Description & Background
Founded in 2019 by Bart and Paulina Bielecki, REC.ON Spain is an ecovillage and coliving art residency located in the picturesque, 10-house village of La Mata Bolaimi, nestled in the Sierra Maria-Los Vélez mountains of Andalusia. Serving as a pioneering model for rural revitalization, the initiative has transformed the 100-year-old buildings of a former goat farm into a creative sanctuary rooted in art, ecology, heritage, and conscious community.
Objectives
The residence aims to provide a peaceful, inspiring environment where creatives can slow down, find inspiration, and focus on their work while immersing themselves in mountain nature and a supportive, environmentally conscious community. REC.ON is designed to encourage artistic exploration, collaboration, and personal growth, inviting residents to create new work, explore local culture, and emerge with a deeper connection to their creative process. Grounded in ecological awareness, the platform works to revitalize local heritage and provide a space to reset, heal from burnout, and reconnect through mindfulness, simplicity, and serenity.
Programs / Opportunities
- Coliving Art Residency & Creative Work Space: Residency stays ranging from 4 weeks to 2 months (available from January to July and September to December), providing access to coliving apartments, coworking spaces for remote work, workshop facilities, and networking opportunities.
- Green SPOT: Dedicated space on the land at the foothills of the mountains for vans, small campervans, and RVs, tailored for mobile artists, travelers, and digital nomads looking to cowork, create, and chill.
- REC.ON Gallery: The first private art gallery in a rural area in Andalusia, located in a restored goat farm building and its surrounding grounds, dedicated to exhibiting and selling installations and wearable artwork created from recycled materials, while also supporting local artists.
- Community Activities: Opportunities for hiking, meditation, and participating in creative workshops, alongside ongoing water and soil regeneration initiatives.
Target Community
- Creators & Researchers: Visual artists, writers, musicians, dancers, photographers, researchers, journalists, curators, and PhD students from international backgrounds.
- Professionals & Travelers: Digital nomads, remote workers, entrepreneurial minds, travelers, and people looking to escape the rat race or heal from burnout.
- Local Partners: Local artists whose works are showcased and offered for purchase, as well as the neighborhood fabric and cultural landscape of the historic white towns of Velez Rubio and Velez Blanco.
