The opening of the ICA–Sofia Gallery was made possible by the dedicated conviction of Slava Nakovska and Nedko Solakov that it was not only absolutely necessary to have the gallery but that it was also possible to realize it in the rather thin and amnesic Bulgarian cultural space and especially by their strategic and persistent efforts on its materialization.
Kogo is a contemporary art gallery that opened at The Widget Factory in Tartu in the spring of 2018, and is aimed at improving the international visibility of artists and introducing their art practice more broadly.
At the centre of Kogo’s diverse exhibition programme are artists’ solo projects and exhibitions created in collaboration with artists and curators. Kogo is committed to supporting free creative expression, interdisciplinarity, imagination and innovative ideas in art, as well as initiating and maintaining creative relationships and uniting the community of artists and art enthusiasts.
We consider it important to encourage dialogue through contemporary art in order to promote discussion on issues that are relevant in society. We have organised various events to accompany the exhibitions held at Kogo gallery, including artist talks, lectures, guided tours, screenings, concerts, book presentations and art performances, involving physicists, philosophers, environmental activists, legal experts, ethnologists, writers, musicians, performers etc.
The public exhibition and audience programme is organised by Kogo Galerii MTÜ. In addition to activities aimed at the public, Kogo Gallery has a mission in promoting the collection of art and bringing artists to the international market. This work is coordinated by Galerii Kogo OÜ.
The name of Kogo Gallery comes from the Võru language and means “all of”, “together” or “collection”. For us, Kogo means collecting, experiencing and coming together as a community.
Jecza Gallery is a contemporary art gallery based in Timisoara, Romania, dedicated to contemporary art from the 1960ies to now.
Jecza Gallery was founded initially as a family business in 2011 by Sorina Ianovici-Jecza and Andrei Jecza. The gallery had from the outset a strong propensity for the local historical scene, very important in the 60s and 70s (the Sigma group among others). It represents artists and artist collectives, historical figures but also young and prominent personalities. Through curated juxtapositions of artists of different generations the gallery encourages in-depth research projects related to various art practices.
Alongside an art foundation and publishing house founded in 2001, the gallery became a strong research center for the heritage of modern and contemporary art in Eastern Europe.
Since 2018 Andrei Jecza took over and rebranded the gallery by developing its program and list of represented artists. Our endeavours for the upcoming future are to further extend our focus on East Europe and beyond.
https://jeczagallery.com/
Exhibition activities are accompanied by an intensely developing educational programme – the Arsenal Playground – teaching about contemporary art at different levels and with the use of varying language. Projects implemented as part of the programme teachdialogue with art, presenting it as a platform for negotiating issues of social importance. Artists are frequently part of the educational process, new works created as part of workshops they deliver. Making all the most important phenomena in current art available to persons with sight and hearing impairments is a vital part of the Gallery’s educational activities.
Publishing is another of activity important to the Gallery. The institution produces catalogues and other publications accompanying most of its exhibitions.
The Arsenal Gallery has been engaging in diverse activities fostering contemporary culture, such as panel discussions, lectures, seminars, conferences, concerts, book promotions, and film screenings. For a number of years, it has been organising the Children’s Art Book Fair with an extensive workshop offer for the youngest audience.
SWIMMING POOL IS A NON-PROFIT ART PROJECT SPACE IN SOFIA, FOUNDED IN 2015. ITS FOCUS LIES ON ARTIST AND CURATORIAL RESEARCH, COLLABORATIVE APPROACHES, ART EDUCATION, AND ART POLITICS. IT IS LOCATED ON A CENTRAL ROOFTOP WITH AN EMPTY POOL. OUR PARTNER PROJECTS ARE THE CENTER FOR SOCIAL VISION, THE JOURNAL FOR SOCIAL VISION, AND SOFIA ART MAP.
Rupert’s residency programme is suited to local and international practitioners working in the cultural field. This includes artists, writers, curators, cultural managers and academics. Rupert provides the residents with the opportunity to live and create in Vilnius while developing their individual projects and immersing themselves in the region’s creative sphere. Operating in parallel with the education and public programmes, the residency programme offers the opportunity to collaborate with other participants and mentors from various cultural backgrounds and participate in and contribute to Rupert’s programmes.
An open call for the Rupert residency programme is announced once or twice a year. Participants are selected by a panel of Rupert’s members and visiting art experts.
Rupert is located in the picturesque district of Valakampiai, right by the Neris River and a small beach. Surrounded by fields and forest it is also close to the active cultural centre of the city. The residencies are housed in a building designed by the award-winning Lithuanian architect Audrius Ambrasas in 2013. Each resident is provided with a studio with a mezzanine (occupying a total of about 52 square metres), which is allowed to be used as a creative, research space throughout the residency. All studios are furnished and have wireless internet access. The building also has a reading room, a meeting room and a kitchen for residents to use.
Rupert’s residencies are free of charge thanks to the support of the Lithuanian Council for Culture and the studios provided by the creative industries hub Tech Arts. Rupert’s residents are provided with a creative studio, administrative assistance, consultations and at least two monthly meetings with Rupert’s and guest curators. Residents must take care of daily and travel expenses themselves. Rupert’s team can provide letters of recommendation to future residents applying for funding for their residency project.
Ukrainian Decolonial Glossary is a compilation of concepts from de- and post-colonial theories, featuring examples specific to the Ukrainian context.
The first edition of this glossary will showcase 20 terms, each contributed by diverse Ukrainian researchers, writers and artists.
Curatorial team of the project: Yullia Elyas, Anastasiia Omelianiuk, Iva Naidenko, Nadiia Koval.
Project Goals and Objectives
Our goal is to develop a comprehensive glossary for representatives of culture and related fields, serving as a tool for:
Preconditions for the Emergence of the Project and the Need for Creating a Glossary
The idea of Ukraine, on one hand, as a buffer zone for the security of the EU, and on the other hand, as an appendage to the empire, long reflected the absence of Ukraine in the European cultural and intellectual space. After the events on February 24, the discourse on the need to reconsider how knowledge about Ukraine was produced globally through the prism of Moscow epistemologies, often disguised as “East European” studies, gained momentum.
A critical and nuanced analysis of Ukrainian contexts through the lens of colonial theories can be found in the works of Vira Ageieva, Tamara Gundorova, Vitaliy Chernetskyy, Oksana Zabuzhko, Mark Pavlyshyn, Mykola Ryabchuk (and many others). We plan to make this rich body of work accessible to a wider audience. Following the full-scale invasion, the themes of coloniality and decolonization began to gain popularity beyond academic circles like never before. Alongside this, questions arose about the importance of critically using these methodologies, rather than borrowing or copying, as rightly noted by the thinkers mentioned earlier. We aim to contribute to the dissemination and critical use of tools related to post- and decolonial concepts in Ukrainian contexts. This will not only deepen the understanding of Ukraine’s past but also actively engage in the global intellectual struggle against colonial epistemologies.
The first presentation of the project together with the official launch of the website took place on April 17 in the city of Utrecht (Netherlands) at BAK (basis voor actuele kunst).
The recording of the event is available on our website or via this link: https://shorturl.at/fpwO6 (the language of the event is English).
Next presentations of the project are planned in Germany, Austria and Ukraine.
We invite you to subscribe to our social networks on Instagram: @decolonial.glossary_ua and Facebook: Decolonial Glossary UA, as well as to visit the project website: https://decolonialglossary.com.ua/ to familiarize yourself with all the articles of the Ukrainian Decolonial Glossary.
Ukrainian Decolonial Glossary is supported by the European Union under the House of Europe programme.
Kunst Raum Mitte is the reorganization of galerie weisser elefant, which was founded in East Berlin in 1987. With Natalie Keppler and Agnieszka Roguski, the communal art space will have new artistic directors in 2024. As a prelude to the program, a two-month research residency will be announced, in which artists and cultural practitioners can explore the historical material of galerie weisser elefant for the first time. More information about the Open Call here.
Since its founding, Kim? has occupied various rented locations, often initiating cultural revitalization in neglected areas through its activities. From 2009 to 2016, the Kim? Contemporary Art Centre was situated in Spīķeri, transforming the space into a hub for art exhibitions using its own resources. However, following the sale of this property, Kim? was compelled to relocate. In 2016, it became the pioneering tenant of the Sporta Quarter, playing a key role in making this space accessible to the public. Now, as Kim? approaches its 15th anniversary, there is a strategic plan to broaden its scope within the new premises to complement its program with artist residencies and workshops.
“Kim? has proven itself for 15 years, supporting Latvian artists and promoting their careers both here and abroad. Yet, despite our successes, we’ve never had a place to call our own, with a significant portion of our budget swallowed by high rents. Now, securing a permanent home opens up new possibilities. Instead of giving our funds to private investors, we can channel more of them into nurturing the talent of our artists,” says Evita Goze, Executive Director of Kim?.
“It’s a great development that the property at Hanzas Street 22, previously unused by the public sector, will now serve a wonderful new purpose with Kim? Contemporary Art Centre is taking the reins. Kim? is recognized for its significant role in the contemporary art world, essentially serving the public in a unique and meaningful way. For years, there’s been a collaborative effort to plan the future of this location, and after a thorough evaluation of Kim? ‘s activities and ambitions, it’s clear they have a solid plan for both the building’s use and their fundraising strategies. We’re genuinely excited about this partnership because Kim? is set to become not just a tenant but a responsible steward of this space. The building is on the brink of a vibrant transformation, promising a fresh start for both the structure and the art center, which will surely turn it into a bustling, well-curated hub for artistic endeavors,” says Andris Vārna, Board member of the State Real Estate.
From 1948 to 2015, the building at Hanzas Street 22 housed the Riga Food Industry Technical School and the Riga Business College, but it has been empty since 2015. Last December, the public got a sneak peek at the new location when one of its halls hosted the four-day exhibition Black Market ’23, an art market exhibition with 26 artists from Latvia. The building will make its grand public debut in the summer of 2024 when Kim? will celebrate its 15th anniversary with a new contemporary art festival “New Address: EDEN”. Development of a construction project for the new address has been launched by the architecture office Vilnis Mičulis. In the upcoming months, Kim? will present a more comprehensive plan of the future home and the project’s progress to the public.
For Solomiya Magazine, Ukraine is one of the very hearts of Europe’s democratic societies. As an independent magazine founded in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Solomiya is the result of an engaged, decolonial involvement of artists with their environment shaped by an unprecedented imperial aggression.
The magazine is a platform for both emerging and established Ukrainian creatives, using a wide range of forms of expression from visual arts to text that entail personal experiences, emotional observations and intellectual discourses. Solomiya offers its readers profound, diverse and subjective perspectives on current realities and complex social issues in Ukraine – and beyond.