Chilean artist Jotapé in residence in Lorient: when South American muralism « (re)weaves » bridges with Brittany

Chilean artist Jotapé in residence in Lorient: when South American muralism « (re)weaves » bridges with Brittany

From September 29 to November 14, 2026, the Université Bretagne Sud and Galerie Jumble are hosting Chilean muralist Jotapé in residence. A conference, participatory workshops, exhibitions, and encounters will punctuate several weeks centered on creation and cross-cultural dialogue.

The Université Bretagne Sud and Galerie Jumble are welcoming Chilean muralist Juan Pablo Gatica, known as Jotapé, for an artistic residency built around encounter and collective creation. Jotapé’s work draws on his Latin American roots, on humanity and its beliefs, on resilience and change, but also on its contradictions.

The artist, originally from Viña del Mar, a Chilean coastal city, will engage with the residents of another coastal city, Lorient, from September 29 to November 14, 2026, through an artistic residency titled: « Muralism in Action: (Re)Weaving Bridges Through Art! »

Some people dig trenches or build walls. Others build bridges, woven from solidarity and a shared sense of purpose that preserves our differences. Chilean muralist Jotapé breathes new life into the idea of « us » through participatory art accessible to all — a vehicle for social cohesion and multicultural dialogue.

An engaged artistic dialogue between Chile and Brittany

For the past five years, artist Jotapé has been forging strong artistic ties between Chile and Brittany through poetic, participatory works. These creations reflect a warm welcome, a genuine cross-cultural dialogue, and mutual interest between Brittany and Spanish-speaking America.

His work is deeply rooted in the region: his murals brighten schools across the Morbihan department, including the Contacts mural at the Faculty of Arts in Lorient and the Bara Gwin mural at Lycée Dupuy de Lôme in Lorient, as well as works in Questembert and Pontivy.

Two new works are also planned: on the M.U.R. wall in Fougères in late September 2026, and a mural project at the University of Lorient in spring 2027.

Art as a tool for bringing people together: True to the tradition of muralism, Jotapé champions a deeply human vision of art — one rooted in sharing, encounter, reflection, and collective civic participation.

A program rich in encounters and discovery

The residency will open on September 29, 2026, with the first evening of the 2026–2027 Planète Conférence series, organized by UBS in partnership with Galerie Jumble.

Titled « From the Street to the Gallery, » this talk will trace the artist’s journey — from his earliest interventions on the walls of Valparaíso, a UNESCO World Heritage site, to his work in Brittany and, eventually, the presentation of his works in galleries.

Drawing on his own experience, the conference will also open up a broader reflection on the evolution of urban art — its transition from public space to galleries and cultural institutions — and on the ties that have gradually formed between street art, artists, collectors, and audiences.

Over the following weeks, several exhibitions will offer a window into Jotapé’s world through his original works, reproductions of his murals, and various materials documenting his artistic approach.

Participatory workshops and guided visits will also bring together students, university staff, young workers, seniors, and high school students around the artist and his work.

Four venues to discover Jotapé’s world

From October 5 to 15, 2026, three venues belonging to the Université Bretagne Sud and the Les Grands Larges residence will display works and mural reproductions by the artist:

• Faculty of Arts, Languages, and Humanities & Social Sciences (4, rue Jean Zay – Lorient)
• Faculty of Sciences & Engineering Sciences (SSI) (2, rue Le Coat Saint-Haouen – Lorient)
• Les Grands Larges residence in Lorient (25, avenue du Général de Gaulle – Lorient)

From October 16 to November 14, 2026, Galerie Jumble, a Lorient gallery specializing in contemporary urban art, will take over, presenting a selection of Jotapé’s original works in its showroom.

Together, these venues will form an artistic trail inviting the public to move between spaces, discover, exchange, and, in their own way, help build new bridges between generations and cultures.

The exhibition will then travel to Pontivy in November 2026, and on to the Université Rennes 1 starting in February 2027.

A collective project

Led by the Faculty of Arts, Languages, and Humanities & Social Sciences, the Faculty of Sciences & Engineering Sciences, the Les Grands Larges residence, the Alliance Emerge, the Service Culture et Vie des Campus, the UBS Foundation, the DRAC Bretagne (French Ministry of Culture’s regional office), Galerie Jumble, and Human’Arte, this project reflects a shared commitment to strengthening ties between the university, its partners, and the region through art, culture, and education.

A residency in which muralism becomes a space for encounter, transmission, and dialogue between cultures.