Overview
Nurtured by artist, curator, educator, and publisher Tracy Mackenna alongside a team of international associates, The Museum of Loss and Renewal is an independent art project, residency platform, and publishing initiative. Originating in 2011 (and formalized in its current residency model in 2017), the initiative operates across two primary geographic hubs: the rural village of Collemacchia in the Molise region of Italy (situated within the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise) and the historic coastal village of Birsay in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. Rather than accumulating physical objects, the project functions as a growing collection of shared experiences, creative retreats, and artist publications.
Objectives
The Museum of Loss and Renewal aims to stimulate space and time for individuals to generate, test, and share thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Prioritizing attentiveness, unhurried working, care, and meaningful exchange, the initiative seeks to offer a vehicle for considering how to lead a more balanced life. Through self-directed and themed residency models, publishing activities, and community integration, the project strives to facilitate cross-disciplinary co-learning, practice-based research, and critical feedback without the pressure of forced production.
Programs / Opportunities
- Individual Self-Directed Residencies:
- Collemacchia, Italy: Flexible-length, self-directed stays (May–October) offering uninterrupted time, informal mentoring, and local community integration.
- Orkney Islands, Scotland: Self-directed stays based at “Robbie’s Hoose,” a historic oceanfront wooden cottage in Birsay.
- Themed Group Residencies (AIR): Structured, multidisciplinary group programs for up to nine international participants:
- Place, People and Time (Italy): Group stays focusing on site-responsive research, history, and collaborative practice.
- Air, Sea and Soil (Orkney): Group stays exploring natural, archaeological, and environmental themes.
- Guided Creative Retreats: Balanced programs combining guided workshops, deceleration, and personal time in both Italy and Orkney.
- Publishing Activities: Production and distribution of artist books, multiples, and printed matter exploring the relationships between text, image, and language.
Target Community
- Multidisciplinary Creatives & Scholars: International and domestic artists, curators, researchers, writers, composers, educators, and scholars across all creative disciplines seeking space for focus, research, or deceleration.
