In October 2026, the photographic artist Erola Arcalís will be a guest at the Reformationsgeschichtliche Forschungsbibliothek (RFB) in Wittenberg as part of the Passage Art Residency. The RFB is a partner in the KOBRA Wittenberg Cultural Network and is making its historical collections and premises available for the four-week residency as a space for artistic research and production.

Erola Arcalís was selected for the residency at the RFB from over 300 applications. Her multidisciplinary practice combines photography and writing and explores the formation of individual and collective memory. During her residency, she will use the library’s historical illustrations, diagrams and texts as a starting point to explore the role of images, literature and archives in the construction and transmission of knowledge and memory. She is particularly interested in representations that bring together concepts of nature, philosophy, spirituality and science. Inspired by Aby Warburg’s *Mnemosyne Picture Atlas*, she will establish connections between different representations of symbols and myths across various periods and geographical spaces. Based on this research, Arcalís will develop a new photographic work.

Since 2025, the Passage Art Residency Programme has been part of the KOBRA Cultural Network in Wittenberg. Together with ten network partners, Passage organises four-week residencies as part of the funding programme ‘Aller.Land – shaping the future together. Strengthening structures.’ The KOBRA partners contribute their diverse locations, archives, collections and perspectives to the residencies, enabling international artists to engage intensively with the landscapes, histories and cultural contexts of the Fläming and Dübener Heide regions.

Artist Talk with Erola Arcalís
29 October 2026, 6.00 pm

Venue: Research Library for the History of the Reformation (RFB), Wittenberg

The artist talk is designed as an open discussion. Erola Arcalís will provide insights into her artistic practice and her research in the RFB’s collections. Moderators: Dr Caecilia-Désirée Hein (RFB) and Jan Stradtmann (Passage).