The residency programme has been integral to the project and work made by artists during their residencies is being presented in all three exhibitions. The opportunity for artists from each of the three cities to be in residence in another city is part of the cultural dialogue. By the end of the project five artists will have taken part in international residencies.
The aims of this programme have been for residency artists to be given time to create work, extend their practice and explore the exhibition themes. A variety of situations have been carefully chosen to encourage dialogue between the different cultures. In Berlin Margareta Kern was based at the Kreuzberg Museum, with its archive of 200,000 photographs from 1970s to 1990s of the Turkish community in Berlin. Denizhan Ozer also undertook a Berlin residency and worked with the Turkish community. Melanie Manchot and Kiran Kaur Brar were selected for the Istanbul residencies organised Denizhan Ozer of Koridoor Arts who are well placed to give a support network of artists and curators. Asli Sungu is based with The Delfina Foundation for the London artist’s residency programme in 2010.
The British Council Berlin funded two 3 month Residencies as part of Journeys with No Return at the Milchof Studios, Prenzlauerberg, in collaboration with ACAVA London. Artist Denizhan Ozer used his time in Berlin to widen his contacts amongst the Turkish community, predominantly in Kreuzberg, and worked on a series of new drawings of life amongst immigrant groups in mid-winter, inner-city Berlin.
Artist Margareta Kern began her Residency doing research into the Archive at the Kreuzberg Museum, and soon broadened out her practice to include interviews and archive material from women who had stayed in Berlin since arriving in the city in the 1960’s and 70’s as part of the Gastarbeiter programme from former Yugoslavia. This new strand of action research has involved new ways of working, such as a performance/lecture delivered at the European Borders in an Age of Anxiety Conference, Tate Britain, in October 2009.
See Margareta’s Guest Worker blog for more information: www.guestworkerberlin.blogspot.com
Kiran Kaur Brar and Melanie Manchot, Akbank Cultural Centre 2009
Melanie Manchot and Kiran Kaur Brar are UK artists who were selected to take part in Journeys With No Return artist residency programme in Istanbul supported by the British Council, Turkey. Both artists were supported throughout the residency by exhibition Denizhan Ozer and The Akbank organized a press reception for the residencies on 17th March 2009. Ozer ensured they were introduced to the contemporary art scene and Istanbul itself. He also organized the support of contacts, assistants and equipment to enable both artists to make their work. The work from both artists made during the residencies was shown at the Akbank Centre in September 2009 and will be at Club Row, London in February 2010.
Melanie Manchot’s idea for her residency work started in London where she met people of Turkish origin to discuss taking their portrait through Denizhan Ozer’s contacts. Melanie Manchot idea was to take a traditional European painting genre, the double portrait, and through photography, restores connections between people separated by migration. Manchot asked her London participants to nominate their counterpart in Istanbul. During her Istanbul residency she followed up those nominated and created another portrait. The resulting piece is Double Portrait (Displaced), 5 photographic diptychs.
Kiran Kaur Brar’s work questions the structure of language that determines notions of identity and challenges the idea of a fixed political and cultural position. During her time in Istanbul Kaur Brar drew similarities between her native Punjab and Turkey, revealing ancient connections along the old Silk Road between Asia and Europe. She created a number of works including Barber, a four minute single split screen video projection. Kaur Brar’s outsider video portrait of Istanbul barbershops gives an insight into Turkish masculinity and traditions.
In London Asli Sungu will be in residence with The Delfina Foundation and the residency is also supported by the Goethe Institut. Sungu will benefit from being part of the Delfina’s professional development focused program, designed for pre-emerging and emerging artists and curators. As part of Delfina she will have access to research materials and advice, be introduced to organizations and contacts that further her practice.
Asli Sungu’s practice spans from video to her recent paint installations. Sungu is of Turkish origin and she has been based in Berlin for over ten years. Her work focuses on private stories, which are often humourous or idiosyncratic but the resonance is something we can all identify with. Whether she is looking at her family rituals or chopping a carrot she explores daily themes that highlight much larger power structures and meanings.
Please see: www.delfinafoundation.com