Changing Europe, Changing Arts #1
In a series of four public sessions chaired by columnist-author Bas Heijne, SICA and EUNIC Netherlands will examine how cultural diversity is manifesting itself within today’s sector. The focus is especially on the grey area between the community arts and social arts on the one hand and high art on the other hand.
Challenging and enriching
Examples from various European countries demonstrate how our multicultural society can enrich culture and the arts. The central questions were: what makes the projects at hand so special; who attended these events; what was their general impact on the visitors; which questions were raised, which debates were triggered, and which changes in society were brought about? Other pivotal questions: which effect is the multicultural society having on the artists and event organizers themselves and on the artistic choices they are making?
The meetings will be held in English, admission is free of charge.
Session 1 – 16 September 2010
Felix Meritis, Keizersgracht 324 Amsterdam, 15.00 - 18.00h
With Annie Fletcher, Van Abbe Museum in the Dutch city of Eindhoven and Maria Draghici and Irina Gadiuta, laBOMBAstudio in the Rahova-Uranus Community in Bucharest (Romania).
Annie Fletcher, curator with Charles Esche, of the exhibition Be(com)ing Dutch assesses the legacies and impact of the two year (2006-2008) research project both within the museum and in the wider cultural context. Since the time of its development questions of cultural identity and normative 'national' values have become even more of a polarized issue in political and cultural debate in the Netherlands and throughout Europe. Therefore it seems timely to reflect back upon this project which attempted to investigate whether art can offer alternative examples of thinking about how we can live together today.
The Rahova-Uranus neighbourhood of Bucharest is a microcosm of recent Romanian history in how it reflects the social, economic and architectural repercussions of the three distinct regimes of the last 100 years. The local community opened the doors of ‘la BOMBA’, the former disco in the neighbourhood, to several artists, who together transformed it into a community centre – the first known ‘re-conversion’ of a bar into a cultural-community centre in post-revolutionary Romania.
This session is realised with the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute.
Other sessions are scheduled for 25 October,15 November and 29 November.