FORUM #9
European Cultural Exchanges 2008
ARTVENTURE Visual Art Network

[conferences] [exhibitions] [networking] [research trip] [ongoing 2000-2010]

About FORUM European Cultural Exchanges

Ongoing platform for the development and promotion of European cultural exchanges –with emphasis on Southeastern Europe– aiming towards the support and diffusion of contemporary artistic creation. Founded in 2000 in Thessaloniki by Apollonia european art exchanges (Strasbourg) and ArtBOX, and coordinated by ArtBOX, Forum includes annual events, conferences, meetings, exhibitions and networking activities, as well as the Forum Artists-in-Residence program (F.A.R., 2005-2008).

In 2007 FORUM Joined the ARTVENTURE Visual Art Network and continued its actions through this collaboration. Artventure – Visual Art Network, supported by the Culture 2000 programme of the European Commission, has as its main goal the discovery and presentation of the most original forms of European artistic expression in the field of visual arts. Artventure is conducted by five partners: apollonia, european art exchanges (France), la Châtaignerie – the Walloon Contemporary Art Center (Belgium), the National Museum of Szczecin (Poland), Multum in Parvo Ldt (Cyprus), and ArtBOX.gr | arts management (Greece).

The Artist-in-Residency program became the main Forum activity and this year collaborates with the Documenta 12 curators: Roger Buergel and Ruth Noack.

2000 - 2010
Organized by:
ArtBOX, Thessaloniki, Greece
Apollonia, Strasbourg, France
Founding Directors:
Dimitris Konstantinidis (Apollonia)
Christos Savvidis (ArtBOX)
Coordination: ArtBOX
Advisory Committee:
Efie Strousa, Denys Zacharopoulos

Forum Artists-in-Residence - F.A.R.
[residency programme] [exhibition]

F.A.R. was one of the few serious attempts to establish a permanent residency program in Greece. It was initiated in 2005 by Forum European Cultural Exchanges in collaboration with Action Field Kodra - annual visual arts festival and run every year until 2008. F.A.R. collaborated with established Greek and international curators and with interesting emerging artists from Greece and abroad. In 2006, F.A.R. was presented by the Periphery of Alsace (France) as a model for cultural development. For more information follow the links on the right. 

Mediterranean Cultural Parliament 2008
An Initiative by Michelangelo Pistoletto
[networking] [founding member]

The Mediterranean Cultural Parliament, an initiative of artist Michelangelo Pistoletto, is established in June 2008 in Strasbourg (France), founded with the goal of promoting an active role of art and culture in the definition of new Mediterranean policies. It is based on the ten years experience of Love Difference - working for the dialogue between cultures, and of its partners, for many years engaged in artistic and cultural projects linked with civil society in the Mediterranean area. The Mediterranean Cultural Parliament coordinates study groups and organizes operational meetings involving those who intend to join cultural engagement with political action in search for the "common good" and working for an activation of individual and collective responsibility. The Parliament bases its action on the principles of inclusion, listening, cooperation and sharing. Meetings are characterized by interventions of cultural agents, politicians and artists, with the aim of responding to the current challenges of cross-cultural relation between the shores of the Mediterranean basin, in order to issue political - cultural projects and to create new prospects for cooperation between communities and peoples. The Mediterranean Cultural Parliament is centred around Michelangelo Pistoletto's work "Love Difference Table", the mirroring table in the shape of the Mediterranean Sea.

Mediterranean Cultural Parliament Mission Statement

Art in all its forms is the highest expression of humanity and creativity as it is inherent to every individual. In today’s world torn by conflicts, unsettled by unprecedented social and ecological crises, fundamental values are getting lost becoming sometimes fundamentalisms. Reacting against this we try to return the nearest possible to mankind and its natural capacities to create. We affirm that art is the source of a new humanism, which generates responsible attitudes and leads to a form of experimental commitment we call ARTIVISM. We have the ambition to apply this process of research to this mythical, geographic and imaginary space which is the Mediterranean. 

The Mediterranean is, due to its history, its contradictions and its potential, worldwide the region where today’s problems are acutely concentrated. But it is also the place where the foundations of a shared future based on dialogue and collective new voices can be cast. The Mediterranean today is branded by a deep environmental crisis, conflicts, wars and the effects economical models which have predacious consequences for mankind. This vivid sea is interpreted and essentially lived as a border and not as it should, like the place where intercultural spreading takes place. By our ARTIVISM we propose to renovate its intrinsic values: the Mediterranean as a place of cultural diversity, where the incontrovertible presupposition of founding a Citizen’s Parliament is embodied.
 
This new citizen’s entity is inspired by human and Mediterranean values able to transform present practices. For, it has become urgent to develop a common language that relies on responsible choices, which are ethical, cultural, social, economical or political. Such an experimental proposition is the sense of the Mediterranean Cultural Parliament. A process which is engaged in connecting in partnership different personalities, cultural organisations and institutions thus all other actors who put a lot of effort in committing to reality by art and creativity – fundamental tools for a social responsible transformation.

By multiplying the connections between mutual efforts and experiences – within a network which is respectful about the differences between the partners and the autonomous of the political world – a critical mass will be generated in preparation to promote the new priorities art and culture will have within the actual political discourse. Thus the Mediterranean Cultural Parliament wishes to gather all those who understand political actions as the search for a common good and who are working towards a mobilisation broadened by individual and collectives responsibilities. The Parliament will base its action on the principals of inclusion and hearing, withdrawing its inspiration and constructing its activities based on the experiences carried out within the sector of arts and culture. 

With the Mediterranean Cultural Parliament it will be possible to reappropriate a common space. It will be possible to construct a perpetual dynamic based on the flexible and progressive network whose principal objectives will be to facilitate the diversity of experiences, to favour the emergence of initiatives, to produce and to share the pieces. Certain meeting and exchange places already work, thus they already point up the recognition of intercultural and inter-religious dialogue. This necessity today is amplified with the demand what role different artistic expressions could play. Contemporary art pieces hold the unique capacity of connecting the real and the symbolic. When artists produce them according to participative models, relating to the context and the people, they concretely support the realization of everyone’s fundamental rights. 

Palais du Rhin
Strasbourg, France
25 - 26 June 2008

Organised by:
Apollonia & Love Difference, Cittadellarte Fondation Pistoletto, Institute Culturel Italien de Strasbourg

Directors:
Michelangelo Pistoletto, Dimitri Konstantinidis

Participants:
Michelangelo Pistoletto, Dimitri Konstantinidis, Filippo Fabbrica,François Laquièze, Carmela Natalina Callea, Daniel Payot, Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, Francesco Martone, Lorand Hegyi, Souad El Maysour, Judith Neisse, Beral Madra, Achilleas Kentonis, Maha El Madi, Aliaa El Gready, Eva Van Tulden, Sylvie Amar, Jean Yves Bainier, Bernard Goy, Jean Hurstel, Marilena Joannides, Marie-Hélène Joiret, Katerina Koskina, Maria Marangou, Christos Savvidis, Irène Weidmann

The first act of ARTIVISIM is contributing to this process of founding of the Mediterranean Cultural Parliament by:
Olivier Agid, artist (Marseille); Vincenzo Antonucci, scientist, CNR (Messina); ArtBox, Creative Arts Management (Thessaloniki); Artos Foundation, cultural and research foundation (Nicosia); Carlo Bocci, Ravello Lab Commitee (Ravello) Maurizio Bortolotti, art critic and curator (Milan); Giuliana Carusi Setari, President of Dena Foundation for contemporaty art (Paris); Miriam Castelnuovo, journalist and art critic (Rome); Geraldina Cipolla, architect (Rome); Cittadellarte – Fondazione Pistoletto (Biella – Turin); J.F. Costopoulos Foundation (Athens); Dar Bellarj, foundation pour la culture au Morocco (Marrakech); DRAC Alsace (Strasbourg); Giorgio de Finis, filmmaker (Rome); Alessandra Drioli, Città della Scienza (Naples); Emira (Brussels); Thierry Fabre, essayist (Marseille); Gasteraea, not for profit cultural organization (Cyprus); Domenico Giorgi, Ministero degli Esteri (Rome); Gudran for Art and Development (Alexandria of Egypt); Rosa Jijon, artist, (Rome – Quito); KunstDoel, Doel Arts Village (Doel – Antwerp); Le Bureau des compétences et désirs, structure de production en art contemporain (Marseille); Love Difference, Artistic Movement for an Intermediterranean Politics (Biella – Turin); Beral Madra, art critic (Istanbul); David Mardell, freelance (Paris); Debora Malaponti, blogger (Rome); Francesco Martone, Senator of the Italian Republic (Rome); Anna Mattirolo, MAXXI Arte director (Rome); Apollonia, European ArtExchanges (Strasbourg); Paola Melli, journalist (Rome); Alberto Michelini, journalist, writer and President of Fabula in Art (Rome); Gennaro Migliore, national coordinator of Sinistra Ecologia Libertà (Rome); Carlotta Vittoria Mismetti Capua, journalist (Rome); Alessia Montani, Vice – president of Fabula in Art (Rome); Musée d’Art Moderne Saint Etienne – Metropole (Saint Etienne); Francesco Napolitano, photographer (Naples); Ivan Novelli, Greenpeace Italia (Roma); Francois Nowakowski, architect (Strasbourg); Hervé Paraponaris, artist (Marseille); Gabriella Pasca, architect (Naples); Roberto Pasca Di Magliano, Professor of economics at La Sapienza University (Rome); Mario Perillo, entrepreneur, associazione Genti in Viaggio (Lecco – Milan); Michelangelo Pistoletto, artist (Biella – Turin); Claudia Moratti, historical (Marseille); Dora Regla Stiefelmeier, RAM radioartemobile (Rome); Angelo Riva, CRAMS coordinator, associazione Genti in Viaggio (Lecco – Milano); Silvia Rossi, Federculture (Rome); Cinzia Russo, architect (Rome); Christine Thecites, artist (Rome); Marco Trulli, cultural operator (Rome); Stefania Vannini, Education department responsible MAXXI (Rome).

MedCulturalParl.pdf
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East (re)shaping Artistic Xpressions: Bridges or Walls, Criticality, Middle East, Artistic Neo-Colonialism 
[conference] [artventure]

The aim of the conference is to investigate the visual art landscape and the relationships that are being developed between Europe and the Middle East in the fields of fine arts and architecture. Also, the investigation of the possibility of existence of a neo-colonial model resulting in the destruction of the genuine and cultural identity of the region having of course the experience of the Balkans. The speakers will try, via the criticality, history and theory of art, to contribute with their personal experiences to this issue. 

The conference is in parallel with the management committee of the ARTVENTURE network and is co-financed by the Culture 2000 and among others the Ministry of Education and Culture. During this meeting, the research trips for cultural mapping that were organised by Cyprus in Lebanon and Egypt are also presented. 

ARTos Foundation
Nicosia, Cyprus
28-30 January 2008

Speakers:
Catherine David, curator, France
Nadim Karam, architect & artist, Lebanon
Sameh El Halawany, artist, Director - Gudran Association, Egypt

Concept:
Achilleas Kentonis

In the framework of the project Artventure

Research trip to Baltic countries
[research trip] [artventure]

Forum invited art historian and curator Thalea Stefanidou, co-curator of the Forum Artists-in-Residence programme 2008, to participate in Artventure's research trip to the Baltic countries, that would prepare the Baltic-Balkans project. As a result of this trip, Thalea Stefanidou selected one artist from Estonia, Mark Raidpere, to participate in the Forum Artists-in-Residence programme 2008.

Riga, Latvia & Tallinn, Estonia
May 2008

Organized by:
Forum European Cultural Exchanges

In Colaboration with:
National Museum of Contemporary Art, Szczecin (Poland)

Coordination:
ArtBOX

In the framework of the project Artventure

report_Latvia_Estonia.pdf
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Baltic Balkans
[exhibition] [residence] [network] [artventure]

Collaboration between Forum European Cultural Exchanges & the National Museum of Szczecin within the project Artventure, that resulted in the following commonly organised exhibitions: 

Restaging the Past
Curator: Magdalena Lewoc
Artists: Adam Adach, Bruno Ascuks, Irina Botea, Chto delat? - Olga Egorova - Tsaplya, Nikolai Oleinikov & Dmitry Vilensky, Robert Aliaj Dragot, Kristian Inciuraite, David Malijkovic, Aleksandra Polisiewicz, Silja Saarepuu, Liina Siib, Pawel Susid, Jerzy Truszkowski, Milica Tomic, Mona Vatamanu & Florin Tudor

Projected Visions Baltic
Curator: Rael Artel
Artists: Adel Abidin, Minna Hint, Flo Kasearu, R.E.P., Laura Stasiulyte

Projected Visions Balkans (see below)
Curator: Christiana Galanopoulou
Artists: Robert Aliaj Dragot, Marina Gioti, Ana Husman, Branko Istvancic, Tassos Langis, Jelka Milic, Ogino Knauss, Ethem Ozguven, Bogdana Pascal, Andrej Tisma, Mona Vatamanu & Florin Tudor

F.A.R. - Forum Artists-in-Residence 
Curators: Ruth Noack, Thalea Stefanidou
Artists: Burak Delier, Ines Doujak, Zeren Goktan, Mark Raidpere, Andreas Savva, Nikos Varytimiadis

Museum of Contemporary Art
National Museum of Szczecin, Poland
30 October - 9 November 2008

F.A.R. - Forum Artists-in-Residence
Thessaloniki, Greece
5-15 September 2008

Organised by:
National Museum of Szczecin
Forum European Cultural Exchanges
Mare Articum
ArtBOX

Publication:
Colour, English & Polish, 168 pages In the framework of the project Artventure

Projected Visions Balkans
[video art exhibition] [artventure]

In the framework of Artventure's project Baltic-Balkans and in collaboration with the National Museum of Contemporary Art of Szczecin, Forum invited curator Christiana Galanopoulou to compile a video selection of works by Balkan artists, to be shown in Greece (Action Field Kodra visual arts festival, Kalamaria) and Poland (National Museum of Contemporary Art, Szczecin). During Action Field Kodra, the selection was also screened on the window of architects' firm ERGO Design, in the centre of Thessaloniki. 


"My Balkans-your Balkans: The history, the stories and the images of reality"
A common past does not guarantee a common present. [...] Collective memory, history, as national cultural collateral, as well as elements of national cultural identity or tradition seen through a contemporary critical gaze, are used as raw material in videos by Mona Vatamanu and Florin Tudor from Romania (“August”), Robert Dragot from Albania (“Discreet elements”), Ana Husman from Croatia (“The Market”), Branko Istvancic from Bulgaria (“Berac Kamena/The stone picker”) and Tassos Langis from Greece (“Drawn from the bones”). As allegory of history, the meaning of time, which causes all the changes on an individual but also a social level, is the subject of two additional videos from Romania (“Studiu of du timp” by Bogdana Pascal and “August” by Mona Vatamanu and Florin Tudor). Its image after the socialism of the social reality of Romania is depicted through dark colors. The video “Substitute city” by the Italian group Ogino Knauss, Greek co-production and commission by the festival VideoDance, throws a clear look into the relationship of history, contemporary political and cultural reality and to how this correlation shapes the contemporary image of the urban landscape of Thessaloniki.

The economic exploitation of the Mediterranean through tourism and its ecological and cultural destruction is negotiated in a visual way but also through the text that accompanies the video “Little Lake/Küçük göl” by Ethem Özgüven from Turkey. The influence of American models and the political dependence from the USA is castigated with humor by Marina Gioti from Greece (“B-alles”) and Andrej Tisma from Serbia (“Positive-Negative”). The phenomenon of hunger and the always-increasing degradation of the lower social strata in Europe in contrast to the hyper-consumeristic models that are projected are commented on by the Slovenian artist Jelka Milic with the video “First I have breakfast”. And Ethem Özgüven contributes to the dialogue pointing out the effect of advertisements on our life with the video “Delirium”.

This small collection of artistic video works reflects to some degree the tendencies that predominate and to international production: besides the artistic gaze that characterizes the videos, someone might observe the flexible and multidimensional use of technical animation, the use of material from older films (found footage), and the without bias drawing on models from the techniques of mythopoetic films and –particularly the documentary. Video art ceased a long time ago to be solely a field of visual experimentations with the technical possibilities of the medium and has been reduced to a medium of comprehensible expression of questions aiming to challenge the viewer and his reaction to the reality that surrounds him. Also no one should forget that in many of the Balkan countries the recent artistic past, shaped by important and internationally recognized artists, comprise an important point of reference for young artists.

Christiana Galanopoulou
Curator 

Action Field Kodra
&
Former Military Camp Kodra
Window of architects' firm ERGO Design at Tsimiski street
Thessaloniki, Greece
3-15 September 2008

Organised by:
Forum European Cultural Exchanges

Co-organised by:
Cultural Organisation of the Municipality of Kalamaria (Thessaloniki, Greece)

In collaboration with:
National Museum of Contemporary Art, Szczecin (Poland)

Coordination:
ArtBOX

Curator:
Christiana Galanopoulou (art historian, curator, Artistic Director of MIR Festival, Athens)

Artists:
Robert Aliaj Dragot, Marina Gioti, Ana Husman, Branko Istvancic, Ogino Knauss, Tasos Langis, Jelka Milic, Ethem Ozguven, Bogdana Pascal, Andrej Tisma, Mona Vatamanu & Florin Tudor

Printed material: 16 pages, colour, included in the Action Field Kodra catalogue (copies: 1000)

In the framework of the project Artventure

related project:

SOTIRI,  international competition for young photographers
[1st edition of international competition for young photographers] 

‘Sotiri’ is an international competition for young photographers, organized by the Cultural Center Lindart in Tirana, in partnership with the Municipality of Korca under the auspice of the Mayor Mr. Niko Peleshi.
The prize is named after local photographer Kristaq Sotiri (1883-1970), trained at the studio of the USA photographer Steckel. There, he learned not only the basic techniques of photographic portraiture, but was also acquainted with the style of pictorialism, which was quite in fashion at the time. According to François Cheval, director of the Museum Nicéphor Niépce in France, Sotiri was a master in capturing the proper instant and in creating intelligent compositions of events and portraits of people of his city... These portraits gave Sotiri the opportunity to apply pictorialism, which makes the collection of his images a rare thing within the Albanian photography tradition.

Starting this year, young artists from all over the world are invited to Korça to show their best works in an exhibition and participate in the panel discussion. The Sotiri Prize aims to support new developments in the field of photography, both in Albania and internationally, as well as to promote the values of the Sotiri collection, as part of the Albanian photography heritage.

Tirana, Albania
2008

Selected Artists from Greece:
Haris Pallas, Giorgos Tsalamanis,
Babis Venetopoulos

Selected by:
ArtBOX

Organised by:
Cultural Center Lindart & Anima and Projekt 5.6

Pépinières européennes pour jeunes artistes 
[networking]

Working session for future programming. Participation as representative of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture: Lydia Chatziiakovou.

Mangalia, Romania
4-6 Spet. 2008

Organized by:
Pépinières and National Association of Theatre Artists (Romania)

Representing Greece
(Greek Ministry of Culture):
Lydia Chatziiakovou