blog

blog

This blog reflects different stages, different phases within the project

the virtual mapping

Now the last so called dialogue phase in the project has ended, it has been again very fruitful,  we had three very inspiring online talks according to the topic discrimination and artistic freedom, but also an audiowalk, one sculptural intervention  and the exhibition of the artworks of the iranian artists. Now Mana Mira travelled back to Iran and we are working of the release of the virtual mapping, in which all the art documents but also reflection elements should be accesable. It was a tricky and challenging work to bring all those parts together, to coordinate all the people who were involved, the research team, who is actually writing their articles, the participating artgroupes, the programmer Philipp and Claudia, the illustrator, and finally Bruno the composer. We all are working at full speed to finish the contents of the virtual archive. The release will be on June 24th but we will celebrate this online release with a program which will last 3 days, enabeling dialogues and lectures, with artists, scientists and interested audience. In a way this events are designed as a big get-together of all people who have been involved during the period of two years. I am very looking forward.

 

 

11.3.21One week left and the Iranian artist will come to Austria, I am very looking forward. What a long process of waiting, hoping that everything will go well.  The selected topic is very touching and full of dos and don´ts, close to taboos and for me the topic most demanding even in the preparation phase.  Now we designed a program to question the topic even here for our reserach and investigations. It was a pleasure to ask several artists here to partcipate, to think about representations, female discrimination, censorship and artistical freedom. Also again the Covid-restrictions and measurements have been a challenge what we can do, not do, dealing also with censorship in another sense. But this freedom of involving people, artists, scientists was so strong and as I can imagine also for Mana Mira to get in dialogue with other collegues in Iran to think about hidden topics through art, in her curatorial note at the hompage you can read more about her thoughts and motives. Anyway I hope you are also interested in particiapting, we will have an intervention in public space but also talks and exhibitions, audiowalks and workshops.

 

 

28.12.20 Now the realizaion in Villach is over . I was very glad that we decided finally to put all the meetings in the virtual space, it was a wise decision.... .  Due to the corona restrictions we had to do all of the meetings there, the so called events. We did them via zoom meetings. We had a huge amount of interested audience and participants especially at the -burning issues-evenings. But also the -helping hands- were inspiring and touching and gave me an insight what Ebad ment when he spoke about his idea to get rid of the definition of audience, instead creating spaces for encounter of thinking together, being together, reflecting together, planning together without seperation of the spectating and the producing side.  But I was also very happy that we decided to do not all things in the web- we risked to plan the exhibition and an intervention in the public space analog and due to the possibilitiy that galleries were allowed to open in the period of Mid of December, we could manage to create spaces for encounter and intervention also in the analog space. Especially the intervention with the title: IF WE ARE OPEN by Sheida Samyi in the shopwindows of the empty house at the Hans-Gasser-Platz was special and proper. But it was also fine to be hosted by Olivia Clementschitsch at her OFF SPACE of the Kunst Raum Villach. Rosalia and me were welcoming interested peole ( only one and one  and one, because of the regulations) there in the week of 15th and 21th of December and it was also finally a hub for me to create and think, reflect and write on the project. It was a perfect place to present the project and the work/films of Ebad according to the selected marginaized topic of refugees. A topic which became also very important here in Carinthia and Austria/ Europe to reflect our positions and responsibilities due to the actual situation at the refugee camps in Greece and Bosnia. 

 

 

 

27.10.2020 We start preparing the intervention in Villach, bringing the artwork of Ebadur here to Villach. I am very looking forward how the intervention will take place, it is still not easy because of the strong Corona restrictions also here in Austria. We are planning to present the program mid of December. The question of how we care about refugees seems to be now also here a burning isssue to look at and it is of exceptional urgency. So the dialogue here will be very intersting ...

 

 

04.08.2020 Time has not stand still, although everything became so difficult because of the Corona Virus and the situation worldwide. We had a lot of teammeetings via skype and zoom and emails and also zoomsessions with Ebad, who is still lockdown in Bangladesh, now since months. But we could arrange to do parts of our research online, which will be in the virtual mapping we are creating. So we are in the developing phase of the virtual mapping and it it will become great, so to say, I enjoy it  a lot, the animation, the drawings... . I am very looking forward to the release, now I start to post pictures on facebook - have a look there.  Ebad could realize parts of the Intervention and also started creating a homepage collecting films and pictures, as well as diary with blogging, as an alternative way to present the work and the topic in the virtual room. Please have a look: http://10daysthatshooktheworld.com

 

 

15.03.2020 The last days of preparing the third intervention in Bangladesh become crazy and dangerous because of this worldwide pandemia of the corona virus. We have booked our flights, the visum was in process, the program, the venue everything was focussed to be finalised in this upcoming three weeks, but now time stands still, everything is unclear whether we could or should go on or not. Our Guide Hadi told us, that Bangladesh do not let any people in who are coming from Europe. Apart from that we cannot travel without or visas, but our passports are actually at the Embassy of Bangladesh in Vienna now for more than 2 weeks, and we didn t received them yet, only the message that the Embassy is closed now because of the virus, so even our passports are unreachable. Ebad, the artist we are coopararting with, who selected the marginalized topic of the rohingya refugees and was and is curating the whole program and venue in Dhaka, took yesterday a flight from USA to reach Dhaka, but we dont know, whether they have let him in or not, nore if he has to go in Quarantäne once he is landed there. So everything so unclear and insecure. Our University here in Klagenfurt has closed its doors, and the ministery of Austria is giving everyday new advices how to behave, to stop going out, only for urgent reasons, shops will close etc. So i take now the time to be thankful about the last realization in Klagenfurt, which was very succesful, with so many intersted peope, talks, networkings, presentations, artworks, yes, thank you so much for that.

 

 

17.02.2020 Two days after the opening in Klagenfurt I am happy how the program runs and I really enjoy the special atmosphere in the evenings together with the audience, to feel, that audience, community and intersted people feel comfortable and inspired. Setting up everything in the room was not that ideal,  cleanliness and internal communication were the weak points, so it was really a stressing phase the days before. But now hours and talks later,  I think we managed it that nobody feels harmed  and missunderstood anymore and we can accept that there are things we can improve from both sides. I try to be more aware in the next preparationphase regarding the needs and expectation of the artists who will arrive and we have to give the setting up more time. Not only because of roomconditions but also to find space and time to explain what the main idea of the project is, the aim that it should be a common presentation.

 

29.1.2020 The preparation for the realizations in Klagenfurt are reaching its peak, the venue is found, what was my mayor concern, but after a long period of waiting for a binding yes for an empty salesroom, i tried it at the raum 8, where i was so warmly welcomed that i immeadeatly decided to do the event there in this inspiring atmosphere. He, Gerhard Fresacher promised me to clear the walls, removing all the pictures, which are now there. This means that in a way we can use it again as an empty space for us and it is also visible from outside through its showcases! So i took a measuringtape and after a few emails, formulars and talks everything seems now to be on the way. Also the posters, programs are now printed and are waiting to be seen, ;-). It is a tough journy according to the organisational needs the project is challenging me, but from the research and artistic perspective it is a great gift to realize this process.

 

6.12.2019 I had a vey inspiring travel to Vienna, visting Philipp Luftensteiner and Claudia Six to talk about the virtual archive, the images, the programming aspects, the possibilities to creat the virtual room. I am very looking forward to this process, which is starting now. 

Apart from that I am still seeking for an adequate room to present the venue here in Carinthia, to intervene with the topic and the program in public space in an empty salesroom. It seems that there is a very intersting option, hopefully we will get the room in the center, this would be wonderful. Also the curatorial search for additional programparts of regional artists here, scientists and NGOs working in the field of LGBTIQ, works very well. So the program for Klagenfurt is neraly done and i am happy to announce the dates: It will take place here from 14th to 21th of february.

 

22.11. 2019 Back from Zagreb, we are preparing the second Mapping here, which means that we are inviting parts of the program of Zagreb to Klagenfurt, where the Intervention will take place  from 14th - 21th of February. We choose the 14th, because we wanted to start on Valentines day. :-)8

The task is now to enrich the program with regional parts, lectures, screenings, artworks to start a dialog in Carinthia about the topic, about possible marginalization here as well and to figure out potential simmilarities and differences, to envoke encounter and for sure enable the research about taboos and the "Unseen". 

 

05.11. 2019 We started the program and the intervention in Zagreb according to the topic LGBTIQ issues. The 6 days intervention take place in three temporary unused rooms in an office, who focus on human rights issues. It was a pleasure to see how many interested people came, many of them very young, open minded and the mood and atmosphere was very good. So the topic starts to get visible, not as i wished also visible from the street through large salesrooms windows, so in a way it is still hidden, because the program is not directly visible. We put rollups in the entrance of the building and a poster, it looks great. It seems that till now we reached especially friends or community people who came on purpose, but I am also very interested whether it is possible to reach also other people in this week, who are not part of the artistfriends or communiy. Lets "see..."

 

31.10. 2019 Only a couple of days are left, then the realization of the first intervention will take place in Zagreb. The preparation was exciting, after all it tooks ages to came to this point, from the idea to the application and the acceptance from the funding side and of course finding partners who are intersted to be in the project. I am very happy and honoured to be hosted by the University in Klagenfurt to do all the plannings and meetings there but also very happy to find this team to work on the researchpart in the project. Artistic research is such a thrillling way to renew approaches of research by creating a link between art and science. 
For this intervention in Zagreb we had a wonderful communication with Common Zone/Vox Femniae with Marino, Gabe and Diana. We appreciate the location, the venue where the intervention will take place, and i am very looking forward to the events starting on 4th of October, the observations, the talks and of course the encounter.