Left: Hellen Ascoli, photo by Margo Porres. Right: José Morbán, photo by Ignacio Alcántara.
Hellen Ascoli and José Morbán to Participate in fully funded London residencies designed to foster artistic development and cross-cultural exchange.
The Jorge M. Pérez Collection and El Espacio 23, in partnership with Delfina Foundation, are pleased to announce the selection of artists Hellen Ascoli and José Morbán as the inaugural recipients of the newly established Residency for Latin American and Caribbean Artists, and USA-based Diaspora Artists.
The initiative provides fully funded residences in London, and is intended to create new opportunities for artists to deepen their practice, expand their professional networks and engage in meaningful cultural exchange. Following an open call in February 2026, Ascoli and Morbán were selected as the programme’s first participants, reflecting the shared commitment between El Espacio 23 and Delfina Foundation to invest in the long-term development, support and visibility for artists worldwide.
‘Investing in artists means investing in new ways of understanding the world and each other,’ said Jorge M. Pérez, internationally recognised philanthropist, entrepreneur and founder of El Espacio 23. ‘Hellen and José are creating work that is deeply rooted in the histories and lived experiences of Latin America and the Caribbean while engaging with questions that resonate globally. We are proud to support them as they connect with new audiences, collaborators and ideas through this residency, and we look forward to seeing how those exchanges influence the next chapter of their practices.’
Ascoli will undertake a twelve-week residency from September 21 to December 13, 2026, followed by Morbán, whose residency will take place from January 5 to March 25, 2027. During their time at Delfina Foundation, both artists will join an international cohort of practitioners, curators, and cultural leaders while engaging with the United Kingdom’s artistic landscape through research, dialogue and professional exchange. They will also have opportunities to connect with curators and colleagues from the Jorge M. Pérez Collection and El Espacio 23, extending the programme’s network across Latin America, the Caribbean, the United States and the United Kingdom.
‘These residencies offer a transformational opportunity, not only for the artists but for us, the partnering organisation, and the UK, as host nation,’ said Aaron Cezar, Director of Delfina Foundation. ‘Delfina’s home for artists is located in Central London, just steps from Buckingham Palace. Through this partnership, we are excited to bring artists from Latin America and the Caribbean, like Hellen Ascoli and José Morbán, into close proximity with London’s cultural institutions, offering a platform where their voices can resonate further on an international stage. We look forward to the next open call, which will offer two more residency opportunities.’
Born in Guatemala and currently based in Baltimore, Ascoli’s multidisciplinary practice spans weaving, translation, education and facilitation. Deeply informed by questions of migration, language and knowledge production, her work explores how cultural memory and lived experience are transmitted across generations and communities. Ascoli’s practice is both conceptually rigorous and socially engaged, developing significant projects with incarcerated communities.
Morbán’s practice draws upon archives, found photography and historical documents from the Dominican Republic, where he lives and works, to construct fictional narratives that revisit personal and collective histories. Through his work, he examines political power, its visual and physical expressions, and the role that media plays in shaping public memory. His research-driven approach explores themes of national identity, landscape and Caribbean diasporic experience.
The residency reflects Jorge M. and Darlene Pérez’s broader commitment to supporting artists at pivotal moments in their careers. Through El Espacio 23, the Pérez Family Foundation and other philanthropic initiatives, the Pérez family invests in programs that foster international collaboration, strengthen cultural ecosystems and create lasting opportunities for artists to develop their practice and increase their global visibility.