New artist residencies
Ikon announces two new off-site artist residencies.
Robert Zhao Renhui, Wigwell Lodge Artist Residency, April – June 2025
Ikon and The Ampersand Foundation announce an artist’s residency with Robert Zhao Renhui at Wigwell Lodge, Derbyshire. Working across video, photography and installation, Zhao prompts reflection on how human influence has shaped – and continues to shape – natural ecosystems and history. Zhao’s new work will feature in a future exhibition at Ikon Gallery.
“During my residency in Derbyshire, I will focus on the presence of introduced species, particularly the Chinese water deer and Indian muntjac, within the British landscape. By conducting field research in natural reserves, estates and areas where these deer have established themselves, I will document their behaviours, interactions with native wildlife and the ecosystems they now inhabit. I will also examine historical records, museum collections and archival materials to trace their introduction and the motivations behind their relocation. Engaging with local ecologists, conservationists and hunters, I will gather perspectives on how these species are perceived today–whether as welcomed inhabitants, ecological threats, or something in between. Using photography, video and writing, I aim to construct a visual and conceptual narrative that mirrors my research in Asia, reversing the trajectory of colonial-era species movement to understand its lasting consequences.” Robert Zhao Renhui
Jessica Ostrowicz, Artist in Residence at HMP Spring Hill, 2025
Ikon and the Rothschild Foundation announce Jessica Ostrowicz as Artist in Residence at HMP Spring Hill, Buckinghamshire until December 2025. The project further expands Ikon’s Art in Prisons programme, focused on the rehabilitative role of the visual arts in criminal justice.
Ostrowicz will deliver a programme of workshops, exhibitions and events from a new art studio within the prison estate. Previously Art Lecturer at HMP Bullingdon (2023 – 2025), Ostrowicz supported prisoners to find an artistic voice, giving them time, encouragement and skills to develop a visual mode of expression.
The Ikon residency at HMP Spring Hill gives Ostrowicz the opportunity to rethink what a studio can be: “A place of autonomy, experimentation and exchange is an incredible freedom in a carceral environment. I hope to create a space where art is not only seen as rehabilitative but critically and creatively [re]generative. Like caddis flies assembling their protective cases from gathered fragments, or birds weaving their nests, I hope this environment will be shaped by adaptation and resourcefulness; a place for drawing, painting, technique-building, constructing and reimagining, where experimentation is central and where both the men and I can explore new ways of making and thinking together.” Jessica Ostrowicz