The opening programme
Performance by Nika Rukavina – I have earned my star
Catalogue presentation and discussion with Alexander Veliscek, Nayari Castillo, Polonca Lovsin and Helene Thümmel
Topic: Whose Identity? Political activation through artistic Intervention
Moderation: Katrin Bucher Trantow and Nayari Castillo, discussion in English
Stories from the Edge is an itinerant and participatory project investigating the relationship between the hyper- and hypo- identity of resorts in the upper Adriatic, a major tourist destination area.
Curated by Nayari Castillo, Kate Howlett-Jones and Francesca Lazzarini, the project developed as two trips by camper van with six stops in the most renowned summer destinations in the area: Grado and Lignano in Italy; Portorož and Piran in Slovenia; Rovinj and Poreč in Croatia.
Along the way Nayari and Kate, who with Marina Sartori drove the camper along the coast, met up with six other artists: Polonca Lovšin, Ryts Monet, Renata Poljak, Nika Rukavina, Pila Rusjan and Alessandro Sambini. Each artist was asked to create a work based on the concept of the project and to facilitate dialog with the local community during an event in the form of osmiza. Like the traditional osmize of the Carso region where wine and local specialties are served in producers' homes, the pop-up osmizaproposed itself as a place of conviviality and self-production, of dialog and exchange.
The exhibition shows works produced by the participating artists, along with research stories written during the journey and contributions made to the project by new collaborators encountered on the road: Marta Cereda, Sabina Damiani, Paola Pasquaretta, Petra Počanić, Mirko Smerdel of the Discipula collective, Una Rebić and Helene Thümmel from the #JUHA collective, Aleksander Velišček and Andreas Vormayr.
The works and the contributions analyze how the identity of the places are a result of a fluid process, are continually evolving, and are the product of the interaction of numerous variables.
The exhibition offers reflections on a range of themes, from the shifts in local life between the high and low season, to the consequences of mass tourism. Finally, it touches on some very current issues: the refugee - migrant crisis and the consequences of terrorism on collective perception.
Concept: Nayari Castillo, Kate Howlett-Jones, Francesca Lazzarini, Marina Sartori
Other partners: Gruppo Immagine, spazio5
