Open call
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.
Its vision is to bring intangible cultural heritage and community values in the contemporary context, in connection with art, new technologies and ecology. 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; Artworks that explore concepts of immateriality, of reuse, that experiment with collaborative working practices and field research.
Moreover, the Biennale aims to create a critical framework for the dissemination of contemporary thought and research in art and culture, the commons and ecology, valuing in particular contributions that examine lesser known bodies of knowledge, collective, anonymous and non-textual works, women and queer theorists, undiscovered collections, and projects that make interconnections of smaller scenes with wider ones.
Under the title “Tradition anew”, the first Biennale of Western Balkans includes interdisciplinary projects that present innovative aspects of intangible heritage, discovering their intertemporal applications, imaginaries and future possibilities. The programme sets up the framework to envision the creation of a Virtual Museum for Digital Intangible Cultural Heritage and contemporary thought.
The Biennale of Western Balkans is inviting artists, thinkers and makers from the Western Balkans and internationally to submit their works in the following modules: (Deadline, 01.09.2018, Closed)
Conditions: The Biennale offers for selected applicants free transport, accommodation and an honorarium.
Exhibitions
Common Myths
An exhibition that examines the concept of myth through interdisciplinary art and research, combining intangible cultural heritage manifestations with technology, anthropology and other fields. Open call to artists, creators, researchers and cultural heritage projects. Read more here
How to apply: Send your name, short bio, artwork details (abstract, specifications) and related links to commonmyths@bowb.org (please do not attach files).
Weaving Europe, Weaving Balkans
The project Weaving Europe – Weaving Balkans critically examines topics related to weaving, a craft associated with the history of Epirus, Greece and the Balkans. Weaving is also seen as a metaphorical scheme that describes the continuous construction of the European identity and citizenship. Open call to artists, creators, researchers and cultural heritage projects. Read more here
How to apply: Send your name, short bio, artwork details (abstract, specifications) and related links to weavingeurope@bowb.org (please do not attach files).
Sonic Minds: Mnemonic Passages
An immaterial walking sound exhibition that explores the relation of sound and memory as a collective and cultural expression, delving into sound archives, sound art and oral history. Open call to sound artists, archivists, composers, music producers, narrators, musicians, poets, theorists and creators. Read more here
How to apply: Send your name, short bio, artwork details (abstract, specifications) and related links to sonicminds@bowb.org (please do not attach files).
Specifications for each submission:
File: mp3
Size: 128 MB
Duration: up to 4 minutes
Talks & Workshops
Intangible Meetings
Presentations and on-stage dialogues that survey, analyse and debate aspects of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), offering a multi-vocal and interdisciplinary perspective. Open call to cultural institutions, curators, researchers and scientists. Read more here
How to apply: Send your name, short bio, presentation abstract and related links to intangible@bowb.org (please do not attach files).
Specifications: 15-30’ oral presentations or posters
Visual Ecotopias: History, Theory, Critisism
A symposium toward a politics of ecology in contemporary art, departing from Guattari’s concept of ‘ecosophy’, linking ecological thought, environmental aesthetics and artistic practices. Open call to cultural institutions, curators, researchers and scientists. Read more here
How to apply: Send your name, short bio, presentation abstract and related links to visualecotopias@bowb.org (please do not attach files).
Specifications: 30 minutes presentations.
Un-co-nference
Talks and workshops that set in its core the new age of the commons, with modules for the wider public and for professionals, where art and tradition can intersect with other fields. Open call to makers, thinkers, projects, initiatives. Read more here
How to apply: Send your name, short bio, presentation abstract and related links to unconference@bowb.org (please do not attach files).
Specifications: 1 hour talks. 2-3 hours of workshops for 2-3 days.