The Place of Silence: New Artist Residency in Umbria's 1850 Villa

The Place of Silence, a new artist residency founded by Riccardo Freddo, opened in 2023 in a 1850 villa in the province of Perugia, Umbria. Freddo, an international contemporary art expert, aims to provide artists and musicians with a quiet, slow-paced environment for creative work, allowing them to bring their families and collaborators. The residency's first project culminated in a show for artist Ioana Maria Sisea at the Museo della Ceramica di Deruta. Freddo has curated exhibitions for artists such as Araminta Blue (Palazzo della Penna, Perugia), Herbert Golser (Palazzo Roveresco, Urbino), and Teodora Axente (St George's, Hanover Square, London). The residency is open to artists, curators, writers, musicians, and researchers, emphasizing personal voice over style or generation. Freddo plans to establish an international Advisory Board and, within five years, a second location in Japan, with a long-term goal of creating a foundation to archive works and memories of resident artists.