Once described as “Italy gone Marxist,” Georgia, located in both an advantageous and vulnerable geopolitical position between the Black Sea, Russia, Central Asia, and the Middle East, enjoys a Mediterranean climate and viniculture in combination with a community-oriented and self-determined spirit. Its informal, vernacular, and palimpsestic architecture—reflected in the stunning former Ministry of Highways erected in 1975—reveals the uncanny anticipatory and progressive potential of a place where the past is neither monumentalized nor destroyed, but built upon. Taking the exhibition Frozen Moments: Architecture Speaks Back (2010) as its starting point, this guidebook maps the social, urban, and art discourses of the country’s post-Soviet years as seen from its hilly capital of Tbilisi.
Edited by: Joanna Warsza
With contributions by: Ei Arakawa, Ruben Arevshatyan, Levan Asabashvili, Bouillon Group, George Chakhava, Thea Djordjadze, Didier Faustino, Yona Friedman, Nana Kipiani, Nikoloz Lutidze, Marion von Osten, Nini Palavandishvili, Gela Patashuri, Lali Pertenava, Marjetica Potrč, Richard Reynolds, Slavs and Tatars, Gio Sumbadze, Sophia Tabatadze, Éric Troussicot, Jan Verwoert, Aleksandra Wasilkowska, et al.
Copublished by: the Other Space Foundation and Casco – Office for Art, Design and Theory
Design by: Kasia Korczak, Krzysztof Pyda
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Shadow Architecture is a unique series of an innovative narrative about unfairly marginalised elements of the structure of the city. The second volume Bazaars talks about the urban markets and projects of their revitalisation. The author Aleksandra Wasilkowska proves that traditional markets can provide an important reference point for planning a modern, social city. At the same time shows how these idealistic and innovative projects can be introduced into practice. The third volume is dedicated to the public toilets - often overlooked while thinking about urban space, yet constituing an organic and very inspiring element of the landscape of cities. The pubic toilets on the one hand are pushed out form the official discourse because of an overzealous social shyness; on the other - are a social necessity and an important topic in the context of the dynamic changes taking place in Polish cities.
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You can buy Shadow Architecture in our shop:
Aleksandra Walsilkowska, Shadow Architecture, tom I
Aleksandra Wasilkowska, Shadow Architecture, tom II & III
The Transkaukazja Festival takes place every two years, in open and central urban spaces, as well as in the most important modern art galleries, cinemas, theatres and key cultural centers. The festival features a variety of interdisciplinary presentations through visual arts, film, music, dance, and events combining different art genres. Since 2004, Transkaukazja has brought a wide audience in direct contact with contemporary art created in one of the most culturally rich regions in the world.
The first Transkaukazja festival in Warsaw introduced visual art performances, Caucasian film screenings, cultural workshops, photography exhibitions, as well as the legendary Rose Revolution, the ethno-rock band Zumba from Georgia. The second Transkaukazja in 2005 added new elements and took place on the New Town Square in Warsaw, with the main stage and thematic tents showing music concerts, multimedia shows and even Caucasian cuisine.
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Projekt Birma is a programme implemented in Burma/ Myanmar by the Other Space Foundation in co-operation with Polish Burma Solidarity. The programme aims to support and mobilise grass-roots organisations from ethnic minorities in the establishment of the civil society. The programme was established in 2012. Between April and December 2012 two civic education projects were conducted in Shan state (see: Young Democracy project) and Rakhine state (see: Transformation Leaders project). Both projects were funded with the support from the Programme “Support for Democracy” co-financed by the Polish Development Programme of the ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland
In 2013, the programme was continued in Shan and Rakhine states. In 2014, we focused on a number of issues including access to justice for women, electoral education and sharing the experience of Polish transformation with Burma/Myanmar. In 2015, we continue to work with various regional groups, developing innovative approach to civic education, human rights and democratisation. Depending on local partner organisations, our main focus are issues such as electoral education and monitoring, computer animation for civic education, land-related issues, environmental conservation, women rights, indigenous rights (find out more about our activities in 2015 here).
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One Caucasus is an interdisciplinary festival and a long-term borderland program that first took a place in Georgia in 2014. The event is located in a region called Marneuli, at the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, in a small village called Tserakvi. We chose Marneuli, because it is known for being a place where many ethnic and religious groups have been living in peace for many years.The Caucasus suffers from many conflicts, that’s why our aim is to create an inspirational & safe space for meetings of young people from the whole Caucasus region.
One Caucasus brings together musicians, artists, animators, architects, and volunteers from the Caucasus region & all around the world. Butthe most important thing: One Caucasus works with local communites,; together we create educational programs for kids from Azerbaijani, Armenian & Georgian villages. In 2015, for the first time in the Caucasus history, we involved the citizens of the Marneuli region into a progressive democratic tool called Participatory Budget, With this tool citizens will have a direct impact on the budget of their local government.
http://www.info-migrator.pl/en/
The Idea is to create multilingual information website for migrants, comprehensively answering needs of foreigners visiting Poland. The portal describes formal and legal issues concerning stay in Poland; procedures in local offices; basic aspects of everyday life in certain cities of Poland. At the same time, website strengthens the idea and cooperation between people interested (professionally or privately) in migrations. In other words, the website serves as a space for communication among migrants, non-governmental organizations, workers of public institutions and scholars particularly concerned with migrations. Aim and Mission of this project is to simplify the life of migrants in our country, by assuring them convenient and quick access to all practical information and as a result, activating foreigners and enlarging their participation in public life. The intended effects of this project are well informed, integrated, active migrants, and efficient, dynamic discourse of experts.
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Strona internetowa została realizowana w ramach programu Obywatele dla Demokracji, finansowanego z Funduszy EOG.