invisibility of migrant women

Posts Tagged ‘invisibility of migrant women’

#performanceart, Belgrade, Delegated performance, displacement, invisibility of migrant women, Jesenja izlozba, migration, Misplaced Women?, performance, PublicSpace, Score #1, Tanja Ostojic, visibility

Partitura za izvođenje performansa, br.1: Raspakivanje lične torbe

In Scores on November 9, 2020 at 8:24 pm

_{U jeku aktuelnih progona, pretnji, i vređanja savremenih umetnika u Srbiji, a posebno performans umetnika, strip crtača, kao i članova Upravnog odbora i Tela ULUS-a koji orkestriraju mediji, pojedinci i grupe ekstremista, pozivam sve na solidarnost! Pripremajući svoj rad za pretstojeću Jesenju izložbu* Udruženja Likovnih Umetnika Srbije u Paviljonu Cvijeta Zuzorić na Kalemegdanu, upućujem poziv za jedan praktični ogled, za vas, vašu decu i prijatelje: pokušajte da se bavite performans umetnošću uz primenu ovih jednostavnih instrukcija. Tu sam ako bude pitanja.}

Tanja Ostojić: MISPLACED WOMEN? (2009-2020) delegirani performans

Partitura za izvodjenje performansa, br.1: Raspakivanje lične torbe

Oko sat vremena, sa/bez pripremama, jedan/više performera, prostor vezan za migracije

Instrukcije:

Odaberite javni prostor od značaja za migracije koji vas posebno intrigira (javni prevoz, glavna autobuska stanica, aerodrom, granica, džentrifikovani deo grada…)
Kada stignete tamo raspakujte svoju torbu (kao na primer: tašnu, ranac, kofer, ceger sa ličnim stvarima ili praznim plastičnim kesama i pakovanjima od potrošačkih proizvoda…)
Izvadite svaku stvar napolje i izvrnite je naopačke. Izvrnite unutrašnjost torbe napolje. Izvadite sve iz svojih džepova. Izvrnite džepove. Skinite cipele. Izvucite pertle. Nakon što ste sve raspakovali, pogledajte da li možete još nešto da otkrijete.
Za napredne i posebno motivisane: Možete uraditi isto na različitim lokacijama, da vidite da li se vaša akcija različito percipira u drugo vreme i na drugim mestima. U tom slučaju, nacrtajte mapu gde ste sve izvodili performans.

Drawing by David Caines of the performance by Teresa Albor in Westfield Shopping Mall, London, realised in the frame of the “Misplaced Women?” performance art workshop in the public space by Tanja Ostojić, organized by LADA, London, December 2016.

Napomena:

Razmislite o tome kako se osećate dok ovo radite u javnosti. Da li se osećate izloženo? Kako ovo iskustvo rezonuje sa vašim životnim iskustvom i da li vas približava ljudima u izbeglištvu, u tranzitu, sa ljudima koji žive na ulici ili slično… Budite otvoreni za razgovor sa prolaznicima o tome šta radite i zašto to radite. Neka performans traje barem pola sata… Ako ste se hektično raspakovali, nakon kratke pauze i razmene, pokušajte da spakujete svoje stvari sa pažnjom i s poštovanjem (ili obrnuto).

Posebna napomena:

Može se ispostaviti da prostori za koje smatramo da su javni, zapravo to nisu. To znaži da sa ovim performansom možete preispitivati javni prostor i uvideti gde (ni)je moguće izvesti ovu akciju. Obezbeđenje vas može odgurnuti metar od ulaza (u šoping centar ili ono što su danas postale železničke stanice) ili vas policija može pitati — “Šta radite?”–. Savetujem da povedete nekoga sa sobom ko će pokušati da zagovara obezbeđenje, dok ne završite performans. Takođe možete reći da tražite neku svoju stvar (šta god to bilo), kako biste izbegli da budete izbačeni ili uhapšeni.. s obzirom da su performansi i snimanje zabranjeni na mnogim mestima.

Objavljivanje:

Donesite svoj prilog (u formi natpisa, crteža, beleški, fotografija) na Jesenju izložbu* ULUS-a, Paviljon Cvijeta Zuzorić, Mali Kalemegdan, Beograd. / Pošaljite svoj prilog za objavljivanje na Misplaced Women? blogu projekata.

Autorstvo i objavljivanje:

Sa “Misplaced Women?” projektom obraćamo posebnu pažnju na koautorstvo. Molimo vas da potpišete sopstvenu akciju kada je delite na društvenim mrežama sa: Misplaced Women?, delegirani performans Tanje Ostojić, Score#1 / Score#2, vaše ime i prezime, datum, trajanje i lokacija. Mi ćemo učiniti isto sa vašim prilozima. Molimo vas da nas obavestite da li ste saglasni sa objavljivanjem vašeg priloga na Misplaced Women? blogu i u kontekstu izložbi arhiva projekta.

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* Jesenja izložba će biti održana u periodu od 12. novembra do 6. decembra 2020.

Link for the English version of this post

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children, Dagmara Bilon, gentrification, Home, identity, immigration, invisibility of migrant women, London, memories, migration, moving, participation, performance, performance art, personal objects, polish, public space, Trauma, UK, visibility, women

Dagmara Bilon realised 3 performances on gentrification, home and identity in the frame of “Misplaced Women?” workshop hosted by LADA London, December 13 & 14, 2016

In Homes, London, Performances, Railway-stations, Workshops on March 13, 2017 at 1:12 pm

In the frame of Tanja Ostojić´s “Misplaced Women?” workshop hosted by Live Arts Development Agency London, on December 13 & 14, 2016, Dagmara Bilon realised 3 performance interventions which she has called “embodied investigations into home and identity; a protest against becoming a silenced and isolated as wallpaper, dedicated to the ever-changing landscape of London in the mist of gentrification.”

For my first intervention I chose to unpack my heavy back-pack on a street corner in Hackney Wick near the neighborhood’s formerly longest occupied squat. I took of my heavy rucksack from my back and start to unpack. It’s full of various objects, accumulated over time: my childhood toys, my children’s toys, things I need for work, such as gaffe-tape, iPad, mobile phone, cigarettes, wire, lots of stones to ground me, so as not to fly away, a black fabric sphere that symbolised the veil of grief for the loss of my father, white pieces of fabric that I use to collect my menstrual blood, pens, pencils, a toy-snake. As I unpack my bag it feels never ending. Bits and pieces of glitter, receipts, notes… Lots and lots of junk, but to me – a trail of my existence. All the objects are bare on the wet concrete floor. While I see them, I feel uncertain of my survival, slightly embarrassed, like a public emptying of the bowels, spilling of my organs. I don’t dare to look into anyone’s eyes;I start to pack my bag as quickly as I possibly can, stuffing things back inside my dirty old rucksack. But there is always something more, always something else spilling out…

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My second performance featured a surreal procession of a displaced female body in a red suitcase, walking in black high heels and black velvet tight leggings over a Bridge in Olympic Park, that leads to London’s biggest shopping mall,Westfield Stratford. In the morning on that day, I took my large red suitcase from my room that contains all my dresses and props from previous London performances. This is when the performance started. I carried the suitcase from my room in South East London to Hackney,down the stairs, down the road, and on public transport. While walking I’m reminiscing of my immigrationat the age of three with my mother from Poland to Germany, with one and only suitcase filled with our possessions. In my associations of a single woman standing by a bus stop with a big red suitcase, symbolises vulnerability danger, but also power. The power to move on. As I travel I notice the eyes of people peeking and then quickly shifting back onto their daily newspaper or smart phone.

Then, standing by a bridge together with the group of participants from the “Misplaced Woman?” workshop. I open my suitcase and hand my items one by one to individuals in the group. To me this is a most humane and kind experience. To have my items held by others. I take off my golden sandals and step inside my black high heel shoes and through the two holes I have cut in the red suitcase. I squeeze my body into the suitcase and ask a volunteer from the group to lock the suitcase and point me straight over the bridge. I’m inside now, locked in. I can’t see where I am going. My legs are wobbly. The core of my body contorted. I want to speak: “am I going into the right direction?” — but I don’t have a voice ‘in there’, inside the suitcase. Spontaneously, a member of the group directs me how to walk forwards. I feel even more powerless, cut off and disorientated. I have no choice but to follow instructions and to focus on my feet, to stay on the ground and continue moving forward.

Dagmara Bilon performing “Misplaced Women?” in the Olympic Park, London, in frame of Tanja Ostojic´s workshop (December 2016)

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For my third performance, I shared an intervention with three women from the “Misplaced Woman?” workshop at Hackney Wick Overground Station. I chose to locate myself on the other side of the platform. It was not ideal for documenting the action. I deliberately wanted to experience the gap between us and the feeling of loosing side of each other as trains move in and out of the platform.

The last time I saw my father was on the other side of a platform in 1985.

I place my red suitcase on the floor and slowly unpack all my dresses and props from previous London performances. Each of them with a story to tell, the dust of previous locations, the smell of sweat or dump, and leave a trace of these items around me that for a sort of island.

I’m standing in the middle of the island and at last pull out a huge Cunt Sculpture. I stand up on the bench “on my island” and hold up my Cunt up high. A train comes into the platform. People are going in and out. A man takes a picture from within the train. The doors are closing. The train moves out again.

I step off the bench, pack up my suitcase again and as I walk over to the other side of the platform to join the others, a mother with a baby looks at me beaming and asks if it was a vagina that I was holding up?

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Text written by Dagmara Bilon

Edited by Tanja Ostojić and Danyel Ferreri

Photos featured in this post taken by the “Misplaced Women?” workshop participants, London, and Aleksandar Utjesinovic

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Dagmara Bilon (b.1981) is a London based Polish/German Performance Artist, Co-Founder of The Purple Ladies Performance Collective, Artist Mentor on The Talking Gender Project and Project Manager of The MotherHouse. Since graduating in 2003 from Trinity Laban with a degree in Dance Theater she has worked as a performer for companies such as Punchdrunk, Psychological Art Circus, The Bones Theater, Marissa Carnesky, Ear Cinema and Lundahl&Seitl. Simultaneously she created and produced her own independent performance projects including staged works, sight specific interventions and one to one performances. More recently she focused on developing performance actions that challenge the notions of motherhood and identity and exhibited work alongside The Desperate Art Wives. She has also conducted various community arts led projects engaging young people in the discourse of gender, sexuality and identity. www.dagmarabilon.com

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Aix-en-Provence, criminalization, invisibility of migrant women, migration, Misplaced Women?, performance, performance art, Performance Workshop, Performans, public space, security, Sigrid Pawelke, Tanja Ostojic

Sigrid Pawelke´s Statement

In Aix-en-Provence, Shopping Center, Stories, Workshops on September 25, 2016 at 3:32 pm

Sigrid Pawelke´s statement regarding her powerful performance contribution to the Misplaced Women? (performance workshop conducted by Tanja Ostojić) in front of the Sephora beauty shop, shopping district of the City of Aix-en-Provence, December 16, 2016.

The context:

In a city like Aix-en Provence, one of the most culturally and economically rich in France where its native sons Cezanne and Victor Hugo help to guarantee an extremely profitable tourism industry to this day, the city politics reinforce this anachronism of the 19th century as contemporary combined with the “culture of appearance”.

The expansion of the old city in the last several years provided even more space for the monoculture of appearance, with the opening of one multinational clothing shop after another – a paradise of consumerism.

In September 2016 at the height of the refugee crises in Europe, the right wing mayor declared that the city of Aix had already welcomed enough refugees and would not take any more.

But what refugees does this mayor mean? The ones who voted for her like the “pieds-noirs”, the French-Algerians, almost a million of whom came to the region after the French-Algerian war in the early 1960’s? Or the Italians, Spaniards, Corsicans and Polish who arrived throughout the 20th century, and let’s not forget the “Gypsies”, the Roma people.

Due to this context I launched a symposium “migrations – strategies of creation” at the School of Visual Arts in Aix and invited Tanja Ostojić to come speak and hold a performance workshop.

In the frame of her “Misplaced Women?” performance workshop I chose to do my performance right in front of the Sephora beauty shop, which stands for the monoculture of stereotyped female consumers and the high pollutive nature of cosmetics waste worldwide.

This “interspace” between the shop and the public space out on the street is very interesting – where does the private-public space of the shop end and where does the public space of the pedestrian alley begin? French law provides three principles for the use of public space: “Liberté, égalité, gratuité” (Liberty, equality, freedom-as in ‘take this [item] for free’)

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There are laws governing these spaces and the interpretation of the laws by the person who is paid to watch and ensure safety, i.e. the modern day private security guard.

So I started to install myself right in this in-between space to challenge the security guard as well as the passersby and the customers of the beauty shop.

I arrived with a backpack filled with plastic bags and a few other belongings, wearing rather casual, well-worn street clothes.

The minute I started, I put on my “invisible” performance protection wall around me in order to pursue the task of “putting everything inside out”.

Then I began to empty all my bags: there were maybe five or six creating a scene of the so called “bag lady” and people were starting to wonder what I was doing or searching for, including the security guard who appeared hesitant to come over or ask himself whether or not what I was doing was legal, being so close to the shop? Maybe because I am a woman he held himself back so as not to interfere too much in my business in the beginning.

Next I pulled off everything I was holding inside my clothes, out of my jacket and pans pockets. In the end I took off my shoes. So I stood there in the middle of December without shoes or jacket. That was the point when the security guard came up to ask me:

“What are you doing?”

“I am just searching for something,” I answered.

“Hurry up because people are already watching. And move further away from the shop!”

The rest of the people, passersby and customers partially tried to ignore me, since that is the usual behaviour of people who do not want to get involved, neither mentally nor physically.

Under the staring eyes of the security guard I just kept slowly continuing my performance, showing no sign of inhibition due to the treatment of the security guard until everything was packed up again and then I walked away.

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The most striking part for me was the feeling of being an object of disturbance to someone, while at the same time being almost totally invisible to the rest, as if I didn’t exist.

However, I am a white European so visually I did not stick out of the crowd and my outfit was still “bearable” in regards to standard conventions.

So there I was, feeling what I call a double burden as a female of otherness, but yet being legal as a European in France. It was only due to my appearance that I was safe as I have been so many other times in my life at border crossings or immigration desks. Whereas both sides of my family were refugees after fleeing the Soviet army when Stalin reshaped Europe at the end of World War II. Thanks to the women in my family many of my kin survived and resettled. Women are the first victims in those situations, but on the other hand once they manage to survive they have an incredible endurance and capacity to adapt.

But to come back to 2016 in order to understand a glimpse of the female migration situation you must experience at least for a moment physically and psychologically their condition. That’s where the profound strength lies in Tanja Ostojić’s performance proposals.

And now just imagine being illegal with signs of apparent “otherness” as a female in front of a private security guard in the same context….

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Sigrid Pawelke, is professor of art history at the School of Visual Arts at Aix-en-Provence, France, researcher and performer.

Photos: Tanja Ostojić

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Aberdeen, criminalization, Festival of Politics, identity, invisibility of migrant women, migration, Misplaced Women?, non-places, participation, performance, performance art, Performance Workshop, public engagement, public space, security, Tanja Ostojic, Torry, UK, visibility of migrant women, vulnerability of migrant women

Misplaced Women? in Torry, Aberdeen, Festival of Politics, March 10, 2016.

In Aberdeen, Performances, Workshops on June 13, 2016 at 2:43 pm

Misplaced Women? banner by Marta Nitecka Barche

Text by Caroline Gausden:

As a part of the Aberdeen Festival of Politics 2016, the Misplaced Women? workshop conducted by Tanja Ostojić took place in Torry, an area of Aberdeen separated from the main port and city centre by the mouth of the river. It’s an area with its own distinctive geography. Connected to Aberdeen City centre by three bridges it is also somehow separate and with a strong relationship to the sea. It is easy to imagine it as a place with its own history and stories to tell. When I went to Torry for the first time I was struck by the smell of fish, the sound of the sea and the industrial spaces that dwarfed me as I rode my bike along the coast. I also noticed many different accents that confirmed Torry is a place that holds a diverse community of people who have found it more affordable to live in than other areas of the city. When I came to visit in March it was to meet with Tanja Ostojić in the local community centre and listen to other women speak on their experiences of migration and travel under the umbrella of the festival of politics, hosted by one of the local residents Renée Slater and co organised by Marta Nitecka Barche.

Our base was social centre of Torry, where we first met. We spoke a little bit about why we were there, sharing rich and personal stories around migration and other feelings connected to the idea of being misplaced. We also shared tea and biscuits. I was interested in questions of hospitality and politics in art. As well as this I had recently produced and supported performance art in Torry and wanted to feel what it was like to be on the other side, to perform. In thinking about hospitality I have spent some time trying to decide how it is possible to negotiate the power structures set up by the host/guest scenario. I had thought about the idea that possibly it is only those who have been ‘misplaced’ and know what it feels like to have lost a home that can offer hospitality. I felt that Tanja’s practice was intimately bound up these questions so I was happy that sharing food together, as well as stories of ourselves, round a table was the start of our journey. Tanja was a guest in Torry but also offered us the kind of hospitality that would make it possible to be brave and to move into the uncertain territory of performance art, a foreign land for many of us in the workshop.

After eating we walked out of the community centre, leaving the quiet streets in the area to descend down the hill to the shops and heart of Torry. We were lucky to have a sunny day and a view of the sea. The first place we choose to perform was the front steps of a public library.

Workshop participants in front of the Social Centre, Torry Aberdeen, UK

How did it feel standing outside the library? Angela unpacked things first from a cluttered, unkempt but well loved bag. She made a little line of things on the wall. It seem as though she was meeting a lot of these things for the first time or at least after a long time apart. There were things folded up in things, she stopped as if finished, then realized there was more to be done. I thought about unpacking. I stood on the edge of myself and the public space and paced back and forward. Other people began to unpack in different ways giving us a glimpse of their private worlds some perfectly neat, whilst other more complex. Someone else started to look for something; it became an accidental performance. I delayed. It felt too difficult to start. People started to look on, the librarian paused in the doorway unsure of what was happening. We started to move on. No harm done.

We made it to the bridge and a bus stop. Tanja took that moment to perform. One guy sat at the bus shelter with a group of friends, he watched as she began unpacking. A bus pulled up adding to the suspense. How long would it wait for her? What had been lost? People exchanged glances, questions were hanging in the air. The man on the bench made a decision, he would wait and see what was happening, wherever he was going he decided to delay. His friends left reluctantly without him. A small connection was made between strangers. Meanwhile the rhythm in Tanja’s performance picked up, the pace seemed to be more frantic, she turned items inside out, more stuff was laid out. Finally, at the bottom things were soup stained, a sticky mess. The performance slowed down, started to feel hopeless. Whatever she had been searching for seemed to slip away. She sat on the bench now looking out, spooning in mouthfuls of cold soup from the leaky container. I walked away to find a spot and grab a moment to also perform. I picked somewhere in the sunshine and without waiting dived into my own bag.

Tanja Ostojic´s performance

What are things? I hadn’t really thought too carefully about them before, these things I carry around. That day having taken the leap and begun to unpack, my things felt like little bridges, stretched between people. These objects we travel with make us feel safe, nourished and anxious in equal measure. Kirsty sat next to me unpacking. I decided to emphasize the vulnerability I felt. I piled things in a haphazard way, my papers started to catch in the wind. Kirsty smiled at my ‘filing system’, which was clearly, a broken system, a fragile, human system, under pressure and imperfect. But a system that nevertheless means something to me. I wanted to share what it meant, I was lucky enough to be with people I could share with. What does it mean to get everything out, to feel a little vulnerable but to support each other all the same? It felt good, like I had had a glimpse into another reality and like I would be a better host for having taken the journey.

Caroline Gausend´s performance

Performance by Ashley McNaughton

With the participation of: Karolina Kubik, Caroline Gausden, Angela Margaret Main, Francesco Sani, Gabriel Tracy, Kirsty Russell, Renée Slater, Marta Nitecka Barche, Ashley McNaughton and many other amassing people.

Photos: Amy Bryzgel, Renée Slater, Tanja Ostojic

For more images and texts about this workshop please visit as well:

https://misplacedwomen.wordpress.com/2016/06/13/responses-by-participants-of-the-misplaced-women-workshop-in-torry-aberdeen-march-10-2016/

This workshop has been made possible thanks to the generous support of the University of Aberdeen and the Aberdeen Trade Union Council.

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criminalization, identity, invisibility of migrant women, Migracija, migration, Misplaced Women?, non-places, participation, performance, Performance Workshop, public engagement, public space, security, Tanja Ostojic, video, vulnerability of migrant women, working mobility

Missplaced Women? Performance & Migration Workshop and Performance series by Tanja Ostojić, in Info Park and the park in front of the Faculty of Economy Belgrade, October 29, 2015

In Belgrade, Bus-stations, Workshops on January 14, 2016 at 4:12 pm

Inside the Info Park and the park in front of the Faculty of Economy we, the crowed of 18 people (including photographers, camera person and coordinators) have done two group performances that consisted of emptying all contents from our bags and pockets and turning each single item inside out. We were taking each item apart, including taking out batteries and cards from our mobile phones and photo-cameras, and the reverse, packing it all back afterwards. This showed to be introspective and communicative setting for us, and for people passing by including refuges and volunteers who gather on near by benches. I believe that one can understand artistic process and experience of migration and exposure “on own skin” only, so to say… In this sense and as most of participants felt during the workshop and have reported after it was an initiation of a particular kind that gave to more experienced ones a strong flash of even (forgotten / traumatic) memories from the past.

Charming Nazer, one of the asylum seekers joined us and presented to us the content of his refuge bag.

It gave me a feeling of deep gratefulness to figure out that bordeaux Robe-di-Kappa wool scarf that was since my school years part of my father’s closet has now found an important place in Nazer´s bag of basics and necessities…

From the highly valuable and extensive participants reports I would in particularly like to share the following excerpts:

1. “My motivation to apply for this workshop was because I had ample opportunities during my life to develop strong friendships with people who found ten self in very unfortunate situation, who had to leave their homes behind during the wars in former Yugoslavia. I´ve been witnessing scenes of verbal and physical violence against refuges by at the first glance ordinary people and that ones who should be in charge of order — police… Participation in the “Missplaced Women?” performance overwhelmed me with feelings of revolt and sadness. The change of perspective, produced by the artist´s intelligent manoeuvre evoked memories of the scenes I witnessed on Bar-Belgrade train a number of years ago. Policemen was checking in a brutal way a women traveling with two of her kids, while baby stuff were flaying all over the corridor. Being involved in the performance “Missplaced Women?” myself, at ones, from an observer I transformed into the victim myself. I felt naked, attacked, exposed to any passing bayer who might get an idea to approach me. I thought at ones about all possible complications in case my documents, bank cards or mobile phone would go missing. All those paper and plastic stuff that approve our communication and consumption and without which as it seems I would not be homo sapiens but rather Alien. A word that could the best describe experience I had in regard to the luggage searchings that I witnessed and the one I performed myself would be “rape”. I think this performance workshop should be an obligatory educational tool for the ones in the position of power. At the end, I stayed with more questions then answers, as our artists claims, is the role of art… “ — Jelena Dinić (Medical worker from Belgrade)

2. …After an experience of volunteering for two weeks in a refugee centre in Belgium, I was surprised by the energy and enthusiasm of some of the refugees I met here in Belgrade. The facts they shared with me in such a brief period of time I find precious. The children’s drawings in Miksalište left the strongest impression on me. They drew their experience of the trip and the struggle they are going through.

…When I removed all of my personal things from my backpack and placed them where everybody could see them, I felt exposed and vulnerable. That came as a surprise to me. I thought the second unpacking at the next location would be easier then the first one, but it was even more difficult. At one moment, I felt very insecure, and quickly returned everything back into the backpack. I think this experience was valuable because I got a chance to see this situation from a different point of view, and to exchange thoughts and attitudes with other participants of the workshop.— Gorana Bačevac (graduate student of sculpture, Faculty of Fine Arts Belgrade)

3. “During the workshop I felt compassion, solidarity and the need for more solidarity.

…feeling of the misplaced position of ourselves and other people around us in everyday life that we all try to suppress…

…it is not that hard to imagine the misplaced position of all of us, if the world continues to act this way…

“We all know the history, and It wasn’t that long ago…” — Bojana Radenović (Master student, theory of art and media, University of Arts, Belgrade)

15 minutes Video review about the Missplaced Women? in Belgrade

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Jurnalist: Vesna Milosavljević

Camera: Milan Nešić

Video-editing: Marija Aranđelović

Video Production: SEEcult.org, 2015.

Concept and workshop leader / performance artist: Tanja Ostojić

List of Workshop participants / performance artists:

Nela Antonović, art director, Mimart Theatre, Belgrade

Gorana Bačevac. student of sculpture, Faculty of Fine Arts, Belgrade.

Tatjana Beljinac, student, School of Design, Belgrade.

Tamara Bijelić, master student of Theatrology, Faculty of Dramatic Arts, Belgrade

Jelena Dinić, medical worker, Belgrade

Irena Đukanović, student of painting, Faculty of Fine Arts Belgrade.

Milica Janković, student, School of Design, Belgrade.

Marija Jevtić, master student, Academy of Arts Novi Sad.

Nadežda Kirćanski, student of sculpture, Faculty of Fine Arts, Belgrade.

Irena Mirković, master student, New Media, Academy of Arts, Novi Sad.

Bojana Radenović, master student, Theory and New Media, University of Arts Belgrade.

Sanja Solunac, feminist, activist and independent artist, Belgrade.

Sunčica Šido, Women Initiative and Goethe Institute, Belgrade.

Production: This workshop has been produced by Remont — independent art association Belgrade, in the frame of “From Diaspora to Diversities” international project. Production co-ordinators: Miroslav Karić and Darka Radosavljević

See as well other two directly related blog entries:

— Nela Antonovic´s Story: https://misplacedwomen.wordpress.com/2015/11/10/nela-antonovics-story-prica-nele-antonovic/

— The workshop part 1: https://misplacedwomen.wordpress.com/2015/10/29/missplaced-women-workshop-in-miksaliste-belgrade-october-29-2015/

— Review in Serbian language: http://www.seecult.org/vest/t-ostojic-missplaced-women

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Belgrade, Beograd, Bulgarian border, children, invisibility of migrant women, Migracija, migration, Miksaliste, Misplaced Women?, Missplaced Women, participation, performance, performance art, Performance Workshop, public engagement, Refugee aid, refugee children, refugees, Serbia, Violance

Missplaced Women? Performance & Migration Workshop by Tanja Ostojić in Miksalište Belgrade, October 29, 2015

In Belgrade, Borders, Workshops on October 29, 2015 at 5:43 pm

13 participating women and girls of diverse backgrounds and generations responded to the open call with distinguished motivations to take part in one day long performance workshop “Missplaced Women?” that took place on October 29 in Belgrade. Between them there were two 17 years old School of Design students, several art students, master students of arts and drama, couple of feminists, activists and cultural workers, one nurse and as well my colleague Nela Antonović, art director of Mimart Theatre, experienced performance artist herself.

Whether they had any experience with the performance art or with migration, or not, participants were invited to come openminded to the workshop and to bring along some bag or a purse of their own as well as some donations for refuges. Our base was Remont, independent artist association, where we gettered in order to get to know each other and to talk about the project over a cup of tee in democratic way.

We were discussing and researching and trying out something practical and performative at three different migration specific locations in public spaces in the vicinity of the city centre Bus station where still an average of 300–500 refuges daily stop by, in order to get medical help, food, warm clothes, information, and to charge their mobile phones. Some of them are offered to be transferred to free hostels to recover for up to three days, or to asylum home in Krnjača suburb. Most of the refuges are anyhow waiting there for a next 10-Euro-bus direction Croatian border, etc. Dramatic conditions on Balkan migration routes are changing daily. Since Hungarian border has been violently closed for refuges people can progress from Serbia only to Croatia. From july until early October 2015, parks in vicinity of Bus station in Belgrade were covered with tends and served as improvised temporary camps. Many volunteers were engaged there. Since mid October 2015 camping has been forbidden and refuges are, after being registered at Macedonian border mainly transferred directly to Croatian border by police busses, or are brought to Asylum centres. Volunteers and donations are spreading as well around Croatian, Macedonian and Bulgarian borders.

First we came to the storage part of Miksalište, Refugee help centre located in Mostarska 5, where we gave our modest donations and made contacts with several refugees and volunteers. They told us about their journeys and the violence they’ve experienced in some of the countries they went through. What left a big impression on workshop participants is the fact how well they handle their difficult situations and how optimistic they were. They also told us about plans for their future destinations. In the help centre there were mostly younger male refugees from Afghanistan who walked over Bulgaria to Serbia. The reason there were so few women and children there was, as we found out, that they are avoiding passing through Bulgaria in order to avoid brutality of Bulgarian police and groups of organised hooligans. Families mainly go via Macedonia from where as soon as they enter Serbia they are registered and directly transported, by free busses organised by Serbian police, on to Croatian border. We met a lot of people who had been beaten up, robbed and imprisoned for up to 20 days in Bulgaria. Their cell phones, money and passports were taken away. We also met there a 15 year old Kurdish Syrian girl who came over Bulgaria and who had to leave her parents behind in Turkey, since they didn’t had money to travel along. She suffered from severe feet injuries and exhaustion.

Inside the Miksalište there is a tend where refugee children can play and make drawings with volunteers and social workers. We took several pictures of drawings where kids expressed their impressions from the journey. On one of the drawings a refugee child depicted explicit violence against his/her family members while on the road in Bulgaria and in Iran.

Choice of reflections excerpts by some of the workshop participants:

Despite the fact that we had only one day for this workshop, I have many different feelings about the experience that we went trough. First, when we came to Miksalište I wasn’t very confident in my approach to the migrants, because I have never been in this situation before and didn’t know what would be the right way to greet them. I wanted to approach them in a very friendly manner and I didn’t want them to get the impression that I felt sorry for them. Then I met a guy from Afghanistan and started talking with him bluntly. He was also open for conversation, with a positive attitude. He looked like he really felt safe and calm in there, and he told me so. He was glad because the people here have empathy and they do not hesitate to help if they can. He told me about his journey and bad experiences he went trough, but he still kept his hope for the future. He gave me his Facebook contact, so we are still in touch. He is now in Düsseldorf, Germany, settled down and thinking about his plans for future. I talked with two more persons and what left a big impression on me was how well they handle their difficult situations… I am aware that not all of them are as strong, but talking to these guys really made me more optimistic. We all need more compassion, we need to be open and brave to talk about issues and problems of our world.” — Irena Mirković (master student, New Media, Academy of Arts, Novi Sad)

2. “The main reason why I wanted to take part in Tanja Ostojić’s “Missplaced Women” performance workshop was to meet and support refugee women and children, as I see them as direct and biggest victims of men’s system of values, politics and wars. I must say I was at first a little sad when we ran into almost no women and children in the refugee parks, but only to later be happy about that fact, because we figured out that majority of them actually choose a better route of traveling, avoiding Bulgaria and going through safer places than people we talked to in parks.

To me the biggest impression was 18 year old Afghanistan boy who told us his story, how his journey began more than two months ago, how he was almost 3 weeks in Bulgarian prison, where the brutal officers stole all of his property, including: cell phone, money and worst of all, his passport. The boy was smiling all the way, he seemed so positive and happy, even while telling us about the family he left behind in Afghanistan in a highly dangerous background, even when he told us about how he got beaten up in the prison, and about how extremely difficult it was for him to walk so much in firstly unbearably hot, and later cold and rainy conditions. He was thoroughly smiling with a profound, beautiful smile describing us the situation as “very bad, very bad..”

I must say that boy really made me think about life deeply and once again come to conclusion that the most important thing in life is – life itself. If people who lost everything, and have no certain future, not even a certain idea of survival can stay positive and happy out of gratefulness that they still have a bare life — a reason enough to smile, believe and stay positive, where do people in general, coming from ordinary, safe conditions, find a nerve to be grumpy and dissatisfied with life?

When did so many of us forget about what is really important and that without love, respect and gratefulness there is no true happiness? I feel blessed for the opportunity of meeting different people we ran into during our performance, as well as having an opportunity to connect with all the inspiring women in the workshop and rethinking the meaning and perspectives on life. For me this was a very nice, meaningful day and I will certainly remember it very gladly.” — Tamara Bijelić (master student of Theatrology, Faculty of Dramatic Arts, Belgrade)

3.”After an exchange with refuges in the frame of the “Misplaced Women?” workshop I came to conclusion that most of the things I have around me, and most of the habits of mine I should get rid off, change, reject, or totally eliminate from my life. This workshop was surly useful for my further development and inspiring for further thinking on the subjects of border, disclaimer, rejection and gaining…” — Marija Jevtić (master student, Academy of Arts Novi Sad)

Workshop participants:

Nela Antonović, art director, Mimart Theatre, Belgrade

Gorana Bačevac. student of sculpture, Faculty of Fine Arts, Belgrade.

Tatjana Beljinac, student, School of Design, Belgrade.

Tamara Bijelić, master student of Theatrology, Faculty of Dramatic Arts, Belgrade

Jelena Dinić, medical worker, Belgrade

Irena Đukanović, student of painting, Faculty of Fine Arts Belgrade.

Milica Janković, student, School of Design, Belgrade.

Marija Jevtić, master student, Academy of Arts Novi Sad.

Nadežda Kirćanski, student of sculpture, Faculty of Fine Arts, Belgrade.

Irena Mirković, master student, New Media, Academy of Arts, Novi Sad.

Bojana Radenović, master student, Theory and New Media, University of Arts Belgrade.

Sanja Solunac, feminist, activist and independent artist, Belgrade.

Sunčica Šido, Women Initiative and Goethe Institute, Belgrade.

Concept and workshop leader: Tanja Ostojić

Photos: Lidija Antonović, Tamara Bijelić, Marija Jevtić, Nadežda Kirćanski, Srdjan Veljović

This workshop has been produced by Remont — independent art association Belgrade, in the frame of “From Diaspora to Diversities” international project. Production co-ordinators: Miroslav Karić and Darka Radosavljević

20151029_122529 20151029_122455

Child depicting violence against his family member at the Bulgarian border

Refugee child depicted violence against his family members in Bulgaria and in Iran

Child depicted violence against his family member in Bulgaria and Iran

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Bosnia, Canada, citisentship, citizenship ceremony, identity, invisibility of migrant women, islamophobia, Migracija, migration, niqab, participation, Performans, public engagement, security, Trauma, veil, visibility of migrant women

“Misplaced Women?” Calgary, Canada, October 5-11, 2015.

In Calgary, Performances, Railway-stations, Stories on October 12, 2015 at 9:35 am

Darija´s Story:

My family and I were waiting to become Canadians since 2007. A few days ago, on October 5th 2015, our dream became true.

But, there is always a but. Since general elections have been announced for October 18th, the main question has been should a woman be allowed to attend the citizenship ceremony, state the oath, and become a Canadian citizen while wearing a veil. As this was an obvious attempt to steer the public in order to gain votes on an issue as irrelevant as this one, I naturally got sick of this manipulation and islamophobia.

Calgary, Canada, Harry Hays Building, October 5, 2015, 9:35h

This is Canada; I didn’t come here all the way from Bosnia to be told what I am or am not allowed to wear. So I had to attend the citizenship ceremony wearing a niqab. I explained it to my family; I had to make a demonstration at home the day before the ceremony, and luckily they agreed to my proposal. To my delight, everything went very smoothly on that October the 5th.

I recalled your “Misplaced Women” performance and decided to take a part. Until the election is over, I will be exposing the content of my bag at different public locations here in Calgary, wearing a niqab of course.

Darija S. Radakovic

October 11th 2015

Calgary, 4 Street SW C-Train Station, October 7, 17:20h

Calgary, Tompkins Park, 17 Avenue SW, October 7, 2015, 16:39h

Calgary, Anderson Station, October 10, 2015 13:40h

Calgary, Anderson Station, October 10. 2015, 13:42h

Calgary, Canada, Sunnyside C-Train Station, October 19, 2015, 16:43h

Calgary, Canada, Sunnyside C-Train Station, October 19, 2015, 16:39h

Post-scriptum (October 21, 2015):
I would like to add that the election is over now and that those who stated “oh no niqab” have lost. For the moment, we can only watch closely those who are now in power.

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airport, criminalization, identity, invisibility of migrant women, migration, Misplaced Women?, movement, non-identity, non-places, performance, private space, public engagement, security, Tanja Ostojic, vulnerability of migrant women, working mobility

Göteborg International Airport, Sweden, September 2, 2015.

In Airports, Göteborg on September 3, 2015 at 9:43 pm

Misplaced Women?
Performed by Tanja Ostojic.

On Wednesday September 2, at 10 am I performed my “Misplaced Women?” at arrivals terminal of Göteborg international airport. In approximately 45 minutes time I took out the entire contents of my two suitcases, out of my handbag as well as out of my cosmetics bag. I took out each single item one by one, turning them in side out..

During the performance there were very good responses from people with the migration background on the airport, and they said that similar things happened to them and / or to their relatives..

Photos: Li Qi Jian

Production: Live Action Göteborg: http://liveaction.se

Producer: Jonas Stampe

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criminalization, identity, invisibility of migrant women, migration, Misplaced Women?, non-identity, Performance Workshop, security, Trauma, USA

Marta´s Story

In Aberdeen, Stories on June 1, 2015 at 5:49 pm

Misplaced Women? banner by Marta Nitecka Barche

I took part in Tanja Ostojic´s “Misplaced Women?” workshop in April 2015 at the University of Aberdeen.  I was also honoured to take part in ‘ The Art of Performance’ event as part of May Festival 2015 at the University of Aberdeen where Dr Amy Bryzgel, Dr Adrienne Janus, Dr Lisa Collinson, and I performed Misplaced Women?. I prepared a short talk for this event about the performance and what it means to me:

To me, Misplaced Women? is a very peculiar performance. It has many meanings linked to my academic interests and to my individual experience. It recalls the everyday reality of migrants and refugees, of people who more or less willingly move between countries and cities. Their personal stories happen every day on the streets, shops, bus stations, and airports. That is why Misplaced Women? takes place in a public place without any particular settings. The idea is that anyone can enact the performance in ordinary settings among strangers passing by; just like anyone can become a migrant who needs to pack a part of their life into a suitcase and move to an unknown place. Misplaced Women? does not ask about nationality or political status. It performs and reaffirms the right of individual people to exist and to occupy space as human beings, whatever their identity. It calls attention to their presence, to their present existence; an existence often unrecognised or denied by political and national modes of identification (especially in the case of undocumented immigrants). Misplaced Women? lets individuals be present without asking about their place of belonging. This makes it a very personal performance to me. I have been moving between cities and states for most of my life. As a child, I moved with my parents within Poland. There was time when I changed my schools twice in one year. When I was a teenager, I spoke to my friend who said that she would like to move to another country, but it is so difficult to do. I said to her “you just need to go if you want to”. It was then I realised that I did not see any issue with changing place. To me it was as simple as going there. When I was older, I left Poland and moved to the USA; I did not feel I belonged to Poland. In my life I moved a few times more from one state to another. I have been in Aberdeen for over 4 years. I am lucky enough to be a student at the University of Aberdeen. I have also become a mother, and my son occupies his own space here. I like my life here and I want to stay here. I realised that “I want to stay” is important; I have chosen to stay in Aberdeen; but I also know that I do not have to stay here. I do not belong to Warsaw or Poland; I am not sure if I belong to Aberdeen, or Scotland, or to any other place. I do not feel I belong to any state and I do not like to be classified by nationality. I am a woman, a wife, a mother, a student, I am a human being, I am present, I occupy space, I am a misplaced woman.

I myself was subject to border control procedures in the USA. It was an experience of a particular kind of hell. I spent over 3 weeks in a regular jail. They called it “migration prison” but the truth is that I was there with criminals (I have never had a criminal past or committed any crime). They told me that my case was administrative, not criminal; but at the same time, I was handcuffed and ankle- cuffed. It took me forever to deal with this trauma; I am still dealing with it and I am not sure if I will ever overcome this experience completely.

By Marta Nitecka Barche

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identity, invisibility of migrant women, migration, Misplaced Women?, non-places, performance, public space, Tanja Ostojic, visibility, vulnerability of migrant women, working mobility

La Grand Escalier de la Gare du Saint Charles a Marseille, September 20, 2013

In Marseille, Railway-stations on March 30, 2015 at 3:13 pm

“Misplaced Women?” performance by Tanja Ostojic on the
La Grand Escalier de la Gare du Saint Charles a Marseille, September 20, 2013.
With the participation of:
Jane Kay Park,
Emma-Edvige Ungaro,
Alix Denambride,
Kim Mc Cafferty,
Robyn Hambrook,
Helen Averley
Patricia Verity
and Tanja Ostojic