Library connects people
Uzhgorod, Ukraine
February 17 – March 23 , 2020
«Library connects people» was aiming to encourage the development an innovative vision of the libraries, stimulate community engagement into forming the program of the libraries, as well as to explore the hidden potential of libraries, and to widen the influence of the libraries in the social life of the city.
«Library connects people» it is a pilot project of collaboration between libraries and artist using the workshops as a tool. We tested of how bringing new activities into the library will affect the process of rethinking the role of the libraries in the social life of the city and engagement of new audience to the library. We convinced that interdisciplinary collaboration between artists, librarians and city residents could create a fruitful and mutually beneficial situation.
The project proposed the methods of communication that allowed a different way of talking and exploring the controversial topics. «Library connects people» strived to provide a safer space to discuss these topics in the still very restricted cultural context. It was important for us to provide space for diverse voices as well as to generate different forms of cooperation. Selecting our target groups we wanted to ensure the diversity of the opinions and methods. Therefore our addressees were librarians, artists, international students, marginalized and minority groups.
The project was supported by Tandem Ukraine. Tandem Ukraine is a learning-by-doing-it-together programme that supports social change through cultural action. It’s a platform for project initiators to develop new skills, innovate practices and connect to international networks. Tandem offers a space to build sustainable partnerships that can grow through shared values.
«Library connects people» organizers : Platform for interdisciplinary practice Open Place (Kyiv, Ukraine), Transcarpathian regional universal scientific library (Uzhgorod, Ukraine), Studio of Young Artists’ Association (Budapest, Hungary).
Events in the frame of the residency
Workshop
Uzhgorod, Ukraine
February 17 – February 24 , 2020
Transcarpathian regional universal scientific library
“Your text goes here” Tunde Mezes, Hungary
The workshop was not intended to change the routine of going to the library. During the work, the participants were doing the same as usual: reading, interpreting, noting, printing and taking something home. The workshop wished to change the loneliness while being thereby allowing people to discuss ideas, and play a more active role in the process.
During the workshop participants worked with sentences appropriated from advertisements, taglines, and other frequently used phrases. Participants composed their own mottos of a collection of ca. 100 words. These words were previously cut into pieces of linoleum, which then solved as relief printing blocks. People could arrange them as they liked and printed on a simple copy paper in several instances. One copy stayed at the place for a day-by-day growing temporary exhibition.
These personal mottos could reflect their makers’ thoughts and feelings, which were discussed during the work. The limited number of used words reflects on the imperfection of our expression using any language. The interpretations might be different in many cases. Using these given words also means safety – ’I can tell anything with them, they are not my words’.
The workshop was rather universal than focused on a specific group. It was a safe space, where anyone, regardless of age-race-gender or any backgrounds could have time together and shared thoughts.
Tünde Mézes is a Hungarian artist and teacher, she participated in many solo and groups exhibitions. She graduated from the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, Budapest and the Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste, Stuttgart, Germany.
Workshop
Uzhgorod, Ukraine
March 02 – March 10 , 2020
Transcarpathian regional universal scientific library
“To realize the spontaneous, imaginary” Danylo Kovach, Ukraine
The aim of the workshop was to realize the imaginary by means of explicit. Spontaneous drawing was used as a way of expressing the unconscious “Drawing with your eyes closed with your mind open”. The method was actively promoted by Pavlo Bedzir (1926 – 2002 ) – Transcarpathian nonconformist artist.
Danylo Kovach proposed to rethink the method of Pavlo Bedzir and immersed in the nature of chaos, born in the person’s imagination. Through the process of releasing emotions, together with the participants of the workshop, create chaos on the canvas, and then arrange it into an abstract composition.
The main goal was to come to an agreement between the participants of how to organize the joint creative process, and comprehend it.
Danylo Kovach is Ukrainian artist. Graduated from college of art named after A. Erdeli, and Lviv National Academy of Arts, Bachelor (sacred art). Kovach participated in the numerouse of the personal and group show. He is the winner of international and Ukrainian competitions, got the scholarship of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland “GAUDE POLONIA in 2018.
Workshop
Uzhgorod, Ukraine
March 16 – March 23 , 2020
Transcarpathian regional universal scientific library
“Craftivism” Antonina Melnyk and Mariia Lukianova, Ukraine
The workshop was based on idea that textile products can be an activist’s statements. In the framework of the working session, the artists introduced the concept of craftivism and proposed to work jointly on a textile book on the topic of stereotypes exist in society regarding the clothes.
The task of the workshop was not only to represent a new method or teach how to sew, but also to engage the participants in the trustful conversation about oppression that might happen at everyday level in regarding the clothing and how the person looks like, and reimagine these experiences in textile.
Among the participants there were not only people who knew how to sew, the participants helped each other, which was important for establishing of the trustful atmosphere in the collective.
Mariia Lukianova and Antonina Melnyk are seamstress, artists, feminists and grassroots activists. Antonina was born in Kyiv, Mariia was born in Volzhsky. Live and work in Kyiv Ukraine. Mariia and Antonina’s works is mainly used textile and clothing as the medium.
