Contemporary Rituals: Artist Residency in Puglia

We spent August 2025 in Puglia for a Maison Douce art residency, working and living in a traditional trullo near Ostuni, surrounded by olive groves and ancient history. The residency ended with an exhibition called Contemporary Rituals.

During our stay, we worked on new pieces and developed concepts for upcoming shows, including a large, Italy-inspired “memory service” that will unfold over the next months. For the exhibition, we presented two of our banners – Sophia and The Master’s House is on Fire – along with three new, felted sculptures: a small head titled Saint in Between and two skulls that will be part of the memory service-series.

Artworks on display: felted head titled Saint in Between and two skulls that will be part of the memory service-series.

We also screened our documentary Sacred Darkness, filmed last year in Puglia inside a forgotten Demeter cave in Oria. The cave has since been excavated and closed to the public for investigation. We don’t know if our film had anything to do with that renewed interest, but we like to think we were part of its rediscovery.

The Italian audience was engaged, curious, and open to our artistic ideas. They responded strongly to the work, especially Sacred Darkness. It was clear that aesthetics and beauty are not things to be tiptoed around here.

The night ended with a live set by Terra del Sol, with Marc on guitar and Matteo Tedesco on handpan – a perfect closing to night evening under the olive trees.

More events and exhibitions are on the horizon. For collaborations, get in touch.