SPARK is a collaborative platform and exhibition space in Malmö with the purpose of strengthening the interface between architecture, art, research, and societal advancement. The aim is to promote artistic processes in architecture and urban development by activating intersections between the spatial and artistic disciplines.
SPARK presents work that provokes critical discourse on the built environment through explorative, experimental, trans- and interdisciplinary practices. SPARK is founded as a non-profit member association and collaborates with Lund University Department of Architecture and the Built Environment, Sveriges Arkitekter Skåne, Molekyl Gallery among others.
Current exhibition
Shu Wing Chung (HK)
Crafting Ecologies
10–25.10.2026
Opening Saturday 10 October 12–16
SPARK, Båstadsgatan 4, Malmö
In his first solo presentation in Scandinavia, Hong Kong-based cross-disciplinary spatial designer Shu Wing Chung (DOJO Studio) presents the outcomes of his 1-month residency at the Ifö Center in Bromölla, Sweden. Centered around the core proposition What if nature comes first?, the project explores how humans can rediscover a humble dialogue when confronting nature and industrial history.
In this creation, raw materials serve as vital mediums carrying an ecological philosophy of time. Through local sourcing, low energy use and manual methods, the artist blends raw earth, local soils, and natural organic fibers. He explored a local historical landfill to collect industrial ceramic waste, transforming these industrial ruins into aggregate for new construction. Using these materials, the artist crafted six micro-habitat pieces, designing entirely context-responsive interventions tailored to the distinct environmental conditions and microclimates of the landfill site, before finally placing them back into their original setting to complete a material loop.
First presented at Ifö Center Konsthall, the exhibition invited visitors to discover the more-than-human habitats in their environment. In the process of seeking out these six pieces, visitors simultaneously explore the natural landscape slowly recovering atop the ruins. As the sculptures naturally weather over time, become inhabited by organisms, and ultimately return to the earth, this journey guides viewers to re-examine the close connection between humanity and nature, embodying an ecological ethic that positions humans as an integral part of the natural network.
Paul Shu Wing Chung is a Hong Kong-based multidisciplinary practitioner operating at the intersection of architecture, digital fabrication, and ecological restoration. He was selected for the residency among more than 200 applicatants based on his project proposal which aimed to "transform the industrial history of [Ifö Center] and the Skåne region into a tangible, regenerative future." By employing local resources, his plan was to "develop a series of ecological infrastructures, modules acting as hybrid scaffolds that facilitate the colonization of native flora, effectively turning polluted industrial waterfronts into sites of active biological revival."
The SPARK selection committee found the project's different strands – reuse of material remnants, digital fabrication and ecological infrastructures – to be both forward-thinking and sensitive to the site and its industrial and geological heritage. With an impressive portfolio of realised projects in a similar vein of exploration, Shu wing Chungs proposal had an artistic and architectural potentiality that he fully explored during his residency at Ifö Center.
The SPARK residency programme 2026 at Ifö Center is funded by Region Skåne.
Find more information about Ifö Center (in Swedish)
SPARK residency 2026
We are overwhelmed by the interest and engagement generated by our open call for the SPARK 2026 residency at Ifö Center in Bromölla. In all, we received over 200 applications from qualified candidates. The selection process became challening with so many interesting proposals and artistic practices, but we are now happy to announce that have now selected and confirmed the residency with our final candidate.
Selected artist-in-residence: Paul Chung (HK)
The SPARK 2026 resident is Paul Chung. He is a Hong Kong-based multidisciplinary practitioner operating at the intersection of architecture, digital fabrication, and ecological restoration.
Paul's proposed project aims to "transform the industrial history of [Ifö Center] and the Skåne region into a tangible, regenerative future. I intend to perform a material-driven experiment by synthesizing local industrial remnants—specifically foundry sand and ceramic waste—with geological materials like raw clay and agricultural fibers. By employing these local resources, I plan to develop a series of floating ecological infrastructures. These modules will act as hybrid scaffolds that facilitate the colonization of native flora, effectively turning polluted industrial waterfronts into sites of active biological revival."
"Through this residency, I aim to push the boundaries of material symbiosis, exploring how digital manufacturing can collaborate with raw, 'imperfect' natural materials to create structures that adapt and grow over time. My goal is to transform the physical site of the residency into a living laboratory, translating the conflict between industrial output and natural resilience into a coherent, field-tested architectural proposal."
The SPARK selection committee found the project's different strands – reuse of material remnants, digital fabrication and ecological infrastructures – to be both forward-thinking and sensitive to the site and its industrial and geological heritage. With an impressive portfolio of realised projects in a similar vein of exploration, Paul Chungs proposal has an artistic and architectural potentiality that we look forward to seeing explored.
Updates from the residency will be posted on the website and social media.
SPARK would like to thank everyone who applied for the time and effort to formulate an idea and motivation for a project. We hope to be able to offer more possibilities for residency in Skåne in coming years, as this pilot will hopefully lead to the establishment of a recurring residency program focusing on the intersection of spatial practices, artistic research and material exploration.
The SPARK residency programme 2026 is funded by Region Skåne.
Find more information about Ifö Center (in Swedish)