Anastasia Puschkarewa
Project Coordinator
Timeline
4. - 5. May 2022
Kick Off Meeting in Berlin
Meeting of organizers and project experts
Revision and adaptation of formats and project activities in response to the war
20 - 24. June 2022
"Media Storm"
The kick-off event in Hamburg was attended by ten representatives of independent Russian media in exile and experts from Germany. It involved a brainstorming session to generate ideas and strategic approaches for collaboration between various media outlets in the current context of the war. Topics included how larger and more experienced media actors can support smaller and regional media projects and initiatives in terms of information and infrastructure, and how they can exchange knowledge with one another in the interest of contributing collectively to the promotion of a more diverse media and opinion landscape.
19 - 26. August 2022
"Citizens Art Lab"
The introductory meeting gathered twenty-five creatives, artists, and activists from Georgia, Armenia, and Germany. It provided a platform for networking, joint analysis, and reflection on the conditions that have fostered nationalist, imperialist, and colonialist attitudes, which have contributed to wars in recent decades. The meeting also facilitated the exchange of personal protest experiences from the last six months of war and the development of joint project ideas and collaborations in the field of protest art, which will continue to be implemented until 2022.
September 2022
Application process for mentoring and microfunding for joint projects
October - November 2022
Mentoring and implementation of project ideas by participants of the Art and Media Labs
November 2022
Study visit for ten multipliers from the Art and Media Labs to Germany
It included participation and presentation of their project results at the "WARning the Cities" conference: November 25-26, organised by CISR e.V. in Berlin.
November - December 2022
Exhibition "Feed of War" with public Discussion in Warsaw
The exhibition was organised in collaboration with the project "Feed of War" of CISR e.V.'s Polish partner, the association "Ethnographic Laboratory."
The project "Feed of War" was created in the early days of the war in Ukraine, initially with an archival purpose – to preserve these immediate images and attempt to organize them; to search for recurring motifs and narrative patterns.
This quickly proved to be an impossible task, one that was fundamentally less valuable than subjecting these vast collections to various analysis strategies by the project participants. The result was a series of works that critically engage with the phenomenon of the collective mediation of the ongoing war.
With the support of CISR, the works of fifth-year photography students from the Łódź Film School (as part of the activities of the studio led by Witek Orski and Krzysztof Pijarski) were presented to the public and accompanied by a public discussion.
The project was originally aimed at strengthening the participation of Russian urban residents in shaping their cities and experimenting with and developing various creative and artistic approaches and practices. In light of the war in Ukraine launched by the Russian regime on February 24 and the intensification of repression against opposition figures, activists, media workers, and other representatives of civil society within Russia, the project was restructured. Currently, we are witnessing the massive destruction of urban and social spaces of interaction, as well as established practices and networks within urban communities. Many Russian opposition figures and anti-war activists have been and continue to be forced to leave the country. Society in Russia, as well as in other post-socialist countries, is becoming increasingly divided, while the Russian propaganda machine actively promotes and imposes imperialist rhetoric and colonial patterns of thought.
Against this backdrop, the thematic focus of the project shifted to: "City at War. War in the City," and the project activities were primarily relocated geographically to Georgia and Poland. The project is particularly dedicated to reflecting on and addressing topics and questions such as:
– Imperialism, decolonization, and the possibilities for creating and promoting alternative discourses and diverse perspectives.
– Supporting and strengthening new emerging urban communities and media initiatives in exile and fostering their connections with existing local initiatives and projects.
– Rebuilding cities, including their social, media, and physical infrastructure, among other aspects.
These topics are addressed from the perspectives of urban studies, art, media, history, urban sociology, and other disciplines.
The engagement with the aforementioned questions took place through the following multi-month project formats:
Art Lab
This format was aimed at cultural practitioners, artists, and activists in exile, as well as local initiatives and projects from Georgia, Armenia, and Germany. It focused on protest art in public spaces. How can civic engagement be demonstrated through artistic practices during times of global upheaval? How can alternative opinions be expressed and contribute to the anti-war movement? How can public debate on complex issues be initiated in challenging times? These and other questions were practically explored with participants in the labs.
Media Lab
It gathered exiled representatives of independent Russian media and media professionals from Germany. During exchange meetings and discussions, in collaboration with larger and smaller regional and local media initiatives, current opportunities for cooperation and the role of alternative mass media in times of war were discussed. Additionally, concrete solutions were developed to effectively reach diverse media audiences and counter official war propaganda.
Educational and public block
This project block focused on the reconstruction of cities and their social and physical infrastructure. It included discussions and exchanges on questions such as: What is the situation of cities and their societies in times of war? What challenges and "urban costs" do they face? What are the tasks of urban studies during wartime? What can be considered to address current problems and support activist initiatives and people in need? The block also featured public "Evenings of Kitchen Sociology" (e.g., topics like Environmental Costs of War or Artists' Identities at Risk). This is a non-formal format by CISR e.V. that facilitates exchange on complex topics among diverse experts, project participants, representatives of local communities, and other interested members of the public. Additionally, it included an educational trip for project multipliers to Berlin, participation in the "WARning the Citizens" conference, and the implementation of the exhibition Feed of War with a public discussion in Warsaw.
The project was funded by the Federal Foreign Office and co-financed within the framework of the EU program Erasmus plus.