04 Oct 2010

aMAZElab presents OPEN CITY

OPEN CITY means to identify the city as an open space, a place of exchange and encounter, of freedom and equity, a crossroads of cultures. Urban Installations, artists and writers participations, performance, music and video.

A project by: aMAZElab Art&Culture, Milano
Curated by: Claudia Zanfi

9th October / 9th November 2010

aMAZElab, the Milano-based cultural organization (www.amaze.it), is behind the international project entitled GOING PUBLIC 2010, winner of the 2007 European Union Culture Award.

In collaboration with the Network of Public Libraries of Modena and the Theatre Foundation / Le Vie dei Festival, aMAZElab organizes a series of exhibitions and events on the theme of migration and welcome. The event explores the borderlands between literature and theatre, featuring eyewitnesses and researchers into narration and its links with the oral tradition, as well as international artists committed with installations in public space of the city.

On this occasion, aMAZElab presents OPEN CITY curated by Claudia Zanfi, that aims to identify the city as an open space, a place of exchange and encounter, of freedom and equity, a crossroads of cultures in which the individual may become a 'citizen'.

OPEN CITY is therefore an arena of potentiality, multiculturalism and interdisciplinarity.

All along focusing on multiple form of the society and territory, aMAZElab suggests to develop the project OPEN CITY at the Crocetta district in Modena. This area, at the back of the railway station, is characterized by high density of foreigner immigration and extended urban and social degrade.
Through the participation of local community and the involvement of multicultural groups, the project aims to begin an action of social implementation, working in the most widespread programs of urban redevelopment of the railways.

For the first time in Modena, the urban research centre 'Laboratorio della Città' will host an international exhibition composed by over 40 artists, such as:
Thomas Hirschhorn, Marina Abramovic, Pavel Braila, Maja Bajevic, Adrian Paci, Marina Grzinic, Tadej Pogačar, Calin Dan, Armin Linke, Danica Dakic, Oliver Musovik, Anton Petrov, Stefano Romano, Igor Sovilj, Biljana Stefanovska, Zaneta Vangeli, Shoba, Balkan Depot/Tomislav Terek, Yane Calovski, and others. The installation features a great mosaic that brings together ideas, emotions, drawings, photographs and images by the artists, called on to rethink and examine the Balkans as a complex whole and the concept about 'open city'.

Special project at Galleria Civica of Modena- Contemporary Art Center that will host the video 'Centro di Permanenza Temporanea' by Adrian Paci, acknowledge thanks to the great success at the last International Art Biennial of Venice.

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OPENING Saturday 9th October 2010
Programme:

3 pm > International Symposium with contributions by Alterazioni Video (artists' collective, present at the Venice Biennale), TooA (duo of video artists and researchers), Edi Muka (director of the Tirana Biennial), and Emina Vukovic (journalist Milano/Sarajevo).
5 pm > Street performance by the multi-ethnic band through the streets near the Railway Station.
6 pm > Opening of the OPEN CITY artistic installation at the exhibition space Laboratorio della Città and Crocetta Public Library.
7 pm > Buffet Multi Kult.