Oudolf Field, Hauser & Wirth Somerset. Photo: Jason Ingram
Write Now: A New Writer’s Residency in Partnership with ArtReview
We are proud to have welcomed Leela Keshav as our inaugural writer-in-residence at Hauser & Wirth Somerset. Keshav was the first participant in ‘Write Now,’ a new residency in partnership with ArtReview, that provided time and space for early career writers to develop their craft and ambitions. ‘Write Now’ took place in parallel to the gallery’ s ongoing program of artist residencies, that have been running since 2013.
Taking place from 29 April to 13 May 2024, the residency offered a unique opportunity to learn about the work and process of resident artists, engage with the natural environment and ecology, and meet the local community that surrounds Hauser & Wirth Somerset.
As well as access to resident artists and archival material, Keshav was mentored by ArtReview’s editorial team. The mentorship took the form of two in-person sessions dedicated to shaping the course of research and the outcome of the project.
Keshav also benefited from mentorship provided by Hauser & Wirth. This included visits to architectural organization Drawing Matter, printmaking and letterpress workshop Smith’s Rules, and studio visits to Make Hauser & Wirth artists Helen Carnac and David Gates in Somerset.
Leela Keshav, ‘Write Now’ residency, Hauser & Wirth Somerset, 2024
Leela Keshav, ‘Write Now’ residency, Hauser & Wirth Somerset, 2024
All of these activities and initiatives enabled Keshav to develop her writing methodology and shaped the outcome of her final project. At the end of the residency, Keshav was required to produce a written text of approximately 1200 words, which has been published on artreview.com. She created a new series of texts that engaged with both her natural and cultural surroundings, and the intersections of the human and non-human worlds, while also connecting with more global discourses about anthropocentrism, the ways in which we measure and record time, among others.
In Summer 2024, Keshav will host a public presentation on her project in Somerset, discussing her approach to writing and wider creative practice. The event will be accessible to an audience of all ages.
Keshav is a spatial practitioner and writer from Canada who has recently completed graduate studies at the Architectural Association in London, UK. Her current research explores legacies of colonial botany, reparations discourse, and conservation beyond the human-nature dichotomy. She is a recent alumna of New Architecture Writers and an editor for AArchitecture. Her writing has been published in the Architectural Review, ROOM Magazine, Unootha Magazine, and Chutney Magazine.
Leela Keshav, London, 2024. Photo: Hafsa Syed
Since 2013, Hauser & Wirth Somerset has supported an immersive artist-in-residence program, facilitating 44 residencies in total, including 31 individual artists alongside a breadth of learning initiatives and return visits. Residencies are the outcome of Iwan & Manuela Wirth and Marc Payot’s unique approach to fostering new opportunities for artists, both emerging and established, in addition to the gallery’s broader creative community.
The location specific residency has no prescribed outcome but instead provides artists, curators and students with time and space for reflection, research and production. This extended period of time allows for a deeper connection with the local community, surrounding landscape and unique history of the area. All participants are encouraged to contribute to a continuous creative hub, characterized by our learning activities, including collaborative community events and workshops that allow for broader access to their work and wider practice.
