Vision
LABA – Laboratory of Jewish Culture is an annual fellowship for up to 10 artists to study classical Jewish texts and explore contemporary Jewish creativity.
The Matanel Fellows: LABA Europa project, a collaboration between the Institute for Jewish Studies Barcelona and LABA Global, aims to establish three LABA hubs in Barcelona, Paris, and Warsaw, and three artist exchange programs across Europe through 2028.
Activity
The LABA Model
LABA – A Laboratory for Jewish Culture – is a creative fellowship that brings together artists from diverse disciplines and backgrounds to study classical Jewish texts, experiment, and reimagine the future of Jewish art and culture. Each LABA hub hosts an annual fellowship for up to 10 established artists and cultural practitioners in fields such as visual arts, writing, music, theater, dance, and more. In a vibrant and open environment, fellows engage deeply with the literary and philosophical traditions of Judaism, drawing inspiration to create new, boundary-pushing works.
The resulting artistic creations form a kind of contemporary Midrash, shared with the public through performances, exhibitions, and cultural events. LABA’s innovative model challenges conventional definitions of Jewish culture, using ancient texts to spark bold and original artistic expression.
The LABA Artist Exchange Program – Creative Journey along the European Routes of Jewish Heritage
To foster cross-hub collaboration, up to 10 alumni from LABA Europe fellowships will take part each year in a seven-day artist retreat hosted by one of the “LABA Europa” hubs. The journey, rooted in Jewish heritage landscapes, treats place as text, inspiring site-specific works that will be further developed and presented to the public in the following year.