- Ksenia Shinkovskaya (Latvia), Séverine Berthias (France) and Kalin Mihov (Bulgaria) will develop artistic residencies in Extremadura within the program promoted by Cáceres’ bid for European Capital of Culture
Cáceres’ bid for European Capital of Culture 2031 continues to advance in the development of its cultural programming with the launch of ‘Rural Labs’, an international program of artistic residencies that promotes contemporary creation processes linked to the territory, rural communities and the relationship between city and environment. The call, launched in May 2026, has received 145 proposals from 54 countries, consolidating the European and international reach of an initiative that positions Extremadura as a space for experimentation, exchange and cultural production.
Artists from countries such as France, Latvia, Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Poland, Turkey, Argentina, Mexico, India and Canada, among many others, presented projects related to disciplines as diverse as visual arts, performative practices, cultural mediation, artistic research, sound creation, audiovisual, public art or community processes. After a review and interview process developed together with the collaborating entities that will host the residencies, three artists have been selected to develop their projects between the months of July and November 2026 in different parts of Extremadura.
Selected artists
The Latvian artist Ksenia Shinkovskaya will develop her residency at La Sindicalista Estudio Cáceres. Her work is based on textile sculpture made with felt and combines traditional techniques with contemporary imagery to explore the relationship between humanity and nature through organic, hybrid and suggestive forms.
The French artist Séverine Berthias will carry out her residency at Asociación MUDARTE. A member of the Compagnie Des Cousus, specialized in the art of puppetry and socio-artistic projects, her practice focuses on collaborative creation and strengthening the links between art, participation and community.
For his part, the Bulgarian artist Kalin Mihov will develop his project in Ras de Terra. His practice combines installation, performance, video and land art to generate interventions linked to the landscape and natural environment, investigating the relationships between territory, memory, community and environment.
International artistic networks for the region
‘Rural Labs’ is one of the flagship programs of Cáceres’ bid for European Capital of Culture 2031 to strengthen cultural activation in rural areas, foster new connections between the city and its territory and expand the presence of Extremadura in European and international artistic networks.
Through this program, Cáceres 2031 promotes new forms of collaboration between artists, independent cultural spaces, local communities and territorial agents, reinforcing the role of contemporary culture as a tool of innovation, social cohesion and transformation.
The launch of these residences represents a new step in the development of the candidacy’s cultural program, which continues to deploy initiatives capable of connecting contemporary creation, citizen participation and the European dimension from the reality and uniqueness of the Extremaduran territory.
