Laura Caraballo, the first recipient of the "Paris XR Residency" artistic residency

Laura Caraballo is the very first recipient of the "Paris XR Residency," created by the Institut français du Canada in partnership with the cultural institution of the city of Paris, Forum des Images. She will be in residence in Paris, hosted by Universcience, a French public institution for the dissemination of scientific, technical, and industrial culture, from April 1 to 30, 2025, to develop her project "Déjeme Aquí."

Laura Caraballo is a self-taught interdisciplinary artist born in Bogotá and based in Calgary. Her work explores technology to reimagine and create interactive, sensory, physical, and virtual spaces that examine how we shape—and are shaped by—the spaces we inhabit. She explores various digital practices, such as 3D sculpture, VR, and multimedia installations. She views new media art as a powerful tool for cultural rescue, resilience, and preservation—especially for members of the diaspora—by creating accessible spaces for connection and knowledge sharing.

This new residency is part of the "Residences Ouest-Ouest" program, an initiative of the Institut français du Canada aimed at developing synergies between ecosystems and creators in France and Western Canada. It complements the annual "XR Fall" residency, created in 2022, which offers the opportunity for a French XR artist to undertake a residency in Vancouver.