At Tante Martine

On Friday 22 November, Vvzela Kook presented her work and the research she carried out during her residencies at Yishu 8 in Paris and Maison Flottante in Poses, in November 2024.

To mark the occasion, she created a series of watercolour drawings during her trip. From Hong Kong to Paris via London, she is interested in the links between the shape of zoos and that of prisons in relation to the importation of exotic animals. Drawing inspiration from reality, she is interested in the way in which animals are inserted into settings that mimic their original habitats. Through the impact of colonisation, she questions our relationship with the living beings that surround us and our impact on them.

Yishu 8 & partners

Find out more about the residence of Vvzela Kook

Yishu 8, a creative platform
In Beijing, YISHU 8 is housed in the former Franco-Chinese University founded in 1920 by Cai Yuanpei, Sun Yatsen’s Minister of Education, just outside the Forbidden City.
The Maison des arts Yishu 8 is an artists’ residence that hosts exhibitions, conferences and concerts, raising public awareness of contemporary art and a certain art of living, and where the two cultures, French and Chinese, have become accustomed to meeting.
In Paris, YISHU 8 inaugurated Chez Tante Martine, a space for conversations and meetings bringing together young artists, designers, art lovers and authors in residence, to offer moments of discovery in the intimate setting of a Parisian flat.
In Beijing, as in Paris, YISHU 8 creates high-quality exchanges, unique artistic creations, eclectic cultural programming and innovative Franco-Chinese projects.

Partners
This residency is part of a joint project initiated by Videotage - art centre in Hong Kong, the cneai = and the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macao.
The artist will spend two weeks at the Maison Flottante at cneai = and two weeks at the YiShu8 reception space in Paris - an art centre between Paris and Beijing.
{Videotage} {Consulat général de France à Hong Kong et Macao} {YiShu8}