Zagreb, November 11, Center for Independent Culture and Youth, Kneza Mislava 11, Zagreb

European Alternatives in cooperation with “Exit Europe – New Geographies of Culture” presents

POLIS, COMMONS, CULTURE

The Zagreb appointment considers the way in which culture is used to open up public spaces in privatised and commercialised contexts, and poses the question of the cultural composition of the common. How can culture avoid instrumentalisation and be a force for resistance to exclusion from democracy? How do transnational networks reconfigure the compositions of such common spaces, and what are their relations to local political questions and issues? What potential is there for transnational artistic intervention?

PROGRAMME

14:00 – 15:00 Roundtable 1

Independent Cultural Spaces and Challenging privatisation

What successful examples of independent cultural spaces are there in contemporary Europe, and in what ways have they been successful in having political influence? What can be learnt from these examples?

15:15 – 16:15 Roundtable 2

Cultural Commons and Unbounded Democratic Space

In what ways is the cultural commons different from traditional democratic or national spaces?

16:30 – 17:30 Roundtable 3

Networks and the Cultural Commons

Can a networked formation of independent cultural spaces construct a cultural commons beyond traditional political spaces?

19:30 – 22:00 Art programme

Experimental musical performance by Manja Ristić.

Throughout the conference video screenings will be presented by Emanuele Guidi, with works by: Luchezar Boyadjiev (Super! Super!, 2003); Libia Castro and Ólafur Ólafsson (The Caregivers, 2008); J.Gallico/OsservatorioNomade/Stalker Berlin (Kurds on the Map, 2004); Aldo Giannotti & Stefano Giuriati ( Carabinieri, Stazione Mobile, 2006-2007); Leopold Kessler (Neighbours, 2008); Bouchra Khalili (Straight Stories – Part 2: ANYA, 2008); Till Roeskens (Videocartographies : Aïda, Palestine, 2008); Hito Steyerl (Universal Embassy, 2004).

Participants: Stephen Wright, Boyan Manchev (TBC), Sonja Leboš, Teodor Celakoski, Emanuele Guidi, Petar Milat, Leonardo Kovačević, Tomislav Medak, Manja Ristić, Segolene Pruvot