians, ecologists and educators. We are developing new criteria art community activities in one of the most exotic place of the South American Continent and introduce applicants to the friendly Uruguayan people and nature. Our work combine most multimedia areas with ecology, social engagement and meditation process group experiences in “extreme” natural conditions.
Workshops information:
As a part of the project Arte Natural Laguna de Rocha, every year, in January/February Arrosamena and the group of Proyectoarte organizes creative workshops at Waslala Ranch, the farm situated between Rocha´s Lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean, in Uruguay.
The atmosphere and environment of Rancho Waslala offer an ideal situation for creative growth and experimentation with all the participants of the experience.
Workshop activities
Cement and structures, large scale projects
Applied cement and structure Workshops: spread the basic knowledge for cement preparation and their application, including: mixing, coloring, work of trowels, textures, application to other materials such as metal and structures construction.
Theoretical and practical knowledge
Technical support to collective projects
Technical support to individual projects
Installations and sacred place, ritual and recognitions.
Sacred place Workshops, applied natural rest installations: this factory combines naturalistic practice, tantrical meditation and recognition of the area and the election of a specific site by participant, who will use only natural materials (vegetal sediments and rests) for the creation of contemplatives seats.
Theoretical and practical support knowledge and archaeological visits
Technical support to individual and collective projects
Performance workshops:
The atmosphere and environment of Rancho Waslala offer an ideal situation for creative growth and experimentation
We work in groups with techniques of communication, improvisation, artistic creation in real time with presence of observers, performance and ritual. It will be applied the opened creation, representative discussions and ritual experiences. Study the application of the body as an object and the body as a landscape. We explore three-dimensional form, producing body sculptures in fiber and similar incorporating boning and appliqué.
We explore "the relationship between the individual, their body and a defined space; and the interaction between different scales, lightness and darkness, movement and stillness." Study and application of objects like prolongation of the body in the aesthetic representation, the importance of the visual object and the ethereal in the performance and the rite.
Technical support to collective and individual projects
Recycling, ecology and common sense
We call attention to human impact on the earth through a specific workshop were we collect trash and discarded materials found along beaches and introduce statistical work for comparison with older same experiences . We also work in the production of wood cubes and rectangles were to put the found materials and present them in exhibition organized in La Paloma, where we also have the possibility to spread information about the sensibility of the environment
We concentrate to spread knowledge about the application of different recycled materials to create art objects. We will conscientiously concentrate on the study of the functional use of the recycled material applied to daily necessities of specific use, on the treatment of material and their practical use. Most of the disposable material is useful modifying its original form or not. These recycled objects can be adapted to replace other materials.
Practical knowledge
Technical support to collective and individual projects
Outdoors site specific
We will work in groups for the accomplishment of this artwork. Respecting the appearance of the place and the ecology, harmful or strange material will not be used where the artwork is carried out. Once the site is selected on a specific spot and through it we start the process of temporary appropriation using what we find on site, interpreting it considering its ecological dimensions and history as part of our critical aspect of the intervention.
Parallel activities included in the creation workshops.
Individual presentation: Organizers encourage all the participants to make a presentation of themselves and its work. To stimulate collaboration, offering its knowledge and experiences to the group.
Discussions: we stimulate the discussion and the interchange of ideas and techniques in all the factories, the active work of all participants in all the creative phases and the possible evaluation of the results.
Bank of experiences: all the artists are invited to participate with their knowledge and restlessness if these could be applied in anyone of the phases of workshop, being able of previous informing to the organizer on the existing possibilities where upon he himself account to enrich the collective experience.
Workshop facilities: the workshops will be made at Waslala Ranch, an ecological farm of 250 square ms roofs and extensive outdoors area. The farm counts on potable water, an ample kitchen and a large working place, constructed on the sand, Waslala counts with a garden in the middle of the rustic nature, far from the civilization and the electrical light. Waslala Ranch is located at 7 km to west from La Paloma City, department of Rocha, Uruguay. On the coastal strip between the sea and the Lagoon of Rocha. Within the zone of protected biodiversity that comprises the system of the lagoons and other water sources, few minutes from the paradisiacal oceanic beach and from the Lagoon of Rocha. The landscape of the environments is very rich and varied: high dunes, forests of pines, native forest, sandy grounds and savannas. This place is the refuge of an immense variety of birds and other animals, being very common the observation of wild life. A number of ether large workspaces inside and outside the facility are also available for artists to use.
Inside and outside place for installations, performances, multimedia and other works.
Being a summer workshop we will work some times at night and have some group activities at the beach.
Materials: the necessary materials for the activities of workshop will be facilitated by the organizer. Anyway it is recommended that the participants arrive with a small personal equipment of tools that these consider necessary for parallel creative activities and tracking shoes and clothes.
Free time: share the free time going to the beach were is also possible to practice surf and other sports.
Other free activities: strolls to the Lagoon of Rocha and their environs, roasted, furnaces, etc. If some participant wished it, and covering his cost, there is possibility of ridding horse around the recreational zone and other activities in La Paloma and its environs.
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Costs and conditions for the Residence pdf
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Anaconda´s beach view from La Paloma
Some information about Uruguay
People in Uruguay
The vast majority of Uruguayans are of European origin. Of this the two largest groups are of Spanish and Italian descent. What is unique about Uruguay in comparison to other South American countries is the fact that Uruguay does not have a native population. This is not to say there never was one, but rather to say that the original native population was displaced during the colonial era.
The official language of Uruguay is Spanish. However due to the large amount of Italian immigrants you will see some modifications. Along the shared border with Brazil some of the locals speak a dialect called Portuñol, which is a mix of Portuguese and Spanish.
The vast majority of Uruguayans are Roman Catholics (3/4 of the population). As such the Church has played a prominent role in the history of the country, its culture, and its society. The Church however has no official capacity in politics.
From an education standpoint Uruguayans have the highest literacy rate in South America. Their literacy rate of approximately 98% is one of the highest in the world.
More than 80% of the population of Uruguay live in urban settings, with close to half of all people living in Montevideo. City life tends to be very modern with a full range of amenities one would expect to find in places such as North America and Europe. The population that lives outside the cities tend to be involved in ranching, and today still are associated with the gaucho (cowboy) culture.
During your stay in Uruguay you are sure to fall in love with the people. They are a friendly, well educated group of people.
Uruguayan food.
Like Argentina, Uruguay produces a lot of beef. Therefore it should come as no surprise the Uruguayan cuisine uses a lot of beef. Uruguayan are some of the largest consumers of beef in the world. If there were to be a national dish it would have to be churrasco (a tasty grilled steak). Another popular dish is the parrillada, which is a platter of succulent grilled beef. If you are looking for something a little different don't pass up chivitos. Chivitos are essentially a steak sandwhich which will then be topped by eggs, cheese, bacon (sometimes), and lettuce and tomato. As you can see...beef is popular. Check out a open pit barbeque if you have a chance. You are sure to enjoy the experience.
Due to a large amount of immigrants from Spain and Italy , Uruguayans also serve a variety of traditional Spanish and Italian dishes. dishes. So you will have a chance to eat some great Spanish and Italian food while hanging out in Uruguay!
If you like seafood, you will not be dissapointed. Uruguayans have some great dishes made from both saltwater and freshwater fish!
Uruguayan wines tend to be of good quality. Check out a common drink called medio-medio (half white wine and half champagne). If you like beers you will not be dissappointed at all. Local spirits are caña, grappa and locally distilled whisky and gin.
Final note: Unlike North America, in Uruguay the biggest meal of the day is lunch. Many business shut down for a couple of hours so that everyone can go out to eat or even better, head home for a great meal.
