SOLO Castanedo Residency 2026
Leo Pum has been selected for SOLO Contemporary’s annual residency programme in Castanedo (Cantabria, Spain), a rural environment conceived as a space for work, research and shared living.
Chosen through an international open call, his practice investigates the relationships between sound, matter and technological systems, approaching sound not only as a medium, but as a physical and spatial condition that shapes experience.
The residency proposes a shift from the usual framework of production: stepping away from the rhythm of the studio and the exhibition calendar to focus on what emerges when time stretches and listening becomes central.
2026 Focus
The 2026 edition focuses on sound-based practices developed through the object, space and movement, with a particular emphasis on low-tech, analogue or hybrid approaches.
The residency supports processes that can lead to a sound work, an activation or a public sharing, while paying close attention to how sound is built, tested and activated in relation to a specific context. Experimentation is understood as part of the working method.
This interest in sound has already been present within SOLO Contemporary’s programme through initiatives such as the PowSOLO Awards, an international prize dedicated to recognising and supporting sound works, activating listening in public and exhibition contexts, and consolidating this line of practice within SOLO Contemporary.
Lines of Practice
The call is open to proposals related to:
- Sound research and listening as a situated practice
- Experimental sound-based works
- Low-tech, analogue or hybrid technologies
- Sound explored as a physical, spatial or social phenomenon
About SOLO Castanedo
The residency programme has been running for several editions and has hosted artists such as Ana Barriga and Víctor Castillo, among others. SOLO Castanedo offers a change of context, shifting away from an urban and exhibition-led rhythm towards a rural setting where artists can work with greater autonomy and recalibrate their practice outside the expectations of the white cube.
While Castanedo is not an exhibition venue, the programme may include moments of public sharing and activation, conceived as opportunities for exchange and dialogue with the surrounding environment.