OPEN CALL: A JOURNEY FROM DANGEROUS TO (UN)SAFE

Pilecki-Institut Berlin announces the upcoming interdisciplinary laboratory residency: “A Journey from Dangerous to (Un)Safe.” This unique opportunity is open to Berlin-based participants from Ukrainian, Polish, and German backgrounds.

Laboratory residency is organized by VITSCHE and National Institute of Architecture and Urban Planning as a part of the international “Networks of Support” project. Pilecki-Institut Berlin is the partner of the project.

The project’s concept, “A Journey from Dangerous to (Un)Safe,” comprises a Laboratory residency in Berlin with a week-long embodied practice, followed by three weeks of group artistic work on project delivery.

Laboratory Residency: designed for three visionary artists based in Berlin from Ukraine, Poland, and Germany, this laboratory offers a dynamic fusion of workshops and lectures focused on exploring the multifaceted layers of urban life, the history of the city, and critical infrastructure that confront social anxiety, integration and attempt to find a place in a new city. Throughout the week, participants will engage in five workshops and lectures from prominent actors of the cultural scene with backgrounds in Germany, Ukraine, and Poland. Each delves into a unique aspect of the city’s rich tapestry and the human experiences of being forced foreigners.

Background: This project emerges from exploring material infrastructure and the social network transformed by the ongoing Russian imperial war of aggression against Ukraine. Buildings, public spaces, borders, train stations, railroads, and buses are now imbued with the narratives of survival and livelihood of millions of refugees from Ukraine. The migration from Ukraine prompts a reevaluation of existing networks, giving rise to a new infrastructure that often emerges spontaneously. Since February 24, over 15 million refugees from Ukraine have crossed the Polish border, with more than a million now residing in Germany*. While some found accommodation with local families in shared flats, others temporarily stayed in refugee centers and social housing.

The co-living and co-existing of Ukrainians alongside individuals from other nationalities, navigating the space between war and protection, have given rise to new formal and informal support networks. These interactions have shaped the topographies of cities and enriched social connections and communities, sometimes in ways that are not immediately evident. With this project, Vitsche Berlin delves into these novel experiences that have unfolded in Berlin over the past years, reflecting on the profound stories of trauma, adaptation and resilience, exclusion and threats, interconnectedness, and disconnection that have emerged in the wake of the Russia’s war against Ukraine. As culture journalist and critic Ksenia Bilash recently wrote, “In all this variety of borderline experiences, Ukrainians seem to be stuck between worlds: not European enough for ‘real Europe’ and not marginalized enough for the global ‘community of the disadvantaged.’” Artists will explore different borderline statuses, the colonial perspective of German society towards “others,” the notion of (un)safe places, and the experience of losing and gaining new land. They will reflect on traumatic and healing experiences, cultivating connections through new empathy and compassion, recovery, and resilience.

Program Highlights:

Laboratory Residency: A week of immersive workshops and lectures from September 23-29, 2024. Project Implementation: Three weeks of collaborative artistic work from September 30 – October 23, 2024. Project Launch: October 24, 2024.

Participants will explore urban life, history, and the challenges of integration amidst displacement. The residency will culminate in a collective creation of a soundscape for Berlin’s iconic Bus Line 100, symbolizing the bridge between East and West Berlin.

Who Can Apply: Berlin-based writers, poets, screenwriters, directors, researchers, and artists (individuals or duos) engaged in Polish, German, or Ukrainian contexts.

Application Deadline: August 31, 2024

Location: Pilecki Institute, Berlin

Language of the laboratory: English

Honorarium: €1,300
Note: Travel, accommodation, and catering expenses are not covered.

How to Apply: Send your CV, portfolio, and a description of your artistic interests related to the project to support/./networks/@/vitsche/./org.

More information about the project here:

https://vitsche.org/news/open-call-a-journey-from-dangerous-to-unsafe/
https://niaiu.pl/
https://berlin.instytutpileckiego.pl/de/events/open-call-a-journey-from-dangerous-to-unsafe