In Between Places, the Hearth Remains: A Conversation with Varsha Nair
Accidental Knowledge: A Conversation with Lejla Hodžić
Published interviews are conducted as part of WCSCD educational program 2021/2022.
Done fully online over six month program experimented how we work and learn from each other while distant. Our connection point besides lockdown reality was collective reading of archive that we digitalized for purpose of the program generously provided by Lejla Hozdic. Archive consisted of exhibitions and other activities of SCCA curated and organized by Dunja Blazevic and Lejla Hodzic.
Being based in Canada, Australia, China and India together we tried to understand histories of artistic and curatorial gestures in Sarajevo during 90’s.
With creation of SCCA Dunja Blazevic moved to Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Hercegovina, destroyed with civil war where generation of artists she worked were civil war survivals. Through conversations we had during the program we learned meaning of public space and how could be used in times when there is no institutions right after the war or in times of pandemic when due to safety measures our institutions get closed.
Can art claim to be essential activity and how in these uncertain times. Can art save lives?
I would like to thank also Lejla Hodzic and Varsha Nair artist and her generosity of sharing their time and work with us.
Participants of the program Christophe Barbeau, Beatrice Rubio-Gabriel, Devashish Sharma, Xin Xiong, Yu Jiazhai, Chen Zhitong and their commitment for creating such an important archive through conversation format that is now accessible to all.
Mentors and presenters of WCSCD 2020/2021 program: Xiang Zairong, Luca Lopinto, Natasa Petresin Bachelez, Lisa Rosendahl, ruangrupa, Suzana Milevska, Ekaterina Degot and David Riff as well as Joanna Warsza and Ovul O. Durmusoglu.
Partners of the program: seecult, Division of Arts and Humanities, Duke Kunshan University.
WCSCD 2020 curatorial program has been made possible thanks to number of institutions who continue to support our vision even in these uncertain times:
Instituto Italiano Di Cultura Belgrado
Austrijski kulturni forum Beograd,
Institut français de Serbie/ Francuski institut u Srbiji
Embassy of Sweden in Belgrade, Serbia
In 2018, a cooperative agreement was reached with the national television program RTS3, who will record the curatorial curriculum through interview with the invited mentors of the school, capturing and presenting the broader image of how the program develops. The school has also established collaboration with the ORION ART publishing house for the publication of professional literature on curatorial practices. This relationship also supports a series of public lectures held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade.
COMING SOON: What Could Should Curating Do, volume 1
What Could Should Curating Do, volume 1 (original: Šta Kustosiranje Može Treba Da Bude, edicija 1). Visual identity by Saša Tkačenko