The Backroom Foundation is a project founded by three friends: Claudia Owen, an art lover; John Swarbrooke, a gallerist; and José Sarmiento, an artist.

Departing from the traditional residency model, the foundation invites artists from all kinds of backgrounds and practices to spend time in the guesthouse for an experiential and experimental stay. They are encouraged to step away from producing and explore new possibilities for their work.

It is one of the Backroom Foundation’s core beliefs that a period spent leisurely, along with conversations among artists, curators, and collectors, can be vital for the artists’ next steps in their artistic exploration.

Through four cycles of visits, we have hosted the artists Santeri Tuori, Guillermo Martín Bermejo, Mikko Rikala, Claire Kerr, Grey Crawford, Nanna Hänninen, and Anna Sampson.