Reflections of Jena Jang
“During October, I stayed at Ping Pong Residency and managed my busiest schedule of the year, with ten performances, including events held at the residency itself. Using the residency as my base, I travelled to various cities, performed, and met a variety of people. With such an intense schedule, any free time was a welcome chance to rest at the residency, shop at the local supermarket, cook, work, and settle into a routine that felt like home. Through the welcome and farewell dinners, I felt the world of visual art coming back into my life.
After working in isolation for so long, struggling with a lack of results, I found that visual art, unlike performing arts and music, takes much longer to receive feedback. It reminded me that patience and long-term investment are key to this art form. Reflecting on how best to utilise my energy and growth over the decades ahead, I’ve started to plan projects around life stages in my 30s, 40s, and beyond.
I aim to gather diverse life experiences and stories, and eventually, with more established narratives, I plan to return to painting in an atelier or through long-term residencies, focusing on watercolour and acrylic gouache. I also envision creating music videos and sound visualisations through painted animation, potentially in collaboration with musicians. For now, however, I travel as a musician and performer (and sometimes as a dancer), drawing inspiration from meeting people and hearing their stories. Music has given me the opportunity to sustain my art practice and a sense of belonging in human society. I’m moving away from my former, solitary artist self and evolving into an open artist who breathes, connects, coexists, and listens to the world.
The residency at Ping Pong allowed me to gather my thoughts amid this dynamic time. It encouraged me to question my identity as an artist, what I have to contribute to the world, the stories I want to tell, and the impact I wish to make. Ping Pong offered me a quiet space to reflect on these questions and to recover from the physical demands of travel and performing. My final performance at Ping Pong Residency left me eager to collaborate with undiscovered artists.
For artists considering applying to Ping Pong Residency, I recommend it as an opportunity to engage with Berlin’s diverse cultural events, connect with local artists, and reflect on their own work, considering future directions.
