Syndicate: TOPIC: BELARUSSIA / CALL FOR INFO-SUPPORT & COLLABORATION!!!

[Rasa Smite <rasa@parks.lv>]

This is 
CALL FOR INFO-SUPPORT AND COLLABORATION
by SENDING PRINTED-MATERIALS - 
FOR BELARUSSIAN ARTISTS, POETS, MEDIA ACTIVISTS IN MINSK

You are very welcome to send printed materials - catalogues from media arts
exhibitions and festivals, magazines, newspapers, readers, flyers, books,
information about upcoming media events, cd's, cd-rom's, videotapes, etc. -
what you would like to contribute for the artists, dj's, poets, media
activists - Association of Contemporary Arts in Minsk/Belarussia.

As a group of Latvian media artists are going to Minsk in January 14-20,
2000, and Belarussian artists are coming to Riga in March, 
(and also because it will be more saved)
please send the printed-materials to E-LAB/Riga - 
preferably till January 10 (and till March 15, 2000)
to the address:

E-LAB,
11. Novembra Krastmala 35-94, 
Riga, LV 1050, 
LATVIA

(please write on the package - 'no-commercial value')

more info:
<re-lab@re-lab.net>, 
tel. 371-7210297 (Rasa Smite)


* "International Internet-Literacy-Workshop" in Minsk, January 2000

In January 14-20, 2000 a group of Latvian and Russian media activists,
artists and poets from Riga/Latvia - E-LAB, VARKA CREW, LOCOMOTIVE, ORBITA
- together with Nils Claesson from CRAC/Stockholm are going to
Minsk/Belarussia, with the aim to meet Belarussian media artists, dj's and
poets, to discuss the future collaboration plans with them  - and to check
out the situation in Minsk.

The "International Internet-Literacy-Workshop" in Minsk, January 2000 was
initiated by 2 young Belarussian poets and artists from Association of
Contemporary Arts and poetry and art movement "Boom-Bam-Lit" (both are
independent organisations) in Minsk, by E-LAB in Riga, and Andreas Druvfa
from Swedish Institut/Partnership for Culture in Stockholm, and other NICE
[Network Interface for Culture Exchange in nordic/baltic region] members.

The next event with participation of Belarussian artists, dj's and poets
will take place in March, 2000 in Riga. Riga meeting will include Internet
(html+radio) workshop, poetry reading and exhibition, as well as party -
with dj's from Minsk, Riga, Stockholm and other places.
 
Contact:
Ieva Auzina <ieva@re-lab.net> E-LAB/Riga
Rasa Smite <rasa@re-lab.net> E-LAB/Riga 
Nils Claesson <nils.claesson@mail.skodk.nu> CRAC/Stockholm
Andreas Druvfa <and@si.se> SI/PfC/Stockholm
Lavon Ramanchyk <leo@irex.minsk.by> Minsk


* background:

---> BALTIC SEA MEDIA SPACE MEETING in TEMP/Kiasma, November 1999 
http://nice.x-i.net

The meeting of new media culture initiatives from the Baltic Sea region
took place in November 1 - 4, 1999, within the framework of TEMP -
Temporary Media Lab project in Kiasma, Helsinki, with the aim TO CREATE A
COMMON GROUND FOR NEW MEDIA CULTURE INITIATIVES in this region.

---> [NICE] NETWORK INTERFACE FOR CULTURE EXCHANGE

The participants of the TEMP initiated a network for new media culture with
the aim to support the development of both new and existing media centers
and labs within Baltic/Nordic regions (and beyond). 
Baltic/Nordic [NICE] network will be supporting structure for information
exchange and collaboration as well as integration into European media
culture contexts. 

.....................................................................

---> Topic: BELARUSSIA
The topic of the 3rd day discussions in TEMP was about the situation in
Belarussia. 

Summary of the DAY #3 - 

"Due to Lukashenko's authoritative politics the current cultural situation
in Belarus is trying to survive under severe conditions. There is a flow of
false information being distributed by official media. Human rights are
being violated on every day basis. Belarussian culture is being repressed
by closing Belarussian  schools, newspapers, and censorship or
misinterpreting artists' conceptions and activities. The limits and
censorship for artistic expressions and freedom of speech is increasing
rapidly. 

Nevertheless there are small cultural initiatives from Belarus joining this
network. They are represented here in TEMP/Kiasma by 2 young poets/artists
from Association of Contemporary Arts and poetry & art movement
"Boom-Bam-Lit". They both work in direction of poetics: texts,
performances, visual poetry, art, etc.

So far there have been some contacts established in international level. In
order to keep up the exchange of experience and information, one of their
future directions for developing is closely associated with new media to
provide the access to internet for communication and networking, and
distributing the information for other smaller initiatives."
 
        By Ieva Auzina /November 4, 1999, TEMP, Kiasma, Finland/

.....................................................................

---> PROJECT: OUTSKIRTS

During the Baltic Sea Media Space workshop in TEMP, Carl Bjorsmark from
LOCOMOTIVE/Riga together with 2 Belarussian poets Zmitsrev Vishnyov and
Serz Minskevich realised the collaborative project on the internet -
OUTSKIRTS. 

The idea behind the "outskirts" is to fry the other side of the pancake -
now it is the "easterners'" turn to give the superficial picture of the
"west". Just like many western newspaper reporters do when they fly in to
Riga, Tallinn or Minsk for two days and make the "truthful" reportages.
Sometimes they send only a photographer and write the text afterwards
sitting in the office.  

This time Minsk is checking out Helsinki: are all the people millionaires
or is it free of charge to dine at McDonalds? 

Clichés and preconceived notions.   Very subjective texts.   A picture.   
A text.   Short.   Concrete.   Superficial.

http://nice.x-i.net/outskirts/

.....................................................................

best,
rasa/e-lab




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