Workshop: Landscapes of Memories

Join Brook­lyn-based Pol­ish-Amer­i­can social prac­tice artist Asia Szten­cel (2017, 2020 – 2021 RU alum) for an inti­mate, par­tic­i­pa­to­ry work­shop explor­ing the emo­tion­al land­scapes of immi­grant mem­o­ry through the lens of soap operas and telenovelas.

In this work­shop, par­tic­i­pants are invit­ed to bring the title of a show their moth­er watched, a telen­ov­ela their grand­moth­er loved, or a series they them­selves remem­ber fond­ly. These titles and sto­ries will be used as source mate­r­i­al for a com­mu­nal mem­o­ry paint­ing by the artist, incor­po­rat­ing land­scapes and scenes that con­nect per­son­al his­to­ry with shared experience.

This work­shop is part of Sztencel’s ongo­ing project, which inves­ti­gates the rela­tion­ship between immi­grant nos­tal­gia and the sta­t­ic back­drops of tele­vi­sion melo­dra­ma. By dis­solv­ing these remem­bered set­tings into col­lec­tive visu­al works, the project cre­ates space for con­nec­tion, reflec­tion, and shared belonging.

Telen­ov­e­las. Soap operas. Immi­grant mem­o­ries, the land­scapes of long­ing.
A shared remem­brance of what we hold, what we miss, what makes us one.

Res­i­den­cy Unlim­it­ed is one of the 2025 Gov­er­nors Island Arts Orga­ni­za­tions in Res­i­dence.