Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia — August 2025 — OIR Art Hub is pleased to announce the successful completion of its International Residency Program and the Essence Performance Art Project during July and August 2025. Both initiatives continue to strengthen Mongolia’s role as a platform for intercultural dialogue, artistic innovation, and creative exchange.

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This summer, OIR Art Hub welcomed Chrisel Attewell as our international artist-in-residence. Her residency in Mongolia opened new opportunities for cross-cultural collaboration and artistic research, bridging landscapes and narratives from the Southern Hemisphere to the steppes of Central Asia.

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During the residency program, OIR Art Hub organized a series of creative activities together with guest artist Chrisel Attewell, including:

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• Essence Performance Art Camp – Mandal Camp, Tuv aimag
  A week-long artistic retreat where Mongolian and international artists explored performance in dialogue with nature, exchanging ideas and practices in an immersive environment.

• Art Program at the Yanzaga Children’s Camp
  Interactive workshops and activities designed to inspire creativity among children, encouraging them to engage with art as a tool for imagination, play, and self-expression.

• Art and Nature Discovery Trip
  A performance-based research journey with local nomads and Japanese tourists, highlighting the profound relationship between people, nature, and artistic expression.

• “Far and Wide” Intercultural Presentation and Dialogue
  An open talk and presentation by Attewell, sharing insights about the African and Southern Hemisphere art worlds — their evolution, artists, and deep connections to land and history.

• “Earth is a Story We Inherit” Solo Exhibition
  A culminating presentation of Attewell’s works created and developed in Mongolia, South Africa, India, and Turkey, weaving together themes of land, memory, and human connection to the natural world.

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The Essence Performance Art Project, now in its second year, continues to foster dynamic collaboration between Mongolian and international artists, offering a vital platform for experimentation, performance, and cultural development.

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Celebrating creativity through performance, the project embraces the beauty of nature and the nomadic spirit across the breathtaking landscapes of Mongolia. Here, freedom thrives in the vast steppes, majestic mountains, and endless deserts. Artists dance and perform as if intricately woven into the fabric of the universe, deeply connected to this earth. In every movement, they recognize Mother Earth’s consciousness — reflected in her elements, energy, and the vast expanse of creation. Their expressions resonate with the rhythm of nature, celebrating the profound bond we share with the world around us.

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This year’s participants of the Essence Performance Art Project included Aurélie Cornaz (Switzerland), Chrisel Attewell (South Africa), Munkh-Erdene Munkhzorih (Mongolia), and Ulziibat Enkhtur (Mongolia).

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With these programs, OIR Art Hub reaffirms its commitment to cultivating international artistic exchange, supporting emerging and established artists, and contributing to Mongolia’s growing presence in the global contemporary art scene.