ISLA Instituto Superior Latinoamericano de Arte

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The Instituto Superior Latinoamericano de Arte, ISLA, is a cultural entity that since 2012 administers SACO, the biggest contemporary art festival of northern Chile.

The project started as an independent initiative from the SE VENDE Collective and under the direction of Dagmara Wyskiel and Christian Núñez, to answer the lack of cultural and artistic stimulus in this part of the country. The festival aims to create a permanent cell for critical thinking, creativity, and dialogue and plays a major role in the Chilean’s decentralization of culture.

The residency center is designed to support the investigation and production of creative works, and to connect its residents with local entities, agents, and universities, as well as international networks and institutions. It offers a space for the development of projects specially tailored for this region, with a special focus on ancestral sciences such as astronomy, archeology, geology, mining extractions, and the Atacama Desert, known to be the most arid of the world. 

Curators, artists, professors, academics, scientists, researchers, and any cultural agents may direct projects related to the territory, which includes sciences and technology, environmental issues, land art, and industrial development. It can also be related to its inhabitants, through pedagogical and sociocultural activities for the local communities.

Artists can apply for a two-weeks to one-month residency with shared rooms and work-spaces, access to the library and exhibition rooms, and will receive the help of the Institute in the realization of their projects. Residents may organize workshops, classes, conferences, exhibitions, expeditions, and open-talks with fellow artists.