Past Residents

Residents Map

Sonia Shiel

Sonia Shiel’s paintings take the shape of terrains, portals, pageants, and props. Her exhibitions have a multi-dimensional quality that transcends their material form, creating dynamic opportunities for performance where the audience often becomes entwined in a shared folie à deux. In these otherworldly realms, humans, animals, plants, gods, and ‘artists’ coexist non-hierarchically with cosmological and enchanted phenomena. Drawing inspiration from art history, theater, mythology, and literary fiction, Shiel delves into our capacity for self-determination, love, autonomy, and courage.

Sonia Shiel has exhibited work at VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art; Kunstverein Aughrim; and Void Art Centre, all in Ireland, among others.

Past Resident
2024: Canada Council for the Arts

Amy Ching-Yan Lam

Amy Ching-Yan Lam is an artist and writer whose work explores personal and communal histories, approaching them through intuition and necessity. Her practice is rooted in absurdity—where humor and sadness meet, or where the line between them blurs, creating a sense of instability. She primarily works in poetry, site-specific projects, and installation. Her publications include Property Journal (forthcoming, 2024), Baby Book (2023), and Looty Goes to Heaven (2022). Born in Hong Kong, Amy now lives in Tkaronto/Toronto.

Amy Ching-Yan Lam has exhibited work at Eastside Projects, United Kingdom; Seoul MediaCity Biennale, South Korea; and Richmond Art Gallery, Canada, among others.

Past Resident
2024: Kim? Contemporary Art Centre

Jānis Dzirnieks

Jānis Dzirnieks’ work cuts through the facade of technological efficiency, revealing the unsettling and often sinister forms that emerge from our relentless drive for optimization. By repurposing industrial remnants into thought-provoking installations, Dzirnieks prompts viewers to confront the ecological and societal costs of progress. This exhibition vividly explores the stark contrasts between economic development and environmental decay, challenging us to reconsider our relationship with technology and nature.

Jānis Dzirnieks has exhibited work at Robert Fruinstraat 56, Netherlands; Kim? Contemporary Art Centre, Latvia; and Extra City, Belgium.