< Back Mask making and coffee drinking in Addis Addis Ababa 18 May 2020 Sarah Bushra Making masks in Temesgen studio “The idea of abundance and scarcity takes a constant shift. What seemed to be scarce has forced itself to become an abundance”, writes Robel Temesgen on his Instagram post announcing his communal mask making adventures. In a conversation over the phone, Robel relates he finds the confinement to his home studio stifling with consequent strains on his creative practice. In addition to escapades to favourite coffee spots around the city, a regular habit prior to the pandemic, in the past 7 weeks since the Corona lock-down he has taken up several new pastimes, one of which is making beautiful face masks. The collective mask making began organically. Tsedenya Abayneh, Robel’s close friend attempted to make a mask for herself and shared her process with Robel, who’s then reminded to call on Leayne Telahun, a friend with a sewing machine, to give their endeavour a fighting chance to succeed. Between the malfunctioning of said machine and the hunt for a new one, the task force grew to seven people in total. Kasahun Hailu, a regular at Robel’s studio, who also happens to be an industrial design graduate, took over the streamlining of the production and earned himself the name ‘Supé’ short for a supervisor. Shimeles Tadesse and Tesfaye Bekele, along with Robel, fill in the necessary gaps in the production line, while Naod Lemma, documents the process through pictures. Now, the collective makes an average of 60 masks in one afternoon and staggers their distribution rippling from their closest relations to members of their communities in need of a shield. Many pharmacies around town hiked the price for a single-use face mask by upwards of 200% on the day the first case of Corona was confirmed in Addis. What used to be available at 25 ETB (75 cents) suddenly started to be sold for 150 ETB (4,50 USD), way beyond what a majority of Addis Ababans can afford. When the fear of contracting the virus increased with the rising number of cases, unable to afford to buy masks, many invented make-shift solutions, covering their faces with the shawls they’re wearing or repurposing discarded Ethiopian airlines sleeping eye shields to cover their mouths. On the 16th of March, quickly after the breakout of Corona in Africa, Jack Ma, Chinese Billionaire, and founder of e-commerce multinational Alibaba announced his donation of 100,000 face masks and other PPE to each one of the 54 countries in the continent. [1] This donation was followed by a second batch containing 200,000 face masks and other PPE to be distributed among 54 countries [2] , and the third batch including 4.6 million masks and other PPE donated immediately to African Union, and Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) [3] . The Ethiopian government has also received facemasks form UAE, Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture, Korean Business Association and other local and international organizations [4] . Although it is generally assumed these donated masks go to, or are reserved for health workers in the country, there’s no system in place to track whether the distribution is indeed being made towards the right recipients. According to a doctor working at St. Paul Hospital in Addis Ababa, a hospital anticipated to become a treatment centre for confirmed cases when the current centre, Eko Kotebe Hospital, reaches its capacity, thus far she has to buy her own PPE from private pharmacies. Although, at the beginning of the pandemic many were lax about wearing a mask, in recent times members of the community have started to hold each other accountable. Now a person not wearing a mask is not allowed entry to the blue and white minibus taxis, the most common mode of private transportation in Addis. When entering public service areas like banks, security guards ask people without a mask to put one on. Ride, one of the most popular taxi-hailing platforms has distributed face masks and hand sanitizers to the majority of their drivers. Other mask making endeavours in Addis that stem from organizing like-minded individuals include a collaboration between Doctors in Action (DIA), an enterprise empowering doctors for social change, and Sabegn, a concept store for lifestyle products. They started Debo project that works to spread awareness about Corona, recognize and support the work of front-line health workers and spread videos on how to make DIY masks and distribute the masks they’ve produced. Many good-hearted business-inspired communities have also mobilized to make face masks available for sale on the streets of Addis, standing close by taxi lines and other relatively crowded spaces for a price of 10 ETB (30 cents). The price for surgical masks sold at pharmacies has also plummeted to 30 ETB (90 cents) from its sudden climb 7 weeks ago. With continued improvement in access to masks, many still walk the streets of Addis without a shield on their faces. Robel admits buying a 10 ETB mask from the streets is an easier way of providing protection for himself and many around him. It is not just the lack of masks on the streets that motivated the collective to gather at his studio. He speaks about the boredom that brought this group of people together, an interest in shared conversations that made them stay, the satisfaction in simple acts of generosity that entices them to come back. This impromptu artist’ collective is beyond a manufacturing line, they’re a conduit transforming what is scarce towards a perception of abundance. For many Ethiopians, the stay at home period for this pandemic is frequented with power cuts and water shortages. The severity of this problem varies in different parts of town. While the cuts are intermittent in some areas varying between one to two days per week, other areas have no power for days on end. The longer power cuts are caused by the malfunctioning problem rather than rationing tact. Although this may appear unbearable for an outsider, for a majority of Addis dwellers it is, unfortunately, business as usual. The understanding of abundance and scarcity is versatile in Addis society, its flow is seamless and uninterrupted. When there’s no electricity at Robel’s studio, for example, to power the sewing machine used to make masks, the group simply shifts towards activities done only by hand or simply playing cards, relishing in the sudden abundance of time to be filled with enjoying each other’s company. In these times, the productivity aspect of time is scarce, says Robel, while the idle and reflective space remain abundant. “Is it worth it to be an artist?” – he asks. “I am in my studio – suddenly forced to gauge my capacity: what is my actual reach, how vastly does my network extend, and how wide are the margins circumscribing the works I produce?” Although an avid consumer of art through virtual media, Robel expresses his hesitancy towards creating work for an online audience, he says he’s not interested in that capital right now. This sentiment refreshingly centres Ethiopian audiences as spectators of contemporary art that are coming from the country. Considering the very limited access to the internet, a work of art with output on a digital platform has little to no local reach. The resistance from Addis Ababans towards staying at home is not primarily a question of the economy, Robel says. Although the economy is a crucial factor, people defy stay at home sanctions from the government, unable to placate their needs to socialize. Long before the pandemic, Robel has been investigating the nature of communities around coffee drinking culture in Ethiopia, describing the resulting spaces as heavens for uncensored dialogue and fertile soil for growing deep-rooted connections. In a conversation with the Corpus Podcast about his exhibition RE:PUBLIC held at Circle Art Gallery [5] , Robel describes ‘jebena’ as a symbol of society. For his series, Floating Jebenas he has been looking at the disruption of social structures formed around coffee drinking culture due to rapid urbanization of the city. He notes the shift from neighbourly socials that were dismantled by aggressive construction to the emergence of informal small businesses that serve coffee at the many curves and crevices of the city. He iterates the way Ethiopians function as social fabric, and points at the various means we evade threats to our coffee gatherings. Robel’s creative practice continually probes at the nature of communities, the strands that form them, the bedrocks they stand on. His meditation with ‘jebena’ as a holding space for Ethiopian culture and identity has resonance in the space his studio has recently become, a host for labour of passion in the form of mask making. Within the folding, stitching, and pressing of fabric, there’s a strain of alchemy at play, morphing superfluous substances into one of the most valuable items of the times. Sarah Bushra is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, working primarily with a hybrid of text and images. [1] https://twitter.com/jackma/status/1239581509125726210?s=21 [2] https://twitter.com/jackma/status/1247014237303537664?s=21 [3] https://twitter.com/jackma/status/1252136657672790016?s=21 [4] https://www.trackethiogov.com/in-kind-donations-tracker [5] https://circleartagency.com/online-gallery/exhibitions/recent-exhibition/re-public/ Previous Next

Events Lecture Series Participant Activities Celebrating Resilience and Solidarity Moba Produkcija image by Luigi Coppola 2024 Culminating event date: June 23, 2024 Location: Gornja Gorevnica Participants: Asida Butba, Anna Ilchenko, Andrey Parshikov (curators of WCSCD 2023/24 educational program), Bojana Popović, Luigi Coppola, Petra Pavleka, and Gornja Gorevnica community members. Coordinators: Sofija Bošković and Cheng Xiangmin. Organized by WCSCD and the local community of Gornja Gorevnica. Project supported by the Italian Cultural Institute and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia. WCSCD 2023/24 program participants, together with mentor and artist Luigi Coppola, artist Bojana Popović, and cultural worker Petra Pavleka, invite you to a community action in the village of Gornja Gorevnica to celebrate and foster communal life, resilience, and local knowledge in agricultural production. Since 2023, WCSCD has established a pedagogical center in Gornja Gorevnica and initiated various encounters and meetings to engage with local communities. Through this engagement, we are encouraged to think and practice culture beyond the dualisms of rural/urban, culture/nature, and man/woman, embracing more entangled and interdependent ways of being. This effort is also our attempt to decentralize the production of knowledge and culture as city dwellers. The series of upcoming gatherings on June 23 aims to rethink the production of culture and knowledge through actions in rural areas. This approach seeks to explore different solutions for building more resilient communities. During the culminating event day, we invite you to experience a number of artistic projects presented in Gornja Gorevnica. These projects represent long-term commitments to rethinking ways of working with communities and fostering a more resilient society. What you can experience during the culminating days: Italian artist and activist Luigi Coppola has been collaborating with village families for over six months to launch the long-term project Unity as Strength through Moba Production. This initiative draws inspiration from the ritualistic aspects of collective labor, focusing on the gathering and transformation of local fruits. In our capitalist and extractivist society, individualism is often promoted, driven by the myth of relentless productivity. But is this truly the only viable model of production? Should we reject collaborative and relational models, favoring solitude and sacrifice over collective effort? In rural areas, there remains a poetic sense of working together—songs and celebrations tied to the harvest and its transformation. We invite you to rekindle this spirit through acts that blend labor and festivity. As the climate crisis exacerbates the already challenging economic conditions for those who choose to farm, coming together becomes even more crucial. The Moba Production , with artistic input from Luigi Coppola, will feature two main components. The first includes workshops that share practical knowledge on fruit processing, culminating in a communal dinner prepared by the village, followed by celebratory music and dance. On June 23, as part of Moba Production, a Knowledge Assembly will be held, focusing on climate change and strategies for building strong community support structures. This event will foster vital discussions among community members. Bojana Popović , a young artist residing in the village, has crafted a performative walk. This walk offers a unique mapping of Gornja Gorevnica from a feminist perspective, blending walking and storytelling into a rich, experiential tapestry. Through this journey, participants will uncover marginalized histories, such as the ancient tree's legacy, poignant love stories, and other narratives that reside outside the mainstream historical discourse. Another important aspect of Celebrating Resilience and Solidarity is food. The stomach holds profound significance for us, serving as a central element in our system. Esteemed artists and scholars, such as Vanessa Machado de Oliveira and Trinh T. Minh-ha, state that the stomach is the core through which neural changes and chemistry occur, influencing the heart's will and directly affecting the mind. This concept proposes an engagement with embodied knowledge that transcends mere visual experience. In collaboration with the women of the Gornja Gorevnica village, we have gathered ancestral recipes to craft a menu for our guests, offering a rich, sensory connection to our shared heritage and traditions. Further exploring the practices of food-making, Petra Pavleka , a distinguished cultural worker from Zagreb, will be sharing traditional bread-making techniques. This workshop, in collaboration with a historic, functioning mill within the village, will provide a unique blend of cultural heritage and artisanal craftsmanship. June 23, culminating event schedule: 12:30 pm – arrival to Gornja Gorevnica 1:00 pm – refreshments/ snacks and welcoming ritual 1:30 - 4:00 pm – launch of Moba Production through series of workshops with community elders and bread-making workshop with Petra Pavleka 4:00 - 5:30 pm – a performative walk with young artist Bojana Popović around Gornja Gorevnica 5:30 - 6:30 pm – dinner 6:30 - 8:00 pm – Knowledge assembly moderated by Luigi Coppola 8:30 pm – departure from Gornja Gorevnica to Belgrade Admission fee This public, family-friendly event embraces intergenerational learning and joy. All workshops are free of charge. Refreshments and snacks upon arrival, along with a dinner, are available for 1,500 dinars per person (coffee and soft drinks included). Children up to 12 years old can attend for half price at 750 dinars, and children under 5 years old attend for free. Registration is essential. Please email us at what.could.curating.do@gmail.com or message us on Instagram @whatcouldshouldcuratingdo to secure your spot. How to get to Gornja Gorevnica village: You can arrive by car on your own. Free parking is available. Instructions on how to reach us will be sent after registration. You can also hop on an organized bus from Belgrade on the morning of June 23rd, returning the same evening. The round trip price is 1,500 dinars. Limited capacity; pre-booking is essential. If you have camping gear and want to stay a few days with us, we have free space for your tent. Please contact us to arrange this. Bios of WCSCD program contributors: Petra Pavleka is project manager of the Community seed bank and food program at ZMAG As a student, this landscape architect traveled Europe with Erasmus and Grundtvig projects in search for green knowledge and good sustainable practices. She learned her trade by collaborating with several architectural firms, and in recent years has been intensely interested in the production of her own food and the growing potential of public areas. Since 2020, she has been a member of ZMAG’s Social Seed Bank, and currently works at ZMAG as the project manager of that project and the manager of the food program. Luigi Coppola is an Italian artist and activist, member of Casa Della Agricultura, a community founded in the south of Italy in Castiglione d'Otranto, which aims to revive abandoned land and repopulate villages, generate an economy based on solidarity, and strengthening community ties through new cultural, social and economic models of common life based on agriculture. About WCSCD: The WCSCD is a civic association, established in 2018, and its fundamental activity is an educational program for artists, curators, researchers and cultural workers with focus on different ways of learning and working in the arts. In 2022 WCSCD started working within the rural area in Sumadija (Serbia) and taking custodianship of the piece of land with long-term commitment. For all further information on this and all WCSCD projects, please contact: Biljana Ćirić what.could.curating.do@gmail.com https://www.wcscd.com/ < Mentors Educational Program How to Apply >

Past Programs 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2018 Program Archive WCSCD 2018 Call for Applications March 26, 2018

Sultan Mussakhan < Back The roar, which never vanished Sultan Mussakhan The image of tigers and lions hunting their prey is solid in our memories due to their distinctive representation in the culture of modern-day humans. They are charismatic and murderous. They are indeed hypostasis for what we call as good and evil. So far, history says that they were understood as more evil than the good, which led to their total extinction in Central Asia in XX century, still echoing their majestic influence on people until today. This article mainly focuses on the role of tigers in the new cultural dynamics of modern Kazakhs as their role never vanished and with a further deeper understanding of them generating the new ideas of what is good, to begin with. This article will also combine one of their unique habitats – the shores of Lake Balkhash – as they can have a common destiny: to extinct or to rehabilitate. The history and formation of the modern landscape of Lake Balkhash can be traced back to the Early Pleistocene with evidence of the first colonization by Homo erectus . Epoch after epoch the people habiting the shores and lakesides by Balkhash were replaced and ended up by the rooting of Homo sapiens sapiens – or modern-day humans – generating pastoralist communities with their unique vertical migrations from deserts to alpine mountains as we can still observe today [1] . The Late Pleistocene was the period when large felines as lions and tigers started to vastly expand in Central Asia including the shores of Lake Balkhash. As it follows, it is not a big surprise that the charismatic felines of Central Asia were in close interaction with many human species creating a nexus for the further firm image of them as beautiful, powerful, but dangerous beings. If the archaeological and paleontological evidence is scarce on felines’ representation and their influence on first humans, we have plenty of evidence of how felines had their specific place in Bronze Age cultures as Andronovo people . We believe that these are the people who learned how to work with bronze, were the first nomads to colonize the whole of Central Asia, and had trading patterns with the adjacent other cultures. Besides, they were the first ones who depicted the large felines in petroglyphs. Today, we can map almost 170 different petroglyphs of different periods in Kazakhstan (Bronze age, Iron Age, and Turkic period) with various images of large felines and 30 petroglyphs are identified as lions ( Panthera leo persica ) and 18 as tigers ( Panthera tigris ) ( see fig. 1 and 2) [2] . Figure 1. A tiger petroglyph at Eshkiolmes, Kazakhstan. Belongs to the Iron age [2]. Figure 2. Tiger petroglyph Southern Balkhash region and the Khantau mountains, the Bronze Age, researched by A.G. Medoev [3] Lake Balkhash and deltas of various rivers enriching its waters were the natural habitats for the Caspian tiger or how we like to call it today as the Turanian tiger. Its Latin name comes as Panthera tigris virgata what also means in Kazakh as “zholbarys” – the striped feline. Even though the extinction of the last known tiger is recent, there is an attempt to reintroduce the closely related tiger subspecies Panthera tigris altaica from the Russian Far East to the shores of Lake Balkhash by WWF [4] . At first glance, a person who has never seen the Turanian tigers would believe that this is another ambitious yet indoctrinated project where the human takes over nature with an indulgent hand of help, albeit the best gaze would be to look at it as we are asking sorry that we brought so much pain to Lake Balkhash and disastrously treated it. So, who are those tigers and what would they bring to us? Once they inhabited from Turkey to Northwestern China, and their geographical range included almost all of the Central Asian countries. However, with the sedentarization and colonial attitude of the Russian Empire and further with the Soviet Union, not only aboriginal people were endangered, but the flora and fauna too, disturbing the intimate co-existence and ecosystem. The tugay woodlands were reshaped as well as the riversides to grow various cultures of valuable plants. With the loss of natural habitat, the preys of tigers were endangered or completely extinct too, rapidly declining in their population. Previously flourishing tigers almost along all major rivers in Central Asia, went extinct until the 1950s due to systematic poisoning and haunting. Yet, the Ili river- the largest river enriching the waters of Lake Balkhash – was one of three predominant places that could support a dense population of Caspian tigers is under intense human colonization and threat [5] . The situation has several related current events with the Yellowstone National Park in the United States, where the landscape was damaged due to the lack of large predators and the solution was to introduce wolves into the ecosystem [6] . There is one specific historical artwork by Said Atabekov “Way to Rome”, which is highly related to the extinction of Caspian tigers. The artwork represents a Kazakh-style carpet with a soldier’s hat on it (see fig. 3). Interestingly, both the style of the carpet and tiger have vanished for the modern days. The work symbolizes the homicidal policies towards the ethnicities of Central Asia. Probably, this is the only carpet left with the recent tiger representation in Kazakh traditional arts. Both Kazakhs and tigers shared a common destiny in the past. Figure 3. Said Atabekov, from the series of work “Way to Rome” (the last carpet with a portrait of the Turanian tiger). 2020, 70х105 cm. With the new project on the reintroduction of Caspian tigers to the Ili-Balkhash reservoir, it is another attempt to restore what was severely damaged in recent times. It is a hope to restore the actual ecosystem and give another chance for ourselves to co-exist and co-evolve. What is the value of reintroduction? There is a known species Panthera tigris altaica that is believed to be almost genetically identical to and descendants of Caspian tigers. As they are considered as the zenith of the food chain, the proper work on livestock management should be done. Thereby, the restoration of the ecosystem should be prepared from the lower ecological niches for reintroduction. So far, the Ili River delta can support almost 100-150 Amur tiger individuals and the first introduction will count up to 25 individuals [4]. There is a chance that the river delta would become a further National Park supporting the local socio-economic development as long as giving another hope that there will be more dialogue on human activity on Lake Balkhash and communication with Xinjiang (China) where the river takes place. This project can be classified as transboundary because yet it increases the interaction between the Asian countries and probably will be another bridge of cooperation. The introduction of the tiger is a part of decolonial optics too. It shows how the ecosystem depends on all components of the biodiversity including the dangerous predators and the sensitive ecosystem should be treated with more care. This optics bends towards the development of more ecocentric ideas, I believe. We also cannot defy that charismatic feline will be a bridge to personify Lake Balkhash and the Ili River delta with its gorgeous gaze and roar. Yet the appearance of tigers can become another appeal to save the waters of Lake Balkhash and the environment nearby. As we know, the tiger is a part of the national identity of both Turkic and Asian ethnicities. Once the endangered Kazakh people like the tiger itself could probably reflect their destiny to understand how close and co-existential they were as part of the fragile ecosystem teaching its lessons that there could be always a chance to survive, to flourish, and to respect where you live in. The introduction of the tiger and its value to the ecosystem, to the people, and the identity of Kazakhs can be only hypothesized and imagined, but it is another platform to synthesize, rethink, and re-evaluate what we are today. Personally, I think that biology and ecology narratives have to be decolonized by opening a wide window to the co-existence among all living species and the reintroduction of tigers is one step closer. References (apa style): [1] Deom, J. M., Aubekerov, B., Sala, R., & Nigmatova, S. (2012). Quaternary evolution of the human habitats in the Ili-Balkhash region from paleolithic to modern times. Toward a sustainable society in Central Asia: An historical perspective on the future , 49-58. [2] Schnitzler, A., & Hermann, L. (2019). Chronological distribution of the tiger Panthera tigris and the Asiatic lion Panthera leo persica in their common range in Asia. Mammal Review, 49 (4), 340-353. [3] https://edu.e-history.kz/ru/publications/view/1279 [4] https://wwf.ru/regions/central-asia/vosstanovlenie-turanskogo-tigra/ [5] Chestin, I. E., Paltsyn, M. Y., Pereladova, O. B., Iegorova, L. V., & Gibbs, J. P. (2017). Tiger re-establishment potential to former Caspian tiger (Panthera tigris virgata) range in Central Asia. Biological Conservation, 205 , 42-51. [6] Smith, D. W., Peterson, R. O., & Houston, D. B. (2003). Yellowstone after wolves. BioScience, 53 (4), 330-340. Sultan Mussakhan is a Ph.D candidate in Biological Science at Brock University ( Canada) as well as member of Art Collider. Previous Next

Events Lecture Series Participant Activities 2025 Lectures Public Moments WCSCD Educational program 2025/2026 at SKUP Lecture by Nina Möntmann | Decentring the Museum. Contemporary Art Institutions and Colonial Legacies Lecture by Marina Christodoulidou | Assembling Land: Rehearsals towards Placemaking Lecture by Toby Upson | A practice of Artwriting 2022 Lectures WCSCD Annual Lecture Series 2022 The educational program What Could/Should Curating Do is proud to announce lecture by Amelie Aranguren hosted by Kolarac The educational program What Could/Should Curating Do is proud to announce lecture by Massimiliano Mollona hosted by Kolarac The educational program What Could/Should Curating Do is proud to announce lecture by Aslıhan Demirtaş Hosted by Kolarac The educational program What Could/Should Curating Do is proud to announce lecture by Katalin Szekely Hosted by Kolarac 2020/21 Lectures Precarious Improvisation: The Past and The Present, maybe The Future | WCSCD 2020/21 Annual Lecture Series Lumbung | WCSCD 2020/21 Annual Lecture Series What is The Use? Needs and Means of Making Biennials Under Pandemic | WCSCD 2020/21 Annual Lecture Series Practices of Care: On Rehumanization and Curating | WCSCD 2020/21 Annual Lecture Series Where is the body of the curator? | WCSCD 2020/21 Annual Lecture Series From steirischer herbst to Paranoia TV: one festival reinventing itself | WCSCD 2020/21 Annual Lecture Series Kalokagathia: On the Possibility to Think Together the Aesthetical and Ethical in Curating | WCSCD 2020/21 Annual Lecture Series Reimagining the museum | WCSCD 2020/21 Annual Lecture Series WCSCD 2020/21 Annual Lecture Series 2019 Lectures Lecture by Patrick D. Flores and launch of the WCSCD book The first talk in the 2019 series is titled: Exhibition as language/space/agency for contradicting ideas, forms, and experiences By Luca Lo Pinto Lecture by Maria Lind / Future Light: or is A New Enlightenment Worth Considering? The Decolonial Possibility | Charles Esche Comradeship: Curating Art, and Politics in Post-Socialist Europe | Zdenka Badovinac What Could/Should the Institution Do? | Ares Shporta 2018 Lectures Only One Thing Worse Than Awkward Silence: Small Talk [i] The Walking Institution | Niels Van Tomme The Exhibition. A Lecture Demonstration | Dorothea von Hantelmann KUNCI Cultural Studies Center, Cross-disciplinary encounters | Antariksa Marcel Duchamp, the most influential curator of the 20th century? | Elena Filipovic EVA International | Matt Packer Reengaging a contemporary art institution with civic society | Hou Hanru My Sweet Little Lamb, (everything we see can also be otherwise) by Ivet Ćurlin < Mentors Educational Program How to Apply >

Online Learning This program is developed for artists, curators and cultural workers who want to look at themselves deep in the eye and ask: What is that I care? Why I do things the way I do? What is my relationship to colonial difference? How I relate to the world in most tangible way? Through mainstream education we rarely recognise importance of contact with what is actually within ourselves or to understanding structure from within ourselves out. We understand these questions as fundamental when thinking and practising education. Through this program we provide tools and enable processes to look at these questions and practice them. The program is developed as a set of prerecorded manuals and exercises leading you through number of questions we find crucial for our work: positioning, caring, vernacular gestures and embodied knowledge, slowing down and poetic thinking, acting from and with margins. Although the program is organised as set of prerecorded manuals, we are proposing two online sessions for sharing your thoughts and ideas. You can engage in the program at any time, and work through it on your own pace, whenever you need it. If you make effort devoting time as daily practice you will be able to finish it within 10 days. For a slower pace you can take a week for each topic. For specific exercises we have created platform to share your thoughts and ideas with other participants engaged in the program. Conceptually the course takes point of departure the WCSCD 2022 educational program and some of the exercises practiced during the offline-course. For occasion of making this program we have invited a friend and collaborator, writer Toby Upson (UK) and an artist collective Skart (Serbia) to create manuals for specific sections and we are really grateful to their contribution. Program and instructions are developed with a lot of care in collaboration with WCSCD founder Biljana Ciric and curator Anastasia Albokrinova, WCSCD 2022 program participant. Program Content The structure of BLOCKS 1-5 is mainly two-part. In the first, we are questioning and triggering the proposed topic. In the second, we explore authentic and creative ways to approach it. For each section, we have an introduction from the tutor, and an individual or collective task. To better merge with the topic, we also provide some additional materials (articles, videos, podcasts) and a set of questions for self-feedback. BLOCK 1 includes the option of sharing collectively personal presentations through Zoom platform in groups of 10 people maximum. BLOCK 6 is offered as a collective practice to wrap up the educational experience and is to be conducted in groups of 10 people maximum. Fee: The fee for the course is 110€ . We have considered the lowest possible rate, to make it accessible to as many people as possible, while still being able to pay our invited guests and people who produced the program. Register Sign in

Events Lecture Series Participant Activities Borderlines July 2024 – ongoing Organized by WCSCD in collaboration with Sreda Obitaninya WCSCD is honored to announce a series of lectures, workshops and gatherings with and at Sreda Obitaninya, a cultural space established by two scientists from Saint Petersburg. This collaboration with Sreda Obitaninya is an extension of our educational program and alliances that welcome new communities that call Belgrade their home in recent years. According to Chicana feminist Gloria Anzaldúa, the term “borderlands” refers to both a physical and metaphorical space of crossing and intersection, particularly concerning cultural, social, and identity boundaries. In her seminal work, “Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza”, Anzaldúa describes the borderlands as a space of hybridity and tension where different cultures, languages, and identities meet and interact. For Anzaldúa, the borderlands are not just geographic regions, but also psychological, social, and spiritual spaces where individuals navigate and negotiate their complex identities. This concept highlights the experiences of those who live on the margins or in between different worlds, emphasizing the fluidity and multiplicity of identity and the transformative potential of these in-between spaces. The borderlands represent a place of struggle but also a site of creativity and resistance, where new identities and ways of being can emerge. In the post-pandemic world, we have witnessed the migration of humans and more-than-humans due to climate change, wars, political and economic recessions, and tighter border controls of the European Union. In the past three years, the influx of Russian communities and those from economically struggling regions, engaging in precarious work in Belgrade, has become our everyday reality. Through collaboration with Sreda Obitaninya, we aspire to equip both locals and new neighbors with the tools needed to comprehend and navigate a place like Belgrade. This will allow us to situate ourselves within the city and facilitate the collective production and exchange of knowledge. The city of Belgrade, with its rich history of migration, has long played a pivotal role in fostering Global South alliances and navigating Cold War politics between the so-called Former East and Former West, while consistently remaining on the periphery of the European Union. However, its troubled history is marred by power struggles and political missteps, which have ignited deadly civil conflicts throughout the Yugoslav region. In the present day, as Belgrade undergoes gentrification and the commercialization of its public spaces, new waves of migration are once again transforming the city into a complex and multifaceted environment. Bringing different communities together is essential for fostering a harmonious and progressive society. When diverse groups interact, they become more familiar with each other's cultures, experiences and perspectives, which helps reduce stereotypes and prejudices. This engagement promotes mutual respect and understanding, leading to social cohesion. Using culture as a means of integrating different communities enriches the social fabric. Cultural exchange broadens the collective worldview and promotes global awareness, fostering a deeper appreciation for the richness of human diversity and helping to overcome the isolation of diaspora communities. The encounters in Sreda Obitaninya that will start from July will share marginal histories, silenced histories, from feminist and partial perspectives that will serve as a platform for exchange of ideas and dialogue through presentation and workshops. Format Every month we will be organizing lectures, workshops, and gatherings led by local artists, curators, and cultural workers that will be set around the extensive history of Belgrade that is relevant to understanding the current city's constantly changing environment and social fabric. Migrant communities have the potential to create a wide array of presentations through collective music listening, reading groups, food tastings, and workshops that share their culture, experiences, knowledge, and perspectives with diverse audiences. Storytelling sessions provide a platform to share folktales, personal stories, and historical narratives from their countries of origin, fostering understanding and empathy. Discussions with speakers from diverse backgrounds tackling topics such as cultural identity and migration policies. Cross-cultural workshops foster mutual understanding by allowing participants to share their backgrounds, beliefs, and customs interactively. Anti-discrimination sessions can raise awareness about challenges like racism and xenophobia, promoting inclusivity and respect. 1) July 4, 7 pm Part 1. Feminizing the City: A Workshop on Gender, Mapping, and Memory A workshop with Dunja Karanović Language: English Duration: 2 hours Admission fee: 900 RSD We invite you to take part in Feminizing the City: A Workshop on Gender, Mapping, and Memory, led by journalist and visual artist Dunja Karanović. This workshop will serve as a follow-up to our Walking as a Way of Knowing program, a series of artist-led walks organized in Belgrade from March to June 2024 by the educational platform WCSCD. Participants will have a chance to engage in a feminist reading of cultural policy and politics of remembrance in the city of Belgrade, investigating questions like who gets commemorated in public spaces, how women’s bodies, names, and actions show up in monuments, what’s missing and what we can learn from looking at margins. Street names, squares, and monuments often reflect a revisionist, one-sided historical narrative that celebrates violence and oppression – by looking into what gets sidelined and forgotten, we will attempt to co-create a more caring perspective, mapping out the contributions of feminist activists, scholars, artists, and community leaders. By engaging in collective reading, discussion, mapping, and collage, we will have an opportunity to learn about women who shaped the city’s history with their pioneering initiatives, personal histories, and artistic endeavors. 2) July 18, 7 pm Part 2. “Not in Our Name”: Women’s Anti-war Movement in the 1990’s A lecture by Dunja Karanović Language: English Duration: 2 hours Admission fee: 900 RSD A lecture and discussion continuing our exploration of feminist perspectives on Belgrade’s history. The 1990s conflicts in the ex-Yugoslav region prompted a re-traditionalization of gender roles and heightened nationalism, evident in contemporary cultural policies and public spaces. The lecture will delve into the historical and social backdrop of the 1990s Yugoslav wars, highlighting the critical role women played in opposing the conflict. It will cover the formation and actions of anti-war groups and their connections with the Yugoslav feminist traditions of the 1970s, focusing on prominent figures like Žarana Papić, Jelena Šantić, Borka Pavićević, the origins of Women in Black (Žene u crnom), Center for Anti-war Action, and other initiatives, their strategies, challenges, and legacy of bravery, resilience, and solidarity. Part of the lecture will also involve discussing how remembrance culture, archiving, and feminist heritage equip us for reading, recognizing, and resisting revisionism and media obfuscation in today’s increasingly polarized world. Location: Sreda Obitaniya, Šafarikova 6, Belgrade Dunja Karanović is a visual artist and journalist based in Belgrade, Serbia. She holds an MA degree from the UNESCO Chair in Cultural Policy and Management at the University of Arts in Belgrade and an MFA from the China Academy of Arts. In her practice, she explores ways of bridging cultural policy, theory, and practice through interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches that foster radical friendship and collective care. Her research is focused on mainstreaming care in cultural institutions and reimagining them as slower, softer, and more inclusive spaces. She is a regular contributor of Liceulice magazine. She is passionate about feminist art histories, embroidery, the small, and the marginal. 3) August 1, 7 pm Feminism in Iran A lecture by Rosie Raha Language: English Duration: 2 hours Admission fee: 900 RSD This lecture will explore the history and current state of women's rights in Iran, beginning with the first women's rights movement during the Iranian Constitutional Revolution between 1905 and 1911. While significant legal advancements were made, any activity towards achieving more freedom and rights for women was allowed only under government supervision during Reza Shah's rule. After Reza Shah, during the rule of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, new groups and organizations were formed, but their activities were also under government control and monitoring. Most of the legal advancements made during the previous decades were slowly dismantled following the Islamic Revolution of 1979, leading to increasing restrictions on women under the new regime. Despite widespread protests, the regime's grip has remained unyielding. We will examine Iran's Islamic constitution, where political leadership is dominated by clergymen and religious figures. The Supreme Leader holds absolute authority over politics, religion, governance, military power, and social affairs, and has the power to implement laws impacting and discriminating against women. Beyond these laws, we will discuss the institutional misogyny evident in daily life, such as the criminalization of non-compliance with 'Islamic standards' of dress, leading to severe penalties. Women live under constant surveillance, stifling their individuality and personal freedom. The focus will be on the resilient ways a large group of Iranians, both women and men, resist oppression and strive for self-expression despite restrictions on forming groups. In a society where a woman's body is seen as a source of sin, any act of feminine self-expression is attacked. Yet, more women than ever are fighting back in unique ways. When the regime constrains women within rigid societal frames, even the smallest public acts of femininity become powerful symbols of defiance. Location: Sreda Obitaniya, Šafarikova 6, Belgrade Rosie Raha is an accomplished educator and researcher with a diverse background in English Language and Literature, Fine Arts, and Art History. Born in Iran, she pursued a BA in English Literature and explored her passion for fine arts by attending classes at the University of Art in Tehran. Preparing for an MA in Art History and Research, Rosie also wrote a column on fine arts for a widely circulated newspaper in Iran. Throughout her career, Rosie has continually engaged in writing and painting, learning from various artists and educators. Her professional experience spans multiple roles in education, including assisting a social worker for a Dutch NGO in Iran, serving as an educational manager at a language academy, and working as a researcher at the University of Medical Sciences, focusing on the internationalization of education. Rosie's international experience includes teaching English in China for two years. In 2021, she moved to Serbia to pursue an MA in Cultural Policy and Management. Subsequently, she worked as a 4th grade teacher at an international school in Belgrade. Over the past year, Rosie has shifted her focus towards painting and writing. Together with her husband, she is developing the idea of opening a cultural center that emphasizes permaculture and sustainable practices in art. < Mentors Educational Program How to Apply >

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< Back Treading a line 15 Aug 2020 Sarah Bushra Mekbib Tadesse Emperor Menelik IIPhotographer: Mekbib Tadesse On June 30, the second day after protests broke out in Addis Ababa, and following the assassination of the Oromo people’s cultural icon and musician, Hacaaluu Hundeessaa, the streets in 4 kilo – a government district where Parliament, the Prime Minister’s office, and the Palace seats are located – were quiet and still. A stark contrast to the day before. Occasional voices broke out, echoing between low rise buildings and across the relatively wide-set street before falling onto our ears: “they are coming, they are coming.” A warning call, to which the sparse occupants of the street responded by readying themselves, brandishing sticks of all varieties, alert and equipped to ward off the belligerent youth from advancing towards the city center. Oromo is the largest ethnic group and historically marginalized community in Ethiopia. In 2016, a youth movement emerged by the name Qero , meaning “young unmarried men,” to claim political power and overthrow the hegemonic cultural and social structure. In the recent protests, the Amhara ethnic group were the intended targets of stone pelting, violent killings, and the burning and bashing of businesses, for being Neftegna . This word literally translates to “riflemen,” but has recently became synonymous to “colonizer,” referencing Ethiopia’s long-standing Imperial rule – spanning over ten centuries, with predominantly North Ethiopian Emperors (Amhara and Tigray) governing a system which favored them as landowners. When the protests began on June 29, a morning after artist, Hacaaluu Hundessaa was murdered, the Oromo youth headed to the Ghiorgis Roundabout in Addis Ababa, to topple over the statue of Emperor Menelik II – depicted gracefully riding a horse, a symbol of oppression for the Oromo resistance. As novice beneficiaries of the freedom of expression (or its illusions), as a community, many Ethiopians still stutter when trying to exercise it. Mistaking their newly found liberty for supremacy, most of those who have found a platform to voice their criticism – either on social media or on public forums – have veered to a language of hate. This new mode of communication has morphed the meanings of words that were previously harmless attributes of ethnic identities, to triggers of emotional and physical turmoil. It was particularly difficult for me, a millennial with no vested interest in politics, to reflect on the recent unrests taking place all over Ethiopia. Primarily because I had insulated myself from Ethiopian political discourse, falsely assuming its ethnic-based linings were somebody else’s concern. Politics here refers to governance, and the racket among parties as they contest for ruling power. Having grown up in an environment where such politics is discussed in hushed tones (if ever), I had neither the language nor the insight to comb through the nuances that led to the current turn of events. But when hurled into the conflict, unsuspecting and without pretext, I couldn’t escape its confrontational reality. Following the consequences of the pandemic, I immersed myself in the online world, embracing the changes openly and with vigilance. On the 29th of June, when the network connectivity stopped working, I imagined I had simply run out of my package and went to the nearest telecom office to top-up my card. On my way there, a friend called to warn me to stay at home upon rumors of protests breaking out, incited by the murder of Hacaalluu. A lot of people in my network also had their first warning call from a family member or a friend. These types of oral stories becomes the only source of information when the government shuts down the internet for three weeks. Someone who knows someone, who has a friend living in Shashemene, says his neighbor’s house was burnt down. There is something mythical about the way these kinds of stories circulate, with a tint of otherworldliness that at times comforts, and other times, terrifies. Mass media coverage during the time of the protest was no exception to the theatrics of mysticism. Radios and TVs chimed with an endless instrumental tune, with the latter accompanied by images of Hacaaluu superimposed with a picture of a burning candle. Keguro Macharia, a Kenyan literary scholar, tweets about the benefits of myths in times of collective duress. Referring particularly to the pandemic and the power of myths to alleviate the pressure from a lack of economic means within certain communities, where factually incorrect narratives circulate, he exemplifies this claim with: “ ‘black tea helps against the virus,’ might help cope with a reduced capacity to buy milk…” Ethiopian Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed, seems to think along the same lines when addressing the public on the day of Haccaaluu Hundeesaa’s assassination, citing the popular myth of “Sene ena Segno” – that Mondays in the month of June (Sené, the tenth month in Ethiopian Calendar), are prone to host unfortunate incidents. Perhaps implying it’s not particularly the moral decadence of society that resulted in the death of 239 people, and the loss of billions in birr, but rather, an unescapable fate set up within this popular myth. Nguigi wa Thing’o writes in his introduction to Hama Tuma’s The Case of the Socialist Witch-Doctor and Other Stories saying: “Ethiopia is the land of myths.” He admires the stories in the following pages (which were all set during Ethiopia’s Red Terror period) for their particular poignancy – propped as vignettes, unassuming of the mist in which they exist – simply framing their peculiar reality in minute details. The most wide-spread accounts of protests were unencumbered by context or the burden of proof, leaving it up to the audience to interpret and arrive at the underlining meaning. As I tried to grapple my way for a sound strand of narrative within this haze, I remembered Konjit Seyoum and her practice of reading a line. She’s simultaneously an artist and artisan – weaving stories that unravel from the multiverse of her lived experiences, as the movement of her hands materialize a thin white line from a nebulous cloud of cotton. It is this line that delineates the embodied from the performed identity. This line which borders the surge of young men who flood the streets, between those of us on the sidelines pacing in agitation, wavering between clemency and anger. It is this thin, intricate line that separates the myths from the facts, the tales from historical accounts. I finally found a friend to accompany me to the telecom, still unaware that it was in fact the government who had shut down the internet. We walked up the streets and suddenly came face to face with the stampede of wide-eyed young men, holding heavy-duty sticks, unmistakably handled as weapons. In a traditional dance of the Oromo people, the men sport a sturdy stick, much in the same way as the men in front of us did. I remembered the dancer standing next to me: as he once struggled to learn this dance, teeth clenched, sweat beads trickling, launching the stick up and down to the rhythm of a heavy staccato breathing. Filmed by Sarah Bushra Dancer: Dawit Seto Location: Fekat Circus August 2020 Addis Ababa Sarah Bushra is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, working primarily with a hybrid of text and images. Previous Next

< Back THE CULTURAL INTERWEAVING OF CHINA AND THE BALKANS: A TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF ARTISTIC EXCHANGES UNDER THE BRI 3 Nov 2021 Marija Glavaš This text is the second in a series of close studies examining the cultural exchanges between China and the Balkan region under the BRI, taking art [events and exchanges] as its main focal point. In the first text , I focused on the ambitions and challenges of artistic exchanges in general, using contemporary Slovenia as an example of bad praxis. In this text, I will focus on Chinese art and provide a textual analysis of some artifacts and archives from the events and exhibitions previously mapped in my first contribution. As an anthropology student, I however lack the proper knowledge and tools to read these images adequately. Thus, I held an open-ended interview with colleagues Xu Tiantian and Ke Qiwen from Rockbund Art Museum and Nikita Yingqian Cai from Times Museum. Both of these museums are committed to presenting and researching contemporary art and they are partners of the As you go… inquiry. They have deep insight into the contemporary art context of China that I am learning about. Together we have read some of the images and they kindly shared their personal thoughts on these projects with me. I must note that these museums did not participate in any such projects under the BRI – most of the analyzed exchanges were happening through public Chinese institutions. As stated in the introductory text my main question was whether these exchanges live up to their potential of shifting away from classical national narratives and providing a common ground for different cultural identities. Before we dwell on the individual artifacts, events, and exchanges it is important to understand the context in which they are taking place. The BRI is mostly known for Chinese infrastructure investments in Asia, Africa, and (Central and Eastern) Europe. It is an initiative that is striving for both economic growth and economic connectivity amongst participating countries. These activities are usually in the spotlight raising both praise and condemnation. However, these investments are not the only activities under the BRI. Another important aspect of it are the artistic and cultural exchanges which are rarely discussed, praised or criticized. This may appear trivial at first as most people simply consider art as a form of entertainment and not much more beyond that. Art, however, when shared internationally, plays an important role in our perceptions of one another – it has the power to bring us closer together, realize our common points, and appreciate our differences. Considering the ever-rising xenophobia this is not negligible. On the example of China specifically, we are currently witnessing a concerning growth of hate towards the country and its people because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The novel coronavirus outbreak that could’ve happened anywhere played perfectly not just into many stereotypical narratives about the Chinese people, but also into political conspiracy theories brought up by cold war propaganda. These feelings of hate are not coincidental – they are the product of intentional alienation, lack of cultural worldliness, and apathy towards who we consider an Other. In this context, intercultural artistic exchanges can help bridge the divide and this is what the artistic exchanges under the BRI are ought to do. Namely, the aim of these exchanges is to form deeper bonds amongst participating countries and their citizens. As noted in my first contribution where I mapped cross-institutional artistic exchanges between China and Balkan countries, it is overtly stated in most exhibitions that their goal is to bring their cultures closer together through knowledge and understanding. However, they [artistic exchanges] often appear as a mere political masquerade with no real content to them, as the images presented don’t really represent contemporary Chinese identities. This opens up very important questions – do they live up to their supposed potential? Are they adding to positive societal change? Is there space for improvement? Below are my thoughts after conducting a workshop with a few colleagues from the Rockbund Art Museum in Shanghai and Times Museum in Guangzhou who shared their impressions with me. Due to limited visual material not all exhibitions could be used. The first thing one notices when looking at these exhibitions is that they are heavily centered around tradition. For instance, let us look at the Chinese Festival of Lights held in Belgrade in 2020. “Chinese Festival of Lights”, picture by Đorđe Tomić, 2020 These lantern festivals appear to be some of the most popular Chinese exhibitions all around the world. The lanterns are placed as theme parks and as such attract audiences that wouldn’t necessarily enter museums and galleries, giving them much more reach than your usual exhibition. The concept of lantern festivals reaches back to ancient China, and while the lanterns exhibited in Belgrade don’t resemble traditional Chinese lanterns, they portray very characteristic Chinese symbols. We see dragons, bamboo, hand fans, pandas etc. These festivals aren’t necessarily bad for one’s first encounter with Chinese art, especially since they are very inviting for broader audiences, but they don’t provide much more substance than what the average person would already think about when thinking about China. “Exhibiton of Contemporary Chinese Painting”, picture by Tanjung/Tanja Valić, 2019 Even when we look at the exhibitions of contemporary artists, such as the Ink Imagery exhibition held in Kuća Legata (Belgrade) in 2019, we see a lot of traditional influences. While some techniques, shapes, and perspectives presented in this exhibition aren’t traditional, the symbolism is. In the picture above we see a waterfall, the red sun, and a pine tree. In the picture below we can see cherry blossoms and other floral symbols. All of these symbols are very common in traditional Chinese ink painting. For foreigners whose eyes aren’t trained in Chinese art these could easily be understood as classical Chinese paintings and not paintings created by contemporary artists. “Exhibition of Contemporary Chinese Painting”, picture by Tanjung/Tanja Valić, 2019 Such images are usually exhibited in state-owned institutions following narrow and strict narratives. From religious motives to mythological creatures – these paintings present an image of China that is very one-sided and static. We see a lot of bird-and-flower paintings and mountain-and-water paintings. Ever repeating compositions. We don’t get to see any diversity, just strictly canonical images, which have, through repetition, lost all of its meanings. Foreigners who are only subjected to this type of art very easily fall into the trap of thinking that this is all there is to China. And this is common to most of the Chinese art in these exhibitions held in the Balkan region. It is important to note that in the Balkan region, knowledge of Chinese art is very limited. We don’t see much of it exhibited in our museums and galleries, we don’t watch Chinese movies on television, we don’t hear Chinese music on the radio and we don’t learn about it extensively in schools. These limits make it hard to look at the art we do encounter critically. We don’t question the images that we see, the stories they are telling, and the gaps present in them. “Enthusiasm for Ink Wash Painting”, picture by T. Saletović, 2019 “Enthusiasm for Ink Wash Painting”, picture by T. Saletović, 2019 Some of the exhibitions were also historical in nature, showcasing historical art and important artifacts. Such exhibitions naturally bring tradition and historic culture closer to their audiences and for building intercultural understanding and empathy this is just as important as getting to know the contemporary identities, ideas, and characteristics. Yet, it seems that these historical images remain the only accessible knowledge of China and the Chinese people. Lord Baopu explains how to stay away from heat, 1644-1911, ink on silk It appears that what is provided in these artistic exchanges is just one fixed image of China. An image that hasn’t changed in ages, that’s full of gaps and that’s suppressing diversity. As such it cannot adequately represent Chinese identities, especially to foreigners who often lack the knowledge to separate reality from a constructed image. As mentioned above, in the Balkan region most people are very distanced from Chinese culture.They only discuss China in the context of politics which only distorts their views more. Exhibiting these ancient, historical, mythological and religious symbols furthers this mystification instead of providing knowledge and consequently enabling understanding. As Xu Tiantian, Ke Qiwen, and Nikita Yingqian Cai noted there is a big disconnect in these exhibitions from what China really is. There is not just one China and one Chinese identity. Based on carefully selected and distinctly narrated historical images, this forced oneness perfectly resembles classical nationalistic narratives, just served on a nicely decorated plate. This disconnect between representation and reality makes it hard for these exchanges to bridge the divide between the Balkan and Chinese people since knowledge always stays limited and carefully directed. To truly grasp the essence of a different culture the free transmission of knowledge is of utmost importance. And not just knowledge on history – also knowledge on the day-to-day lives of the Chinese people. In conclusion – these exhibitions, although presented as bridges between nations, only further promote nationalistic narratives. These may not enter the realms of radical nationalism, however, they also don’t surpass national conservatism. While the exhibitions held under the BRI provide audiences with entertaining and educational art, they don’t appear to fulfill their purpose of bridging the divide they acknowledge. Marija Glavaš , student of Culturology at the Faculty of Social Sciences in Ljubljana Previous Next