The shadows of our forgotten ancestors An art project: Michael Merkel, Dirk Fröhlich, Matthias Schumann and Holger Wendland

We dedicate this project Sergej Parajanov but we look for our own ancestors:    The shouting sound in some scenes of the movie “Shadows of the forgotten ancestors” by Paradshanow is always in our mind when we do remember the film. In our works will develop an image of that sound but silent, like seeing a movie without tone. We want to find our material for the works in our circumstances and histories…

Ausstellungsprojekt in Ivano Frankivsk, Ukraine, Museums Galerie Holger Wendland, Matthias Schumann, Dirk Fröhlich, Michael Merkel
Gewidmet: Sergei Parajanov Zeitpunkt: 12. – 26.09.2013 Das ukrainische Meisterwerk „The Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors“ (verschiedene  Schreibweisen, in deutsch auch unter „Feuerpferde“ bekannt) wurde von dem Armenier Sergei Parajanov  (verschiedene Schreibweisen des Namens) 1964 in den Waldkarpaten im Gebiet der Huzulen und in deren Sprache gedreht.
Bei Wikipedia finden wir folgenden Hinweis: Feuerpferde (ukrainisch Тіні забутих предків, russisch Тени забытых предков, wörtlich Schatten vergessener Vorfahren) ist ein sowjetischer Film aus dem Jahr 1964 des armenischen Regisseurs Sergei Paradschanow, basierend auf einem Roman von Mychailo Kozjubynsky. Dieser Film ist Paradschanows erster großer Film, der ihm internationale Anerkennung für seine visuelle Intensität brachte. Da er als einer der ersten poetischen Filme in der Sowjetunion gegen den gesetzlich vorgeschriebenen sozialistischen Realismus verstieß, wurde Paradschanow trotz offizieller Belobigung für mehrere Jahre inhaftiert und der Film aus den Kinos verbannt.

Auf den Spuren Parajanovs im Land der Huzulen in den Waldkarpaten der Ukraine – Eine Entdeckungsreise –  Auch 50 Jahre nach Fertigstellung ist der Film lebendig bei den Huzulen.

Museen, seine Wohnorte, Locations, Drehorte, Nachkommen der teilnehmenden Akteure und Originalkostüme konnten wir im Anschluss an die Ausstellung vielerorts entdecken.

Between oil boom, oriental-caucasian tradition, modern self-conception and the post-socialist legacy, this exhibition has presented a foto-set from Azerbaijan, a country whose self-perception is that of a bridge between orient and occident. Participating artists Chingiz Babajew, Sevinj Aslanova and Fakhriyya Mammadova know how to document those many contradictions in an ironic and slightly provocative way. These pictures’ aesthetics are demure, beyond kitsch and romanticism. No tales from a thousand and one night, but pictures from a really existing country. The opening event took place on 09/06/2013.

Aserbaidschan – three photographic positions

Chingiz Babajew
Sevinj Aslanova
Fakhriyya Mammadowa

06.09. – 03.11.2013

opening event:
06.09.2013, 7pm

GALERIE NEUE OSTEN

Bautzner Straße 49, 01099 Dresden

Curator: Matthias Schumann

Photo: Juergen Duhnke

During „depARTment walk IV“ at 2013/07/12 visitors and artists could see the presentation of land art objects as the results of a two-week residence of six artists from Caucasus and eight from Germany. The main focus lay on borders – how to experience, to challenge and open them up. Together we could gain inside in this scenically, culturally and historically amazing region. At first the objects had been visited which are in walking distance to the monastery Marienthal near Ostritz. The participating artists invited approximately 250 guests, to see the artworks at their places. The guests could touch them and were invited to take part actively in performing situations. Later on guest could also see the artworks which are more far away from the monastery during a bus trip.

From 2013/07/01 – 14 six Caucasian and eight German artists have created land art objects along the Neisse between the towns of Zittau and Görlitz/Zgorzelec on both sides of the river within Transkaukazja project. The participating artists were Ana Riaboshenko (GE), Chingiz Babayev (AZ), Elene Rakviashvili (GE), Eva Harut (AM), Sabina Shikhlinskaya (AZ) und Mariam Mughdusyan (AM), and Dirk Fröhlich, Elena Pagel, Holger Wendland, Johanna und Michael Dobbelt, Matthias Jackisch, Matthias Schumann and Melissa Wagner (all DE).

In cooperation with Hillerschen Villa Zittau, Internationales Begegnungszentrum (IBZ) in the monastry of Marienthal and Medienkulturzentrum Dresden.

With the support of the programme Culture of the European Union, the Cultural foundation of Saxony, the European Cultural Foundation and the programme Wir für Sachsen.

From 2013/07/01 – 14  Transkaukazja in Germany  by Kultur Aktiv reaches far into the German-Polish border region at the Neisse river. Under the curation of Holger Wendland six Caucasian and eight German artists created land art objects along the Neisse between the towns of Zittau and Görlitz/Zgorzelec on both sides of the river. The results could be experienced in an “Department walk” at 2013/07/12 together with the artists. Following to this we invited to  an “Transcaucasian Picknick” again together with the artists. The participating artists were Ana Riaboshenko (GE), Chingiz Babayev (AZ), Elene Rakviashvili (GE), Eva Harut (AM), Sabina Shikhlinskaya (AZ) und Mariam Mughdusyan (AM), and Dirk Fröhlich, Elena Pagel, Holger Wendland, Johanna und Michael Dobbelt, Matthias Jackisch, Matthias Schumann and Melissa Wagner (all DE).

Each of the participating artists creates an object including typical materials from her or his home country with cultural meaning and symbolic nature. It can be the emplacement of plants, trees etc. as well as a usage of special soils, stones, labels written in the language of the country, typical objects and products etc. All created land art objects are documented with photo and film, scanned with GPS and presented online like a virtual borderland walk on a internet blog.

In cooperation with Hillerschen Villa Zittau, Internationales Begegnungszentrum (IBZ) in the monastry of Marienthal and Medienkulturzentrum Dresden.

With the support of the programme Culture of the European Union, the Cultural foundation of Saxony, the European Cultural Foundation and the programme Wir für Sachsen.

Initiated by Azerbaijan artist and curator Sabina Shikhlinskaya and supported by Goethe Institut Elena Pagel and Marcus Oertel travelled to Baku/AZ 2013/03/01-08. The German partner of Transkaukazja project from NGO Kultur Aktiv used this trip to get in touch with artists and cultural actors in Azerbaijan. On 5^th March 2013 an exhibition took place in historic Chapel House (Street of 28^th March 15, Baku) which introduced Kultur Aktiv and especially its activities within the frame of Transkaukazja project. The exhibition has included photographies and video films of Giorgi Dadiani (GE), Elena Pagel, Harald Schluttig und Matthias Schumann (all DE).

The cooperation with Sabina Shikhlinskaya is based on a common engagement in Transkaukazja for more than four years. In June and July 2013 the contemporary artist – who prefers to work with critical issues like relations between men and women or post-soviet history – was guest in Dresden and Saxony, a part of Germany in the South East. In the frame of Transkaukazja and together with other Caucasian and German artists Shikhlinskaya took part in an artist in residence with gender issue and in the land art project “Border – Key – Neuropa” between the towns of Zittau and Görlitz.