[artinfo] n\osztalgia – culture of memory CALL

[tijana stepanovic]

n\osztalgia – culture of memory



Call for authors, artists, photographers, scholars

Deadline: March 12th, 2007



Anthropolis and PLOTKI are looking for authors, artists, photographers

and scholars with interest in exploring the theme of (n)ostalgia.



Project description

Today's collective memory of the socialist past often shifts between

the extremes of demonizing or idealizing that period. The international

project n\osztalgia focuses on the various aspects of this idealization

expressed by pure mystification from parts of the elder generation or –

a new phenomenon – by playful deconstruction of the highly charged

symbolism of the East from the younger generation. Aim of the project

is to investigate and to critically question the (n)ostalgia wave in

different CEE countries from a comparative perspective with a special

focus on Hungary and GDR.

Young artists, photographers, authors and scholars from Germany,

Hungary and other CEE countries are invited to contribute creatively to

an alternative discourse on the topic of 'collective memory' by

together analyzing the function of nostalgia, its representations, its

character and the contrast between official versus private and national

versus general post-socialist culture of memory. Special attention

shall also be given to aesthetic-artistic practices of interpreting the

socialist past.



Project realization

The participants will gather for a workshop on the 28th of April – 1st

of May 2007 in Hungary, at the famous pioneer camp of Zánka at Lake

Balaton. At the seminar the theoretical basis of the theme 'culture of

memory' will be elaborated in co-operation with invited experts in the

field. Moreover, the participants will together discuss their project

ideas and present first work drafts.

The project results will be presented in several formats. Next to a

catalogue publication there will be an online virtual museum to show

the artistic and scientific pieces of work, completed by a collection

of every-day objects of the socialistic times from CEE countries. In

September 2007 all project outcomes will be presented at release events

in Budapest and Berlin.



Topics

There are various dimensions of nostalgia and countless topics

connected to it: cult-objects and devices, consumerism, popular culture

and media, every life traditions and habits, urban spaces and

landscapes, philosophy and ideas, and many more you are invited to add.

The project plans to explore how they continue to live further in our

minds, discourses, representations, grocery stores, flea markets, radio

studios, how they create fans and provoke enemies.



Application

Everybody is invited to apply. We particularly encourage young artists,

authors and scholars who are affiliated with the topic or come from the

former Communist bloc countries. Applicants should be willing to be

part of an international team and produce work in their own fields on

post-socialist nostalgia. Since the working language is English, a

confident knowledge of English is required. Deadline for application is

March 12th, 2007.



For more information contact us: reka at nosztalgia.net or

steph at nosztalgia.net.





APPLICATION



Please fill in the following application form, attach your CV + working

samples and send it to application at nosztalgia.net.



°Name

°Age

°Citizenship



°Field of studies and/or occupation

°Motivation for your participation and main interests

°What do you connect with nostalgia?

°How did you hear about the project?



°Please send us some working samples:

as an author: published/unpublished texts

as an artist/ photographer: a small selection of

paintings/graphics/photos/comics etc. (preferably connected to

nostalgia)

(max 10 files, web compatible, overall file size no bigger than 5 MB)



°Please send us an idea about your possible contribution





We are very much looking forward to your application!



Many greetings

Anthropolis and PLOTKI



°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°



ANTHROPOLIS is a non-governmental, public benefit association, an

institute for cultural and visual anthropological research and social

development. Our organisation intends to strengthen institutional

background of education and social and visual anthropological research.

The aim of Anthropolis is to ensure a worldwide reputation of applied

anthropology and promote participatory approach in management of recent

social problems. (www.anthropolis.hu )





PLOTKI is a project from around the bloc. PLOTKI brings together

writers, photographers and graphic artists >from Central and Eastern

Europe in order to create a magazine that investigates our cultural

sphere

PLOTKI was founded in 2000 by a group of students from Berlin, Warszawa

and Praha. In the meantime plotkisty from all over Central and Eastern

Europe have joined us. Our goal is to increase and intensify the

contact between former East and West, between neighboring countries and

people. (www.plotki.net)





Our Partners

Multiculturní Centrum Praha

ImOsten





n\osztalgia is funded by Bipolar German-Hungarian Cultural

Cooperations. Bipolar is an initiative of the Bundeskulturstiftung

(German Federal Cultural Foundation). n\osztalgia is further supported

by Nemzeti Kulturális Alap (Hungarian National Cultural Fund).