CSM

Openіng: May 23, Thursday, 19.00

Lectures, discussions, debates: May 23-26 (Thursday-Sunday), 14.00-19.00

Music performances: May 23, 26 (Thursday, Sunday), 21.00

Public Forum: May 26 (Sunday), 16.00-18.00

Artists: Myroslav Vayda, Vova Vorotniov, Tetyana Goryushyna, Oleksandr Burlaka and Ivan Melnychuk (“Grupa Predmetiv”), Alevtina Kakhidze, Alina Kopytsya, Yuriy Kruchak, Sasha Kurmaz (Ukraine), Pavel Braila (Moldova), “Partizaning” (Russia).

Music performances: band DRUMТИАТР (Gryts Semenchuk, Yurko Izdryk, Oleksiy Gmyrya), band “Lyudska Podoba / Human Shape” (Anatoliy Byelov, Georgiy Babanskyy, Ivanna Yarema, Artur Kocharyan, Oleksandr Ratushnyak).

Participants of the discussion and lecture programme: Oleksandr Burlaka, Ivan Melnychuk, Iryna Solovey, Igor Tyshchenko (Ukraine), Arevik Martirosyan (Armenia), Mikheil Svanidze, Levan Asabashvili (Georgia), Vitalie Sprinceane (Moldova), Igor Ponosov (“Partyzaning”, Russia), Roman Tsybrivsky (USA), Natasa Bodrozic (Croatia).

The public programme “SPACES: Architecture of Common” focuses on how cultural coexistence can possibly develop in the city. Through public events, the participants will discuss challenges and opportunities of public spaces in post-Soviet cities today, such as Kyiv, Tbilisi, Yerevan, and Chisinau, and reflect on how different communities, including artists and cultural workers, can solve these problems by common efforts.

Kateryna Botanova, director of CSM (Foundation Centre for Contemporary Art) and leading curator of “SPACES: Architecture of Common”, states that “public spaces can exist only when there is a real need in them, not an idea of a need. It seems that in the post-Soviet region they have to be created from scratch and have an architecture we are yet to imagine”. She states that on post-Soviet terrain public spaces can regain their status as those appropriated for the public use only if people consolidate and fight for them.

All the public events of “SPACES: Architecture of Common” will take place at the location of the former Soviet sewing factory “Yunist” in the historical part of Kyiv that is to become a cultural center within the coming years. Public protests against putting up yet another business center at this site resulted in the investor’s decision to build a cultural center for the community here. This makes “Yunist” a symbolical place, showing that local communities in Kyiv are ready to fight for their public places, and that the collaboration between citizens and business representatives is possible.  

“SPACES: Architecture of Common” brings together local and international artists, curators, social researchers, architects and other cultural professionals along with local communities. The programme has three main components – a discussion platform, art projects and evening events. The discussion part will include a Public Cultural Policy Forum, public lectures, workshops, open discussions, and presentations. During four days the location of Yunist factory will become a space for art interventions of invited artists from Ukraine, Moldova, and the Russian Federation (Alevtina Kakhidze, Yuriy Kruchak, Myroslav Vaida, Alina Kopytsya, Tetyana Goryushyna, Vova Vorotnyov, Oleksandr Burlaka, Pavel Braila, Partizaning). The evening programmes will include video screenings and music performances by “Lyudska Podoba” and DRUMТИАТР. 

For more information please contact Kateryna Gorlenko, CSM Programme Coordinator, at kateryna.gorlenko@gmail.com or +38(044)5019461.

www.spacesproject.net

info@spacesproject.net

http://www.euroeastculture.eu/ 

Background information

SPACES (Sustainable Public Areas for Culture in Eastern Countries)

SPACES is a three-year EU project that takes place in Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, with seven partners: Utopiana.am (Armenia), Loose Associations (Croatia), CSM (Ukraine), GeoAIR (Georgia), Young Artists Association (Moldova), Amour Fou Film (Luxembourg) and Oikodrom, the Vienna Institute for Urban Sustainability(Austria) as project coordinator. SPACES activities over the period of three years include holding artistic and cultural events in public spaces, develop and carry out capacity building measures for non-institutionalized art and culture initiatives, carry out social research and research on cultural policy and an artist in residence programme, produce documentary films, and initiate and strengthen cultural networks in the region and beyond. SPACES is funded by the European Union through the Eastern Partnership Culture Programme with Euro 699.997,-.

CSM (Foundation Center for Contemporary Art) 

Founded in 2005, CSM supports emerging and non-commercial contemporary art practices. It explores the social role of contemporary art in provoking continuous dynamic dialogue between art and society. As an institution, it serves as a platform for discussions and communication channel for artists, researchers, policy makers, and wider public. It operates as a vital communicator between the contemporary visual arts and actual social processes.

“Yunist” Factory

“Yunist” (“Youth”) is a former Soviet sewing factory, built in the heart of the historical Kyiv. The factory stopped working in the early 1990's and the rights to use the land were bought and sold several times. In 2008, it was purchased by one of the biggest developing companies in Ukraine. The company planned to build a business center there, but in 2012 they decided to give up on the project, because of the risks for their public image. Unfortunately, this decision did not reach the technical department in time and the whole quarter was demolished.  After a series of mass protests and public actions, the company publicly apologized to the citizens of Kyiv and promised to build something for their use at this location. A Public Board was gathered through an open voting process for important and trustworthy public figures on the project web-site. After eight months of debates the Board has decided that a multifunctional cultural centre should be built at the territory of the former factory.

 “SPACES: Architecture of Common” is part of the international three-year project SPACES, funded by the European Union through the Eastern Partnership Culture Programme.