Katherine BALL

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Katherine BALL

Participating Project	Exchange Residency Program (Creators from abroad)
Activity Based	Berlin
City / Place stayed	Tokyo
Period	2026.9 - 2026.11

Purpose of the residency

My participation in this program is part of the Cultural Exchange Grants of the Federal State of Berlin. The grant is intended for the artistic development of professional artists.

The stay abroad at TOKAS in Tokyo is intended to enable me, as an artist, to gain an understanding and knowledge of the cultural scene of the place of residence, to study current developments, to make contacts, exchange ideas, gain inspiration, or realise an artistic project on site.

Plan during the residency

• Broad focus: people's practices and connection with water in Japan.
  
• Main artistic research topic related to this focus: Onsens in Tokyo and in Japan. During the grant period, I would like to visit onsens and learn about construction methods, practices, rituals, aesthetics, histories, and ambient environments within the onsens. I would like to learn about the water filtration systems used. It would be a goal of mine during the residency to improve the artistic nature of my water filtration systems, and I would look forward to the inspirations I would find in Tokyo and Japan. This research topic includes technical research, historical research, and human-environment connection research.
• I would also be interested in researching and getting to know the river nearby Tokyo Arts and Space—the Sumida River. I would like to find artistic inspiration in the cultural histories related to people’s engagement with the Sumida River.
  
• Other practices and connections with water that people have in Japan as well (and potentially other species beyond just people).
• I plan to create an artistic output of this research, such as illustration, sculpture, a small installation, or a photo archive accompanied by writing. I will determine the nature and feasibility of this while on site in the TOKAS studio. The creation of this artistic output will be dependent on and respectful of the capacity of TOKAS, and also my time and energy in combination with this artistic research.
• I see this artistic research as a way of gaining inspiration, understanding, and knowledge of the cultural scene (focusing on water culture) and current developments. I hope to exchange ideas and make contacts. My art practice works with the medium of water, so I anticipate this artistic research will enable my artistic development and future projects, water systems, and installations I will create.

Creator Information