"The LOA residency has delivered exactly what I expected from it: Inspiration and lasting behavioral changes in the artistic creative process. As I normally "commute" between my everyday life in the big city of Berlin and concert tours, I never had the special situation of being on the road professionally without having to play concerts. The professional, i.e. creative mood meant that it wasn't a vacation, but rather a self-defined goal: to find spiritual space in order to be able to explore new creative paths. Through the inspiration of nature, which is truly incredible, and the word is not really enough, I was able to experience myself anew and go back to my childhood roots. At these roots, seemingly aimless play comes first. Mind games, character games, nature games and piano games. Everything came together during these special weeks. Thank you and thank you to Oliver, Eva and all the other scholarship holders who shared their mind games with me."

Pianist
Andreas Kern, a native of South Africa, is an internationally acclaimed concert pianist and music innovator. He studied piano in Cologne and Berlin and has performed as a soloist and chamber musician worldwide.
He is renowned for his creative concert formats that make classical music accessible to new audiences. He developed the TV show Arte Lounge and founded the Piano City festival, which takes place in multiple cities worldwide. His concert format Piano Battle captivates audiences across Europe, Asia, and the United States.

"Loa Residence, you’ve spoiled me. Thank you for the inspiration, the peace, the light, the conversations with fellow artists, and the deep creative focus I didn’t even know I was missing. I’ll be comparing everything to you from now on—and nothing else will come close. Would stay again. And again. And again. (Please let me come back—I think I left a piece of my soul at the bottom of the pool.)"

Author, Screenwriter
Burkhardt Wunderlich is a German author and screenwriter whose works are deeply influenced by personal experiences. His book "Durchgekommen" was published in 2000 and received significant attention. He also wrote the screenplay for the film "Der Russe ist einer, der Birken liebt".
Wunderlich’s style is direct and emotional, with a strong focus on developing compelling and authentic characters.
During his residency, he will be working on a new screenplay.

"Avelan is a charming place that creates space for free thinking. The LOA Artist Residency program provided us with the opportunity to slow down, focus, and experience the most beautiful spaces and perspectives for new inspiration. A true gift."

Constantin Lieb works as a freelance writer and dramaturge in Berlin. His work on the series Eden (directed by Dominik Moll) earned him, among other honors, the Grimme Award. His film adaptation of Erich Kästner's novel Fabian: Going to the Dogs (directed by Dominik Graf) competed in the 2021 Berlinale and won several German Film Awards. Together with Heide Schwochow, he co-hosts the podcast "Filmskript – Über das Drehbuchschreiben" for the German Film Academy. In 2024, he was a fellow at Villa Aurora in Los Angeles. During the LOA Artist Residency, he will develop a feature film with Sophia Lohmann.

"My stay in Avelan was shaped by the intense and awe-inspiring natural experience of the Luberon and the magical atmosphere of the place. The LOA Artist Residency provided ideal conditions for focused and inspired work, allowing me to prepare for upcoming projects. Merci beaucoup!"

Painter
Daniel Mohr (*1976, Bad Hersfeld) is a German artist known for his fragmented and form-dissolving paintings. He studied philosophy and cultural studies at Humboldt University and fine arts at the University of the Arts Berlin under Georg Baselitz, where he graduated as a master student in 2005.
Mohr’s works explore perception and the relationship between humans and nature, often balancing between abstraction and figuration. His work is exhibited internationally and included in public collections. He lives and works in Berlin.
During his residency, he will focus on plein air landscape painting.
Photo credit: Oliver Mark

Aryan Hamedanipour: "Avelan is a unique place – full of new colors and sounds that have enriched my life. It gave me the opportunity to meet other artists, perform several concerts at Hotel Coquillade, and grow personally. None of this would have been possible without the amazing team behind this project."

Soprano + Guitarist
Duo Lunate is where voice and guitar meet in a quiet conversation—sometimes tender, sometimes bold, always searching. Angelina Heine and Aryan Hamedanipour, students of the Hanns Eisler Hochschule für Musik in Berlin, weave a repertoire that spans centuries, breathing new life into the old and finding echoes of the past in the new. Each performance is a journey through sound and silence, where every note holds a story and every pause leaves room for wonder.

"The nature, the house, the walks—all of this allowed me to focus solely on my writing. What a gift! And then, the encounters with the other fellows have enriched me for the long term. Thank you!"

Author, Literary Editor, Cultural Journalist
Enrico Ippolito is a writer, journalist, and co-editor of Delfi. Magazin für neue Literatur. His debut novel, Was rot war, was published in 2021 and was nominated for the Rauriser Literaturpreis. In spring 2024, the Slovak translation was released by Literarna Basta. He has published various short stories, including Hunde in the anthology Das Wetter (2023). In the winter semester of 2024/25, he will be teaching the seminar Kurzprosa at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna.

During his residency, he will be working on his second novel, a queer love story with horror elements.
Photo credit: Tobias Brust

“That Avelan is breathtakingly beautiful and that an extended stay there is extraordinarily generous is something you don’t need to tell anyone who has merely seen it in photos. But there’s more to it: In a residency program, the best-case scenario is that you gain not only from your own finally focused work, but also from the time spent with people who were previously strangers. Regardless of age, it’s beneficial to be thrown back, even briefly, into a shared living situation. In the social negotiation processes, everyone learns something—often even about themselves. Those who are open to that will be rewarded with lots of fun and new friendships. That’s how it was for us in April 2025, and I’m very grateful for it.”

Author
Eva Menasse (*1970, Vienna) is an Austrian writer and former journalist. She studied German literature and history and wrote for publications such as Profil and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
She made her literary debut in 2005 with the novel Vienna, followed by works like Quasikristalle (2013) and Dunkelblum(2021). Her books have received numerous awards, including the Heinrich Böll Prize and the Austrian Book Prize.
Menasse lives in Berlin and served as the spokesperson for PEN Berlin from 2022 to 2024. During her residency, she will be working on a new narrative text.
Photo credit: Wolf-Dirk Skiba

"Staying at the Avalon Residence was but a dream. Coming from an upbringing surrounded by nature, and now finding myself in Berlin, it was the exact kind of environment that I was able to really centre myself in and ultimately reconnect with the simpler things that fill me with so much inspiration - the nature, the tranquility, the sounds, the connection. Everything. Staying with 5 other individuals, all from different walks of life and practises of artistic mediums, created a unique environment that had its impact on my approach to working. My experience was set in the beautiful atmosphere that the rolling hills of the Luberon Provence provided, alongside the unforgettable residence we were housed in, but furthered by the moments of exchange, connection, cooking, drinking, and laughing, arguing, and being, with the others that were also embarking on this beautiful residency program."

Musician
Expressions World is a creative studio dedicated to conceptualizing ideas, facilitating, directing, and executing creative visions, as well as curating and producing artistic projects.
Founded by Dhanesh Jayaselan & Noah Slee, Expressions World focuses on contemporary artistic culture, music, visual media, and audiovisual productions, while honoring the cultural heritage of both directors and their aesthetic-driven perspective.
During their LOA residency, Expressions World will work on developing music, performance concepts, and the extended creative vision for their project "A Song For You." Additionally, they will further explore the directorial and curatorial work that defines Expressions World.

"LOA Artist Residency is a real gem, tailored by coordinator Eva and the owner Oliver to suit the needs of primarily musicians and writers. A fantastic opportunity which for me came at the right moment to advance with my feature film screenplay in the most beautiful and comfortable home, stunning natural surroundings, its sounds, colors and air. It was such a match-making sharing the space with other artists with whom I had deep and meaningful conversations, while cooking home meals as well as during other activities: a taste of local markets, restaurants, wine and gratis hotel spa and pools. I felt I could stay there for a while longer and until finishing my screenplay. It was definitely hard to leave!"

Author, Director, Producer
Katarina Stanković (*1982) is a Serbian filmmaker and visual artist. She studied audiovisual arts in San Francisco and Amsterdam and completed a master’s degree in film at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne and the Film University Babelsberg.Her short and medium-length films have been screened at international festivals such as the Berlinale and Locarno, receiving multiple awards. She is also an alumna of the Sarajevo and Berlinale Talent Campuses.
During her residency, she will be working on her feature film debut, Against the Day.

"My time at the LOA Residency was breathtakingly beautiful and deeply inspiring. Surrounded by the stunning landscape of southern France, I had the freedom, time, and peace to fully focus on my own projects. The atmosphere was shaped by mutual inspiration – from nature as well as from the wonderful artists I had the privilege to share this time with. Days were calm and creative, and in the evenings, new ideas, conversations, and future collaborations emerged around the dinner table. Never forget."

Author, Theater Director
Lena Brasch, born in 1993 in Berlin-Pankow, is a German author and director. Between 2009 and 2019, she worked as an assistant director and dramaturge at various Berlin theaters, including the Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, the Deutsches Theater, and the Berliner Ensemble. She then worked as a literary agent and published essays and short stories in various anthologies.
She made her directorial debut in January 2022 with the production "It's Britney, Bitch!" at the Berliner Ensemble. Based on monologues, the production explored emancipation in the theater and entertainment industry, using Britney Spears' biography as a framework to question patriarchal structures in society. In 2024, she directed Michel Friedman's lyrical autobiography "Fremd" at the Maxim Gorki Theater, engaging with Jewish identity and Germany's post-war history. In May 2024, she staged "Spielerfrauen" at the Berliner Ensemble, a play that examines the glamorous world of professional sports as well as the personal struggles and challenges faced by players' wives.
Lena Brasch's latest play, "Brasch – Das Alte geht nicht und das Neue auch nicht", premiered on February 21, 2025, at Studio Я of the Maxim Gorki Theater in Berlin.
Lena Brasch lives and works in Berlin.
During her residency, she will be working on a novel.
Photo credit: Tassilo Rüster

“Those were three moving weeks. A wonderful place—in the most literal sense. I worked every day, from morning until late at night. Always with the sound of singing birds in my ears and the scent of colorful fields in my nose. Even gray rain is beautiful in the Luberon. I prepared concerts, started a film score, escaped the chaos of releasing a new record, and ate far too much good bread. Never once got a headache from the wine or champagne. I tasted another, lighter life, and now, looking back full of longing, there’s only one word on my mind: THANK YOU!”

Musician, Composer
Malakoff Kowalski, born as Aram Pirmoradi on June 21, 1979, in Boston, USA, is a German-American-Persian musician, composer, and producer. Raised in Hamburg, his work spans studio albums, film, and theater compositions. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung describes his music as "slow-paced, intimate, with gravity and depth, somewhere in the no-man’s-land between classical-romantic or even older traditions and the free inspiration of an improviser."Following a multi-year solo piano trilogy, his most recent album, "Songs With Words," pairs sung poems by Allen Ginsberg with classical piano pieces performed by Igor Levit, Johanna Summer, and Chilly Gonzales.
He has lived in Berlin since 2007. During his LOA residency, Malakoff Kowalski will focus on new film music and the program for upcoming concerts.
Photo credit: Julija Goyd

"When I look back on my two weeks at the LOA residency, it almost feels unreal. I’d never been to the Luberon, and since photos somehow don’t do it justice, I wasn’t prepared for the beauty of the place. The food, the fields, the wine, the weather—and Villa Avelan, which is an ideal space to settle in and write, in community with brilliant fellow artists. The whole experience feels like a dream that I’m longing to repeat."

Author, Literature Professor
Matthew Burgess is a poet, professor, editor, and children’s book author. He has written thirteen books for young people, a poetry collection, and a short film. Matthew also edited an anthology of visual art and writing titled Dream Closet: Meditations on Childhood Space, as well as a collection of essays titled Spellbound: The Art of Teaching Poetry. An Associate Professor at Brooklyn College, Matthew lives in Berlin and New York City. While attending the LOA residency, he will be deveoping a manuscript of poems as well as a picture book biography.

"The LOA residency granted me the opportunity to reconnect with the Earth as a source of inspiration. Surrounded by idyllic landscapes and a community of warm, brilliant artists, I deepened my artistic vision in a joyful and unexpected way. In Avelan, my inner voice became clearer each day, and I felt my body relax while also growing stronger, in order to better serve the music. I am deeply grateful to the foundation for this truly transformative experience."

Pianist, Composer
Mélodie Zhao (*1994, Switzerland) is a pianist and composer. She started playing the piano at the age of two and completed her studies in Geneva and Berlin. Her extraordinary talent brought her to the international stage early on—at 13, she recorded Chopin’s 24 Études, and at 19, all of Beethoven’s sonatas. She has performed as a soloist with renowned orchestras and conductors worldwide.
Beyond classical music, she composes chamber and orchestral works as well as film scores. In 2019, she founded the ensemble Bluefire. Her extensive discography includes recordings of Chopin, Liszt, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Haydn, and Mozart. Additionally, she is active on social media, blending classical music with modern formats, and founded the SPECTRUM CLASSIC-ELECTRONIC FESTIVAL.
Photo credit: Merien Morey

"The time I got to spend in Avelan, filled with poppies, oaks and wine, was a very special Spring present. The pages I wrote there still carry the warmth of the stone walls after a day of sun and the exceptional sense of freedom that a bike ride down the Bonnieux hill can bring. I am thankful for precious encounters with new friends, and for an overall unique time."

Author

Raphaëlle Red, born in 1997 in Paris and raised in Berlin, is a writer and scholar. She studied social sciences in France before turning to literary writing. Red writes in French, English, and German, and her German-language prose has been published in various anthologies.In 2024, her debut novel Adikou was released, first in French and later in its German translation. Most recently, she conducted research and taught at Freie Universität Berlin, focusing on contemporary literature of the African diaspora.
During her residency, she will be working on a new novel.
Photo credit: Adeline Rapon

"The time in Avelan was characterized by a unique rhythm, allowing writing to unfold in all directions. The house, the landscape, the light, and the absence of everyday life provided both a complete focus zone and many carefree days. A very special place, with many quiet factors of vitality."

Sophia Lohmann works as a freelance writer and researcher in Berlin. She studied Comparative Literature, Political Science, and Cultural Studies in Berlin and Edinburgh. Following roles at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt and as editorial director of the print magazine ROM – Gesellschaftsmagazin, she is currently completing her doctoral thesis on "Essayism as a Practice of Intervening Writing" in the work of American female authors. In addition, she is working on a collection of essays and, since 2023, has been developing film concepts and screenplays with Constantin Lieb.

"Avelan is a magical place where inspiration can be found everywhere – but it doesn't impose itself; rather, it gently offers itself. The artist may choose to pick it – or not. The surrounding villages offer authentic Provençal panoramas, and the property and its amenities promise cozy evenings for the artists to come together, where ideas, aesthetics, philosophy, or music for example can arise simply through encounter. This residency program is both artistically and spiritually wholesome – and, to be honest, necessary."

Author
Tomer Dotan-Dreyfus, born in 1987 in Haifa, Israel, is a writer and translator who works in both Hebrew and German. He studied philosophy and comparative literature in Berlin, Vienna, and Paris. He works as a freelance author, poet, and translator. In his literary works, Dotan-Dreyfus explores themes such as identity, language, and Jewish history. His 2023 novel Birobidzhan was nominated for the German Book Prize and won the Blogger Prize for Literature as the best debut novel of 2023.
In addition to his writing, he translates German literature into Hebrew and is actively involved in literary projects that promote intercultural dialogue. Dotan-Dreyfus lives in Berlin with his daughter.