ASCOLI AND MORBÁN FIRST ARTISTS OF NEW LONDON RESIDENCY

The Jorge M. Pérez Collection and El Espacio 23, in partnership with London-based nonprofit organization Delfina Foundation, announced the selection of artists Hellen Ascoli (Guatemala City, Guatemala, 1984) and José Morbán (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 1987) as the inaugural recipients of the newly established Residency for Latin American and Caribbean Artists, and USA-based Diaspora Artists.

The initiative provides fully funded residencies in London, and is intended to create new opportunities for artists to deepen their practice, expand their professional networks and engage in meaningful cultural exchange. Following an open call in February 2026, Ascoli and Morbán were selected as the program's first participants.

"Investing in artists means investing in new ways of understanding the world and each other," said Jorge M. Pérez, internationally recognized philanthropist, entrepreneur and founder of El Espacio 23. "Hellen and José are creating work that is deeply rooted in the histories and lived experiences of Latin America and the Caribbean while engaging with questions that resonate globally. We are proud to support them as they connect with new audiences, collaborators and ideas through this residency, and we look forward to seeing how those exchanges influence the next chapter of their practices."

Ascoli will undertake a twelve-week residency from September 21 to December 13, 2026, followed by Morbán, whose residency will take place from January 5 to March 25, 2027. During their time at Delfina Foundation, both artists will join an international cohort of practitioners, curators, and cultural leaders while engaging with the United Kingdom's artistic landscape through research, dialogue and professional exchange. They will also have opportunities to connect with curators and colleagues from the Jorge M. Pérez Collection and El Espacio 23, extending the program's network across Latin America, the Caribbean, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Born in Guatemala and currently based in Baltimore, Ascoli's multidisciplinary practice spans weaving, translation, education and facilitation. Deeply informed by questions of migration, language and knowledge production, her work explores how cultural memory and lived experience are transmitted across generations and communities. Ascoli's practice is both conceptually rigorous and socially engaged, and she has developed significant projects with incarcerated communities.

Morbán's practice draws upon archives, found photography and historical documents from the Dominican Republic, where he lives and works, to construct fictional narratives that revisit personal and collective histories. Through his work, he examines political power, its visual and physical expressions, and the role that media plays in shaping public memory. His research-driven approach explores themes of national identity, landscape and Caribbean diasporic experience.