Year: 2011
Duration: 4 weeks fall of 2011
Location: Y-Gallery + public spaces, Minsk, Belarus
Media: exhibition, dinners, craftivism, reversed graffiti, performance, video, photography
Gallery space was used as a studio for the temporary collective formed around CALM.
A temporary art collective (CALM) working with negotiations of public space with the gallery as a studio, CALM/CityArtLab was initiated in 2011 by Swedish artist & Curator Anna Viola Hallberg. It was originally carried out in the city of Mariestad. For the month of December, the collective will have Minsk as its base, and artists from Belarus, Russia, and Sweden will work side by side with the general public with an art practice that is socially based focusing on sustainable aspects of life in Minsk. The collective worked for 10 days in Minsk and the CALM Exhibition was up for one month. During the remaining period, space was used by different groups invited by the Y Gallery to continue the work of CALM.
The dinners with select people invited to focus on certain issues were held at CALM Studio/Y Gallery for Contemporary Art had a central role in understanding the present everyday life in Minsk but also to talk about the future. The harsh political situation in December 2011 challenged the performances/interventions. We were in dialogue with the gallery in what we could do without violating or endangering their position but still pushing the borders to what people would find possible to do. Our mission was resistance and aspects of reclaiming the streets. A sphere that entails physical, emotional, and intellectual. Performances were made in the studio but also in the streets, the title for all performances by CALM in Minsk is The Arcade Projects. They were all documented and added to the ongoing CALM Exhibition.
A series of lowkey performances during 10 days, to secure public space. The time since the elections in December 2011 public space has been undergoing a revision by the state, new laws have been introduced. Such regulations including regulating larger groups than three in the streets. At the time inflation was really steep, the value of the monetary system fails. Due to this one cold only buy two tokens at a time, more would be like investing in a new monetary system.
The project was located at the borders of Social Sculpture, interventions, graffiti, video, photography, craftivism, and performance.
Images (flip to find text on back)>>>
Title: The Revolution is Still Pending
Artist: Anna Viola Hallberg
Location: October Revolution Factory, Minsk, Belarus
Duration: 60 minutes
Date: December 4th, 2011
Three pink metro coins in each hand a symbol of inflation and crowd control. In the back photographs of people in business suits. The suit Anna Viola Hallberg wears is from a Jewish man in Brooklyn, NY. The fold-up on the right leg holds a coin. And the inside of the suit is torn. In each hand here three coins are placed to represent the new regulation in public space - only groups of people are allowed. The law is not enforced unless something additional is affecting the situation.
THE ARCADE PROJECTS
The artists explore public space in Minsk - during 10 days of performances and interventions in the city. This segment of CALM holds works developed by the artists independently as a response to the dinner conversations. CALM members for the Minsk Session: Ira Anufrieva (SE/BY), Vita Dumchyute (RU), Carolina Falkholt (SE), Mary/Masha Khrustaleva (BY), and Anna Viola Hallberg (SE) + invited members with various backgrounds but with a key interest in transforming Minsk.
Title: Bela Monument of Time (live performance & video)
Location: By Y Gallery of Contemporary Art Minsk.
Performance by: Irina Anufrieva (SE/BY), Anna Viola Hallberg (SE) Carolina Falkholt(SE)
Video/documetnation: Mary/Masha Khrustaleva (BY)
Date: (November 30th) December 1st 2011
Videographer: Masha Khrustaleva
(Documentation photograph: Marsha, was installed in the ongoing Exhibition CALM at Y Gallery For Contemporary Art)
Title: The Revolution is Still Pending
Performance by: Anna Viola Hallberg
Location: October Revolution Factory
Duration: 60 minutes
Date: December 4th 2011
Photographer: Masha Khrustaleva
(Documentation photograph: Marsha, was installed in the ongoing Exhibition CALM at Y
Titel: Creating Negative Space
Performance: Carolina Falkholt, Ira Anufrieva & Anna Viola Hallberg Duration: 23 minutes Location: Y Gallery For Contemporary Art
Date: December 6th, 2011 in conjunction with dinner on art in public space
Title: Performing the Unperformed Performace
Performance by: Ira Anufrieva & Anna Viola Hallberg
Concept: Collaboration between Evgeniy Korniag (BY), Ira Anufrieva(BY/SE), and Anna Viola Hallberg (SE)
Duration: + 60 min
Location: Independence Ave.
Date: December 9th, 2011
Description: Ira and Anna Viola walked on each side of Independence Ave they were asked to do this by a theatre director, Evgeniy Korniag, who came to the dinner about life in Minsk. He and Masha filmed with one camera each. The work is a collaboration between Korniag, Anufireva, and Hallberg.
Title: The Bulba Project
Performance/intervention: Vita Dumchyute
Location: Y Gallery For Contemporary Art
Date: December 5th, 2011 at the opening of CALM
Title: Matsushima, (video)
Director: Irina Anufrieva
Videographer; Marsha Khrustaleva
Recordings in public space with people living in Minsk
Date: December 5th-9th 2011
Title: Irochka, please take the chocolate. Regards from Hansyusya to everyone.
Performance by: Ira Anufrieva
Duration: TBA
Location: Y-Gallery For Contemporary Art, CALM Exhibition
Date: December 7th, 2011
Title: - Live music performance at the opening event for CALM
Performer: Carolina Falkholt
Videographer; Marsha Khrustaleva
Date: December 5th, 2011
Title: Public Projections - Minsk/Gothenburg
Screening into public space: in the window of Y-Gallery Winebar (closed for remodeling) but also Public Projections Minsk, The temporary public site for independent messages from Belarus to Sweden.
Live Video Conversation about Video in Public Space
Date: TBA
Host: TBA
Audience: Live cast & invited people to the conference At Konstepedemin in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Live Video Conversation about LGBTQ in Public Space Minsk and St Petersburg a comparison.
Date: TBA
Host: Tatiana L and, Coming Out St Petersburg
Audience: Invited people in Minsk and St Petersburg.
CALM, CityArtLab - Mariestad, Sweden
Y
Duration public segment: June-October 2011
Duration extended social arts project: September 2010 - November 2011
Location: Temporary Kunsthalle + public spaces, Mariestad, Sweden
Film below in Swedish only
With support from: Swedish Institute, Vastra Gotalandsregionen & Mariestads kommun
CityArtLab core concept have also been folded out in in the 2020 concept DISTANCIO (Mullsjo, Varnamo, Tranas, Gnosjo) commissioned by Region Jonkopingslan, Mural 2012 (Mariestad, Skovde, Gotene, Lidkoping), NN(Purisima)and embedded into Mural Forum (Falkoping, Gothenburg)
Title: The Revolution is Still Pending