The residency Nortear Ilustrado begins today on the Illa de San Simón and runs until 9 October. According to Xunta de Galicia six illustrators from Galicia and the Norte de Portugal are working together on projects for this eighth edition, drawing explicitly on architecture for inspiration. The residency includes working periods on the island, an accompanying public engagement programme and a later presentation of the results.
At the heart of the programme is the joint development of sketchbooks containing original work inspired by the island’s spatial setting and architectural motifs. The organisers plan to bring the resulting series together in a publication and present them in exhibition formats. Dates for publication and presentations are still to be set.
Meetings with educational institutions are also planned: students from the Pablo Picasso art and design schools in A Coruña, Antonio Faílde in Ourense and Ramón Falcón in Lugo are due to learn about working processes through workshops. The aim is to strengthen exchanges between education and professional practice and raise the profile of illustration in the region.
Nortear Ilustrado is part of the cross-border Nortear programme, which promotes cooperation between Galicia and Norte de Portugal. It is run by the Xunta de Galicia and the Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial Galicia–Norte de Portugal in cooperation with the Portuguese regional authority CCDR-N. The programme is anchored in the Euroregion Galicia–Norte de Portugal and is partly co-funded through Interreg The organisers stress that the residency aims to build lasting networks and recurring formats that connect production, engagement and public presentation.
For years, Illa de San Simón has hosted artist residencies in Galicia. For this edition, the organisers ground their architectural theme in the island’s setting and buildings. The aim is to encourage exchange on drawing techniques, spatial relationships and visual storytelling.
The information is based on official statements and regional cultural sources. The current news is the start of the residency and its architecture-focused programme. Any statements about later presentations are announcements; there are currently no firm deadlines.
Editor: Celestina Fuentes (Article created with AI assistance).