This one-day interdisciplinary symposium is happening on the occasion of publishing Islands of Kinship: A Collective Manualfor Inclusive and Sustainable Art Institutions. The book is a major outcome of a two-year project Islands of Kinship which interconnects six mid-scale visual art institutions across diverse regions in Europe (Prague, Bratislava, Bitola/Skopje, Cologne, Helsinki, Riga) in an innovative collaboration model addressing issues of inclusion, kinship and togetherness, democratic exchange and the ethics, emotions and practical solutions for a sustainable and fair institutional operation.
The symposium, which will be concluded with a book launch and a panel discussion introducing the publication, is focusing on one of the topics addressed through the publication, that is accessibility of art institutions and particularly the role of language and communication. The program brings together various practitioners with different specializations (visual art, accessibility and mediation, Crip theory) and will consist of lectures, workshops, artist talks and performative and participatory situations.
Program details, Friday June 14
10:30 – Doors open
11:00 – 12:30 – Workshop #1: Cripping Communication by Isa Hukka – please reserve a ticket
To Isa Hukka, accessibility is the starting point for humanity, connection, and communication for the well-being of all kinds of communities. In their work, they have developed the practice of comprehensive accessibility. Hukka’s methods are rooted in a crip reality and are universally applicable. In their workshop Cripping Communication, they invite us to rethink accessibility together. The workshop includes Hukka’s presentation and suggested tasks, such as writing and discussing. As a participant you are encouraged to do what your bodymind needs.
The workshop explores understandings of disability in relation to inclusive communication. It is mixed-format: including first a lecture, and then suggested tasks. Characteristic to Hukka’s work in crip art and philosophy, also in this workshop theory and practice become inseparable. The suggested tasks in the workshop are e. g. small group work and individual reflection. Please bring equipment for taking notes, preferably by hand, if possible. During the workshop, we practice making the workshop more accessible and doable for all of us, including ourselves. Do you need to lie down, move around, have water, take breaks, have your headphones on, or maybe leave the workshop? You are welcome to explore what you need. The workshop is a space for questions, wondering, trying, and failing.
ACCESS: Amateur-style visual descriptions are provided. The space can be accessed with mobility aids and has an accessible bathroom. The workshop is in English, and you are welcome to use other languages. Assistants and support persons are welcome. The event itself is not made accessible sensory-wise, so please feel free to do your own adjustments. There will be around max. 30 participants in the workshop. The enrolled participants will receive more information regarding the workshop closer to the event. Please contact reserveren@stroom.nl if you have any questions, and see the initial access info as part of Stroom’s visitor information here.
Extra note: for safety and comfort of immunocompromised people and people with chemical sensitivities we kindly ask visitors not to participate in this workshop if they have any symptoms of respiratory illnesses, and to remove or prevent wearing to wear any fragrances.
12:30 – 13:30 – Lunch – please reserve a ticket
13:30 – 15:00 – Workshop #2: (In-) Accessibility of Language in the Art Field by Paulina Seyfried – please reserve a ticket
Cultural organisations and artists are slowly opening their doors to a wider audience and a diverse community. We have realised that there are different forms of knowledge and heterogeneous interests that need to be represented in a contemporary institution. More precise communication internally and with the audience must therefore be part of the journey towards an inclusive and accessible institution to enable involvement on an equal footing.
The workshop by Paulina Seyfried titled (In-) Accessibility of Language in the Art Field is intended to provide an initial self-positioning on an individual and professional level. It also encourages joint reflection on the power dynamics (of language) in the art field. We will discuss language not only as a barrier, but also its ambivalent role as an opportunity for social rise. Starting with a check-in and input, we will approach plain language on a very practical level by doing writing and translating exercises. Mandatory for participation is to read a short text as an introduction and the willingness to leave academic language behind towards new ways of communication. Please bring something to write.
15:00 – 15:30 – Coffee break
15:30 – 17:00 – Artist talks and screening by Alžběta Bačíková and Sarah van Lamsweerde
Alžběta Bačíková’s presentation will reflect on three audio-visual projects in which she played the role of initiator, director, collaborator or producer: Encounter (2018/2020), DJ (2020) and Our Space (2019). The emergence of these projects has been accompanied by a process of finding a shared language with the collaborators, articulating different needs or interests, and exploring available means of communication in image and sound. With regard to public outputs, the projects then raised questions of the representation of different identities in the form of an artwork and issues of accessibility to different communities. Bačíková observes the changes in the relationships in the long-term collaboration between creative subjects with different cultural experiences and different backgrounds over time. Even after all these years, these projects open up discussions about privilege, the visibility or amplification of voices in artistic production, or the possibilities of art to formulate and materialize common ideas and desires.
Sarah van Lamsweerde will talk about her art practice, which is dedicated to experimenting with extracurricular methods, such as oral traditions, unfamiliar languages and underprivileged senses. Introducing a selection of previous art projects, the presentation will touch upon the various areas of her work featuring performances, installations and publications.
The artist talks will be followed by a moderated dialogue between the artists and the audience.
17:00 – 17:30 – Coffee break
17:30 – 18:00 – Performative lecture by Ludmila Rodrigues – please reserve a ticket
Ludmila Rodrigues operates as an artist, spatial designer, lecturer and occasional performer, at the intersection of architecture, perception, and ritual. Her spatial interventions and choreographic objects become interfaces to activate the senses and explore physical dialogues with her audience. Through performative situations, Rodrigues investigates the entanglement of social interaction, vulnerability, agency and trust.For this special occasion, Ludmila Rodrigues created a haptic intervention for Stroom’s foyer.
18:00 – 19:00 – Launch of the Islands of Kinship publication followed by a panel discussion
19:00 – 20:00 – Dinner with listening session – please reserve a ticket
Photo credit: Kevin Domfeh
