Tradition anew!
Biennale of Western Balkans, Ioannina, Greece

Biannual festival and year-round project that draws connections between intangible cultural heritage, art and technology.

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Welcome to the Biennale of Western Balkans

Write us on biennalebowb@gmail.com

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Vision .

The Biennale of Western Balkans (BoWB) is a new arts and cultural event and institution, hosted for the first time in the city of Ioannina, region of Epirus in Northwestern Greece, in October 2018.
The vision is to bring intangible cultural heritage and community values in the contemporary context, in connection with art and new technologies.
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Artefacts of intangible cultural heritage encompass community values through collective creation. They promote cooperative models of creation along the history of cultures (tradition, anonymous creation, copying practices), evolve over time and appear afresh in the present, serving as a beacon of inspiration for the future.
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Intangible Cultural Heritage

Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) stands for the collective cultural expressions of the everyday culture, from small to expanded communities. It raises awareness, ensures respect, safeguards and promotes collective practices, representations, expressions, knowledge and techniques, ceremonies and performing arts, as well as tools, handicrafts and cultural sites associated with and recognized by communities.
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BoWB explores the new artistic and creative directions of intangible cultural heritage, valuing in particular contributions that examine lesser known bodies of knowledge, collective, anonymous and non-textual works, women theorists, undiscovered collections, and projects that make interconnections of smaller scenes with wider ones.

Experience tradition anew, through contemporary art, new technologies and the commons .

The aim is to support and present contemporary art that can engage aspects of intangible cultural heritage of the Greek and Western Balkan communities, and of the European and international field as well.
Moreover, the Biennale aims to create a critical framework for the dissemination of contemporary thought and research in art and culture, open technologies and the commons.
Celebrate the past to build the future

Tradition anew .

With the title 'Tradition anew' the 1st Biennale of Western Balkans presents interdisciplinary projects that explore aspects of intangible cultural heritage and possibilities of their digital future.
The programme contains a main gathering event, three exhibitions and three conferences & workshops.

The Biennale sets up the framework to envision the creation of a virtual memory institution for intangible cultural heritage and contemporary thought.

Watch the promo video of BoWB

by Kostis Emmanouilidis

About the Programme .

The Biennale of Western Balkans operates both as a festival and an institution, through three main modules
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Main event

The main event of the Biennale presents tradition through performative, educative and creative engaging activities.

The programme includes the creation of a large-scale installation (pavilion) in public space, for hosting community-based activities and fostering civic engagement.

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Exhibitions

A programme of three exhibitions that explore intangible cultural heritage through art and technology.

The exhibitions are concerned with concepts and practices linked to the immaterial cultural forms and ephemeral traditions: the concept of myth, the culture of weaving and collective memory through sound.

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Talks & Workshops

Promoting interdisciplinary dialogue, research and contemporary thought, with three modules for the wider public and for professionals.

The workshops are conceived as creative social spaces open to experimentation, where art and tradition can intersect with other fields.

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Where the Biennale is taking place

Discover the 3 Venues .

Click to see the analytical programme taking place in each venue

See the participants and events

Bubble main event .

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See the participating artists & artworks

3 Exhibitions .

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See the participating speakers & creators

3 Talks & Workshops .

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BoWB's blog .

Take a closer look at the activities and venues of the programme

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Open Call for Artists

Submissions

Artists, thinkers and makers from the Western Balkans and internationally

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Programme .

Take a look

Experience, learn and get inspired with BoWB's programme

Open Call for Communities .

For Groups

We invite communities, associations and collectives to send their proposals and occupy the Biennale's pavilions

Volunteer with us

Join our Team

We are looking for motivated, creative individuals that want to have an experience in the creative industry

 

Co-organizers, collaborators, supporters

Meet the Partners .

BoWB liaises and collaborates with several institutes and initiatives.
You can explore our main partners below, as they are added along.

Visit the Sponsors .

Our Communication Sponsors .

Share your ideas, initiatives and aspirations!

Contact Us .

Send Message

Info

Email

biennalebowb@gmail.com

Address

History of Art Laboratory
School of Fine Arts
University of Ioannina
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University campus,
PO 1186, 45110
Ioannina, Greece

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Newsletter .

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