Chinese artist Wang Enlai, whose works are also featured at the exhibition, likewise says the residencies proved an eye-opening experience. He was granted the China Prize in 2015, when he was a master's student of sculpture at the Central Academy of Fine Arts.

"New experiences are very important. For artists, creation is based on what they see and what they hear. When life suddenly changes into a very different environment, it spurs new experiences and new stimuli," Wang says.

"Information is easily accessible today, but I think especially when we can smoothly access information, firsthand experience is more important — our senses, our encounters and our connections with other people."

After his initial residency in 2016, he went to France again in 2022 to prepare for his works to be showcased at the 2022 Yishu 8 exhibition centered on the artist residency at the Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts in Paris.

"The recognition of Yishu 8 prize by these two prestigious museums (Guimet and the National Art Museum of China) is crucial," Cayol says.

"It encourages us to continue building cultural, artistic and humanistic bridges. These are spaces of transition and exploration, where people can construct their own identities by getting closer to others.

"These bridges between China and France come to life through the artists. It is they who, in the silence of the studio, hold the future of our civilizations in their hands."