La Wayaka Current is an artist-led organisation working at the intersection of ecology, local knowledge, and contemporary creative practice. Founded in 2015, we have curated site-responsive residencies and interdisciplinary research programs in ecologically significant regions, with a strong focus between Latin America and the UK.
Our work supports critical, place-based engagement through collaborations with over 400 artists and cultural practitioners from more than 50 countries, in dialogue with local knowledge, ecosystems, and Territories.
Our work unfolds through residencies, exhibitions, public programs, and collective research developed in connection to local ecosystems and contexts. We foster experimentation, reflection, and new ways of relating—centering plural perspectives and alternative knowledge systems.
As an award-winning cultural initiative with internationally recognised programs, La Wayaka Current has earned a strong reputation for supporting artists at the forefront of ecological and interdisciplinary practice over the last decade. As an artist-led, independently-run cultural project we have been awarded grants and support from international funding bodies including Arts Council England and OCA Norway and we are a member of Res Artis - Worldwide Network of Arts Residencies.
Our work supports critical, place-based engagement through collaborations with over 400 artists and cultural practitioners from more than 50 countries, in dialogue with local, Indigenous perspectives and cultures.
Our Team
Founders:
Sofie Iversen (UK/Norway) – (b.Hexham, UK) 1991 Artist, co-founder
Victor Fernandez Lenis (Chile/Colombia) – (b. Caracas, Venezuela 1985) Artist & Musician, co-founder
Residency Facilitators (Present and past):
Paloma Rojas, Designer Artist (Chile), Gabriel Zavala, Musician (Chile), Macarena Reydet Artist (Chile), Eduardo Seymur Audiovisual and Photographer (Chile), Luz Peuscovich, Artist (Argentina), Emily Colipi, Artist (UK / Chile), Jose Canepa, Artist (UK / Chile), Teresa Sata, Artist (Chile)
Community Collaborators (Present and past):
Sandra Flores, Guardian of Herds and Land (Likan Antay, Chile), Carlos Vega Guardian of Ancestral Knowledge (Likan Antay, Chile), Gladys Arosemena, Craft Knowledge Holder and Indigenous Artist (Guna Yala, Panama), Ignacio Crespo (Indigenous Biologist and Conservationist Guna Yala, Panama)
La Wayaka Current is supported by a network of collaborators, cultural practitioners, and local knowledge holders who have shaped our work in the field.
Artists & Alumni
Since 2016 have worked with over 400 artists from 50 countries, ranging from emerging to established practitioners, across our residencies in the Arctic, Tropic, and Desert, fostering creative exploration at the intersection of art, ecology, and place-based knowledge. For more information about past and current artists-in-residence, please visit our social accounts, where we share regular updates and projects.
La Wayaka Current is an independent platform connecting local and international creative practices across diverse territories.
Our work has been shared through exhibitions, talks, and collaborations with institutions and cultural partners including:
Västerås Art Museum (Sweden), Guest Projects (London), University of the Arts London, Institute of Latin American Studies (ILAS, University of London), Royal College of Art (London), and others.
Through our programs, we foster dialogue between artistic practice, ecology, and place — creating connections across the UK, Latin America, and beyond.
Talks, Exhibitions & Public Outcomes
Residency Program Engagement
As part of our site-responsive approach, La Wayaka Current has engaged with a range of local and international organisations through visits, collaborations, and shared dialogue linked to our residency programs.
These encounters have enriched the experience for both residents and hosts, fostering interdisciplinary exchange across ecological, cultural, and scientific fields.
Past engagements have indcluded coordinated visits, activities and collaborations with the Sámi Center for Contemporary Art (Norway), ALMA Observatory (Chile), NGO Yaug Galu Turtles (Panama), Ecored Likan Antay (Atacama), among others.
LOCATIONS:
DESERT 23°S. ATACAMA, CHILE
ARCTIC CIRCLE 70°N, NORWAY
TROPIC 08°N, PANAMA & COLOMBIA
PATAGONIA VERDE 43°S
PRESS, MEDIA FEATURES & COLLABORATIONS:
in the worlds driest desert, ANCIENT WISDOM BLOOMS ETERNAL - THE NEW YORK TIMES
A new exhibition by Rae Begley reflects on Earth as a living organism - THE GUARDIAN
Forming Creative Communities Around The Dinner TablE - THE EARTH ISSUE
ARTISTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE- best ART SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES IN CHILE
LIQUID SKY WELCOME TO PLANET B - ARS ELECTRONICA
Desert by Design: Creative Minds, Arid Places, Tailor-Made Spaces
Support & Awards:
Artists participating in our residencies have received support from a range of international organisations, foundations, and cultural institutions — reflecting the global network and reach of our programs. We are very grateful to those who have supported and continue to support artists to work with us including:
Arts Council England, Arts Council Wales, British Council, Glasgow School of Arts, Royal College of Art, London, Crafts Council UK, University of Gloucestershire, School of Art & Design, University of Huddersfield, OCA Norway, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Norway, Danish Arts Foundation, Swedish Film Institute, Swedish Authors Fund, Copenhagen Institutue of Interaction Design, Italian Arts Council, Flanders State of the Arts Belgium, Croatian Arts Council, Finnish Cultural Foundation, Samuel Huber Art Foundation Finland, National Endowment for the Arts USA, Arizona State University, AlaskaState Council for the Arts, Canadian Council for Arts, Arts South Austraila, Helpmann Academy Australia, National Arts Council Singapore, Arts Council Taiwan.
