Since 1994 renowned artists have passed through the Art Workshops, spending a coupe of weeks closely working with young artists from all over the world who come to Santander for this activity.
Juan Uslé, Gabriel Orozco, Juliâo Sarmento, Miroslaw Balka, Antoni Muntadas, Jannis Kounellis, Mona Hatoum, Paul Graham, Lothar Baumgarten, Tacita Dean, Carlos Garaicoa, Julie Mehretu, Joan Jonas, Carsten Höller, Cristina Iglesias, Martin Creed, Damián Ortega y Roni Horn are just some of the artists-directors that have worked with the Fundación Botín.
Workshop by YUKO MOHRI
Yuko Mohri will lead a workshop in Santander from June 1 to 10, 2026, titled Moré Moré (Leaky): Santander and organised by Fundación Botín.
Workshop by YUKO MOHRI
Yuko Mohri will lead a workshop in Santander from June 1 to 10, 2026, titled Moré Moré (Leaky): Santander and organised by Fundación Botín. Participants will first explore Mohri’s exhibition Entanglements at Centro Botín, which entail an ad-hoc bricolage and the “Beauty of Use” (to borrow Japanese philosopher Soetsu Yanagi’s term). For Yuko, finding beauty —its aesthetic value and meaning— in everyday, functional objects lies at the root of the artistic process.
The artist began collecting photographic documentation of areas damaged by water leaks (“Leaky Spots”) in Tokyo subway stations as part of her fieldwork between 2009 and 2021. Station staff resort to everyday objects —such as buckets, tarps, adhesive tape, bottles and even plastic umbrellas— to deal with groundwater leaks in the urban infrastructure. This process of DIY bricolage has been incorporated by Mohri into her own artistic practice.
It was in this context that her well-known series Moré Moré (Leaky) emerged, which is included in the exhibition and which participants will explore together with the artist. This series forms the basis of the workshop, which will be complemented by conversations, participatory activities and collaborative work.
Yuko Mohri (Kanagawa, Japan, 1980), lives and works in Tokyo.
Mohri pursued an interdisciplinary course of study in fine arts at the Tokyo University of the Arts and her work has stood out from the very beginning for its connection to sound and music. She is also known for her intricate and original compositions and was recently selected to represent Japan at the 60th Venice Biennale (2024). Inspired by Marcel Duchamp (1887–1968) and Alexander Calder (1898–1976), Mohri creates site-specific kinetic sculptures that incorporate found items, as well as reworked musical instruments connected to electronic circuits. Her work responds to imperceptible, transient, and ephemeral phenomena, such as gravity, magnetism, heat, and humidity. Random and unstable environmental elements—such as air, dust, debris, and temperature—shape her assemblages, transforming them into organic ecosystems where the sound component is central.
Workshop led by
Yuko Mohri
Dates
1-10 June, 2026.
Place
Fundación Botín and Centro Botín, Santander (Spain).
Schedule
From Monday to Friday, activities will take place from 12 pm to 5 pm, with access to a workspace from 10 am to 8 pm.
The final schedule will be defined during the workshop and will be adjusted to the daily activities proposed by Yuko Mohri.
Intended for
Musicians (with any level of skill, experience or musical genre), artists, and anyone who, regardless of their background, is interested in the creation of objects and collaborative work.
The workshop will be carried out in English, and participants are expected to commit to attending all sessions.
Materials
Fundación Botín will provide workspace and materials as per indicated by the workshop director. Participants will be informed in advance if there is any material they need to bring to the workshop
Support
Fundación Botín provides accommodation and breakfast to all participants who are not residents in Cantabria. In addition, each participant will also receive a stipend of 350 € as support for the cost of living expenses. This amount will be paid at the beginning of the workshop, after filling in and providing the necessary administrative data.
Selection
A maximum of 15 participants will be chosen by the director of the workshop. Fundación Botín will make the decision public, which shall be final.
Deadlines
Deadline for applications is April 10, 2026. The selected candidates will be contacted by Fundación Botín from April 30, 2026. All other candidates may consult the results on the website.
Required documentation
All applications must be submitted electronically in English, via https://fundacionbotin.org/en/grants-and-calls-for-applications/ or https://www.centrobotin.org/en/beca/taller-de-yuko-mohri-more-more-leaky-santander/
Please include the following in a single PDF (max. 4Mb):
- Valid National ID Card or Passport.
- Current address of residency and updated contact details (full name, place of residency, email, telephone number).
- An up to date biography.
- A short text (max. 1 page), which outlines the applicant’s interest and motivation in participating in
the workshop. - Documentation of recent work as well as information that allows knowing their abilities or areas of
expertise.
Confirmation of participation
Those selected must confirm their acceptance within the terms and forms indicated by Fundación Botín.
The reservation of a place will be considered formalised once a copy of the travel tickets to Santander that certify the participant’s travel plans on the dates of the workshop has been received.
The participants are responsible for the planning and financial underwriting of their travel to and from Santander.
Observations
The workshop will require creative openness, artistic skills, and collaborative work.
Candidates from all over the globe are encouraged to participate in this activity.
Please note that applications missing any of the required documents will not be considered.