BAT- Bridging Art + Text
BAT Curator: Michelle Eistrup
BAT Coordinator: Annemari Brogaard Clausen
HOSTED by: Karen Blixen Museum & Naturama
GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY:
DANISH AGENCY FOR CULTURE, DANISH ART COUNCIL, TOYOTA FONDEN, INSTITUT FRANÇAIS DANEMARK & BILLEDKUNSTNERNES FORBUND – DANISH VISUAL ARTISTS.
REFLECTIONS ON BLACK IDENTITY IN THE NETHERLANDS/ DENMARK/FINLAND/ JAMAICA/TRINIDAD/ FRANCE/GERMANY/ IN THE SPIRIT/VODUN/ SINTI/OBEAH/ CANDOMBLE/SANTERIA/ ENSLAVED AFRICANS BROUGHT MORE THAN THEMSELVES/ THEY TRANSFERRED RELIGION TO THE DIASPORA/MAROONS/ UPRISE/INDEPENDENT POLITICS/CUBA/ ETHIOPIA/ RUSSIA/ PANAFRICANISM/SOCIALISM/ LIBERATION MOVEMENTS/ WERE THEY REVOLUTIONARY/ WHAT ARE THE STATE OF THESE DREAMS TODAY/ ARTISTIC PLATFORMS IN THE TRINIDAD/ BENIN/ BOSTON/ ETHIOPIA
SEMINAR JUNE 1st
10-5 p.m. at the KAREN BLIXEN Museum
BRIDGING ART & TEXT
Independent Politics • Divine Spirits •
Black Identity & Aesthetics • Spaces for Art & Literature
Seminar
Karen Blixen Museum
Friday June 1st 2012
Lectures and discussions will be conducted in English.
The programme starts at 10 AM and finishes at 5 PM.
Karen Blixen Museet
Rungsted Strandvej 111
2960 Rungsted Kyst
T: 45 57 10 57
Bridging Art + Text
Bridging Art + Text is a seminar platform initiated to develop and inspire Scandinavian art and cultural institutions by questioning the notion of cultural identities, which are possibly not formed by one unified existence but by many.
The seminar will ignite debate by bringing together artists with different cultural background based in Europe and artists, writers and curators working mainly in South America, the Caribbean and Africa. During the seminar the speakers will debate their cross existences and connected histories and practices with the goal of possible new makings.
Bridging Art + Text wish to stimulate the knowledge and debate on intercultural artists by specifying their individual experience and the diverse contexts on which their works are based. Our concrete wish is to create networks between relevant Scandinavian institutions and independent curators, artists and writers and international spaces, groups and institutions in Africa, the Caribbean, and the rest of Europe. The discussions of the seminar falls into four main themes:
Independent Politics • Divine Spirits • Black Identity & Aesthetics • Spaces for Art & Literature
I would like to thank all of the speakers for taking their precious time to commit themselves to creating new beginnings!
Curator Michelle Eistrup
Independent Politics
Today it is possible to trace similarities in political structures and cultural dynamics among countries that have not been united geographically or culturally. The cold war brought divides and collaborations across the continent of Africa and South America creating similar ideologies yet perhaps not similar practices in countries such as South Africa, Algeria, and Cuba. The various independence movements on the continents approached different ideologies, which brought them foreign support to increase their military strength and political influence or/and enhance their autonomy and freedom to maneuver internationally. How did these alliances and conflicts affect the present politics, societies and furthermore the artists? How do the art practice and writing within different socialist, communist and post-communist countries engage with dogmatic imagery, myth building, political agendas, and independence movements – and can focusing on these strategies bring to light new dialogues and understandings across continents? Moreover, how can artists and writers based in different countries supplement each other?
• Framing the cold war divides in Africa and Latin America and the effects of socialism on black identity in Cuba by writer and scholar Dr. Carlos Moore.
• The Catalyst – Yvette Brackman
• Writers and politics in the Caribbean by program director of the Trinidad and Tobago’s literary festival Nicholas Laughlin.
• Sum of Independent Politics Workshop- Nicholas Laughlin
• Free my Wor(l)d! performance by writer Noufel Bouzeboudja.
Divine Spirits
Often one considers that the surge for progress and development is leaving behind humanity - could the concept of borrowing and merging spiritual ideas be a solution? Scandinavian social systems are seen as exemplary by many nations around the world, however, it might seem as if the solidarity among the people has been lost to the system and substituted by a self–sufficient society. Is it possible that Scandinavian art institutions have also fostered sterile aesthetics that without knowing it does not give room for a range of interpretations and cultural input? Could spirituality as a bearer of other histories reignite these aesthetics? By presenting various aesthetics, social structures, belief systems and narratives in Shamanism in Sápmi, Vodun in West Africa, and syncretic belief systems such Santaria in Cuba, Winti in Suriname, Obeah in Jamaica, and Candomble in Brazil and the way they are transformed into the work of contemporary artists can we open the way for new aesthetic approaches? Do the materiality, visual expressions, sculptural forms, transgression of identities and bodies, the sound, ritual timing, and the spiritual relations throughout a community challenge our very core understanding of ourselves, the function of art and creativity within society and the way we organize society?
• Communal practices, aesthetics and narratives in Vodun by art historian and curator Joseph Adandé and writer and comic columnist Florent Couao-Zotti.
• Contentious Consciousness by curator and professor Daniel Dawson.
• The Winti religion in Suriname reframed or recreated - an artist talk by Charl Landvreugd.
• Spiritual influences in contemporary art practices by curator Ery Camara.
• Spirituality and contemporary art within the Sami community by professor and filmmaker Britt Kramvig.
• Joint discussion on spirituality and artistic strategies.
Black identity & aesthetics
Is it possible to discuss the aesthetics and narratives created by contemporary artists in regards to black identity? Can artists working with the remaining structures of colonialism, which still affect black identity today - deconstruct old perceptions and recreate new narratives and visuals of the multitude of identities and cultures in our present time? If we don’t aim to generalise but let the artists show what the complexity of black identity ignites in art, both in the very concrete visual and material way and in a more abstract imaginary way, do we come closer to grasping our contemporary world? Which aesthetics are being formed in different parts of the world and how do they interconnect - how do cultural expressions influence the identity in various locations across the globe? How do you negotiate your black identity within a European context?
• Oui mon commandant, Luna Parc an artist talk by Yoyo Gonthier.
• Christopher Cozier, artist talk
• Rentyhorn +(T)RACES OF LOUIS AGASSIZ - an artist talk by Sasha Huber.(film 4:30 min)
• Di Real Big Man and other works by Ebony G. Patterson.
Spaces for Art & Literature
Could intercultural input be a way to open up for new interpretations and stimulate and connect to new audiences? Can Scandinavian art institutions be inspired by other practices in different settings and contexts – and do they have a responsibility towards representing the complexity of the world and to keep transforming and developing their research and practices? Do they need to challenge current concepts of nationality, funding practices, democratic inclusiveness of audiences, and what about thought experiments and discussions on how extended and massive working with intercultural issues needs to be? Can we bring in international expertise within our art institutions as a general practice? How can international curators, festival directors, and museum workers revamp, re-mobilize, and rethink new ways of approaching dominant systems in Scandinavia?
• Alice Yard in Trinidad by curator and co-director Christopher Cozier.
• Instituto Buena Bista, Curaçao Center for Contemporary Art & ‘Who More Sci-Fi Than US’ by curator Nancy Hoffman.
•Freedom Park by heritage manager of Freedom Park Ramzie Abrahams.
• The artists collaborative 3 Collect by curator and visual artist James Muriuki.
• The International Institute for the Inclusive Museum by professor and executive director Amaraswar Galla.
• Joint discussion spaces and practices for art and literature including program director of the Trinidad and Tobago’s literary festival Nicholas Laughlin & heritage manager of Freedom Park Ramzie Abrahams. Moderated by Artist Yvette Brackman.
BAT SEMINAR SCHEDULE
Timetable
9.30 AM Registration
10 AM Greetings and welcome in the Documentary Room of Karen Blixen
10.15–10:30 Carlos Moore
10:30-10.40 Yvette Brackman
10.40 -10.50 Nicholas Laughlin
10:50-11.00 Summary of the Independent politics workshop group
11:00– 11.10 Moving Indoors to the Boganis hall
11.10 – 11.20 Noufel Bouzeboudja
11.20 – 11.35 Daniel Dawson
11.35 – 12:00 Florent Coauo-Zotti and Joseph Adande
12.00 – 12.15 Britt Kramvig
12.20 – 13.00 Lunch in the Café and Garden
13.00 – 13.15 Ery Camara in the Boganis Hall
13.15 – 13.30 Charl Landvreugd
13.20 – 13.40 Divine Spirits Sum up and Discussion
13.40 – 14.10 Coffee break in the garden
14.10 – 15.20 Artist talks by Yo-Yo Gonthier, Christopher Cozier, Ebony G Patterson, Sasha Huber, in the
Boganis Hall
15.20 – 15.35 Alice’s Yard
15:35- 15:45 Freedom Park
15.45 -16:00 James Muriuki/3 Collect
16:00 – 16.15 Nancy Hoffman
16:15 – 16. 20 Moving to the Documentary Room
16.15 – 16.45 Joint discussions of Artistic and Literary Platforms
16.45 – 17.00 Sum up and thanks.
17.00 – 19.00 Networking