Residencies spark creative impulse

Residency programmes don’t just open up new perspectives for artists – they simultaneously spark cultural impetus on an international level. Through residencies, artists and creatives often develop far-reaching networks and friendships that have an impact long beyond the original visit. Writer, performer and cultural consultant Chandrika Narayanan-Mohan spoke to us about her participation in the ‘Studio Quantum’ residency programme.

By Katrin Figge 

Why were you interested in the Studio Quantum residency in the first place? What expectations did you have, and were those expectations met?

I have been developing a body of work based on interviewing physicists about their career journeys and turning those stories into poems to help ‘demystify discovery’ by focusing on the day-to-day lives of researchers. When I was Writer in Residence for the Institute of Physics Ireland in 2023, I read a short story anthology where writers were paired with CERN scientists. I was drawn to lisa minerva luxx’s story in the collection which tied together quantum research with queerness, migrant identity, and what ‘home’ means. This story inspired me to write a piece connecting quantum to shifting identities and family. When I saw the Studio Quantum callout, I thought I could expand on this work by interviewing quantum researchers who identified as migrants and telling their stories through poetry.

I had never done a structured artist residency before and so didn’t know what to expect. There was an enormous amount of information to take in about quantum physics and the different ways artists have engaged with the topic. I thought I was going to write some poems about quantum and be finished in two months. But instead, I have come out with more questions than answers, which is more in the spirit of scientific and artistic endeavour than my previous plans.

Could you share your overall experience during the residency program with me - what were your highlights, but perhaps also the challenges?

I was one of ten Studio Quantum artists. We attended 30 hours of online lectures as part of the residency and attended a quantum arts symposium in Berlin called ‘Fertile Void’. My project was based in King’s College London where I worked with Dr James Millen and the researchers in his lab, and I also attended James’ quantum lectures. I interviewed three scientists for my poems, Clelia Altomonte and Margarita Khokhlova from King’s, and Dr Ivette Fuentes who I met at ‘Fertile Void’. There were two events in London to perform at, one with Dr Eugene Lim and Dr Linda Rocco and one with Science Gallery London. Meeting all these scientists and artists were definitely the highlights of the residency.

I had many challenges as part of this process. When trying to understand quantum physics I struggled to absorb the information. I also felt out of my depth as a writer amongst accomplished visual artists and technologists. It was also emotionally intense to spend time in London 12 years after being forced to leave the UK due to restrictive immigration policies. However now I have integrated all these worries, insecurities, and emotional upheavals into the project itself, allowing them to flesh out the story, to support it, and sometimes even to outshine it.

You were one of the participating artists for “Fertile Void” in Berlin last year – what was your role and how did you experience the showcase?

For ‘Fertile Void’ I was paired with fellow Studio Quantum artist and performance poet David Odiase. We were tasked with creating a performance that wove our work together. Our common themes were motherhood, non-linear time, and memory, and we performed pieces that spoke to each other’s work. I wrote Fertile Void, a new piece about pregnancy uncertainty feeling like a quantum state. We also worked with OpenAI’s Sora to generate film clips to accompany our pieces. Sharing a stage and artistic process with David was magic, and meeting the other Studio Quantum artists was also amazing: what a vibrant, beautiful pack of weirdos we are. I have never worked with international artists before, and it was beautiful to not be a minority in a group for once. It made me feel like part of a global conversation and not just a Western one. Fertile Void was one of the most memorable experiences of my life and I hope to keep meeting the artists as the years go by.

To what extent does the residency have a lasting impact on your work?

I have a new artistic family to be regularly in contact with. My work for ‘Fertile Void’ has become the scaffolding for an essay collection, and my Studio Quantum project Beautiful Workings, which I am creating with Fallow Media in Ireland, is new level of collaborative multidisciplinary practices for me. In short, this residency threw open the doors for me, and I am excited to walk through them.

Studio Quantum is an international events and artist-in-residence programme from the Goethe-Institut, exploring emerging quantum technologies through the lens of art. The project is managed by Goethe-Institut Irland.