Fishes go Fishing

This is the second part of my artifacts in response to EDCMOOC "E-learning and digital cultures"

Synopsis: A fisherman is fishing in the Black sea. He is sitting, waiting for a stupid fish to bite. At last, there it is a fish. But what will happen if it was the reverse - If fishes were eating humans? It won't be good right?

This short film explores the concepts such as utopia and dystopia in terms of the human relationships to animals and nature. It depicts the maritime world as alive and able to influence us, as well as the possibility to become the 'other' and suffer the relevant consequences.

By suggesting that the roles can be reversed, where humans could turn into fish and fish could start fishing humans, the film implies the awareness that we, as humans, need to be aware of the outcomes of overconsumption of any kind.





Even though, the reality presented in the film is imaginative and illusional, blurring the lines between fantasy and dream, it relates to the basic concept of being human. Currently, humanity is taking advantage of nature and technology and we all forget the essence of being human. By abusing what has been given to us and taking for grated all our resources, we are create a individualistic utopian reality for ourselves. 

Utopian Vision of the Future

This is the first part of my artifacts in response to EDCMOOC "E-learning and digital cultures"

Marina Abramović in MoMA: a Legacy of Performance and Presence

"The Artist is Present"

May 2010 Museum of Modern Art, New York

Known as the the biggest exhibition of performance art in the history of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, with more than fifty exhibited works produced within four decades, Marina Abramović's "The Artist is Present" serves as a legacy of performance history and artist expression. 

During the exhibition (May 14-May 31, 2010), Abramović performed a new work, which represents "the longest duration of time that she has performed a single solo piece"(MoMA). The artist sat in the atrium of the museum and visitors had the chance to face the legendary performer. The static performance portrays Abramović's desire to push boundaries and provoke the audience. Limiting and staged, on a first level, the performance remains engraved in the visitors mind. 

Starring at the unknown and expecting the unexpected are some of the feelings associated with Abramović's new performance. Questions such as: 'What will happen next?'; 'Will something happen?'; 'When will it happen?' arise while looking at the static presence of the artist. The timeless feeling of belonging and the trivial image of a woman sitting on a dining table is juxtaposed with the Victorian dress that she is wearing. The physical presence of the female body suggests an association with a classical painting that came alive. Nevertheless, the isolation of the artist from the wide audience serves as a metaphor of 'the other'. For the bravest members of the audience, crossing the white line and entering the sacred space is both frightening and exciting. The moment when a member of the audience crosses the line, he/she becomes part of the spectacle. 

 

If you need to learn more about Abramović and her other works, please visit

Marina Abramović page provides visitors with Abramović's bio, over 90 of her works, exclusive articles, and up-to-date Abramović exhibition listings. The page also includes related artists and categories, allowing viewers to discover various artists.

Kristin Linklater in Bulgaria: voice, identity and message

During the 4th Teachers Academy, June 2009, organized by ELIA (The European League of Institutes of the Arts), Kristin Linklater was invited as one of the key speakers and special guests in this four day event. In her Keynote speech, delivered at the opening ceremony of the Teachers Academy, she emphasized the importance of the voice serving as a tool to successfully communicate a story. 

In storytelling, the voice serves to communicate the speaker's message and view of the world. Kristin Linklater continues to explains how the words can carry different strategies and aims. Nevertheless, the voice of the speaker is of primal importance on how the listener perceives the message. When it comes to determine whether voice, words or message have the greater impact on the listener, Linklater (2009) states: 

"It is our voices that carry our foundational identity, it is our voices that command the attention of our listeners, draw them in,alert them to the veracity and value of our message." 

Linklater's opinion is that the voice can reveal the speaker's inner psyche and inner thoughts. The voice of a person is influenced by the childhood experiences, the social environment and norms. As a vehicle of the individual's soul, the voice can either be a successful medium of communication or fail to convey the message of the story.  

Using Kristin Linlater's views on the voice, the social isolation and instantaneous judgment of speakers and actor's that speak English as a second language becomes evident. The foreign accent is often perceived as a threatening and alienating device. No matter of the communicated message, the English listener, will often condemn the foreign accent as a inferior and unreliable source of Truth. 

Why are then some foreign speakers being accepted and listen to as a trustworthy vehicles of information ? Often, spiritual teachers, such as Deepak Chopra and Paulo Coelho, have a wide audience that is savoring their words and messages. The reason behind the acceptance of their Truth and message lays in the listener's focus on the Soul. 

Therefore, working on the breath and the voice is of essential importance when it comes to communicating truthfully a message or a story. Using daydreaming techniques, relaxation and meditation will enable you to reconnect with the soul and reveal your true voice. 

Ursula Neugebauer: Tour En L'Air at the Kunstmuseum Bonn

Ursula Neugebauer's installation Tour En L'Air (Circle in the Air) was the highlight at the recent exhibition of contemporary art in the Kunstmuseum Bonn entitled Luminious West (10.07. - 23.10.2010). 

Walking around the few meter high seductive red dresses evoked the senses and provoked the visitors to get in touch with their emotions. The striking red of each dress symbolizes the passionate, unrestricted and wild emotions of the inner psyche of women. While the rigidness of the lines and length of dresses, somehow embodies the social restrictions and norms that women need to follow when being in public. 

The effect of the symbolic meaning of the dresses is emphasized by the turning of the dresses with the aid of an electronic mechanism that makes them spin in the air at regular intervals. The pace of the movement when standing next to each dress while turning in the air make you feel the motion as the air moves. 

While the installation is simple, the effect that it has on the visitors, transcends the time and space spent at the museum. It stays with you days after the event, as it reaches part of your soul that makes you realize your deepest desires and unfulfilled dreams. The combination of stillness and motion become central to the work. Their represent the hidden wildness of women subjected to female objectification.  

Ursula Neugebauer: Nachlaß: Katalog zur Ausstellung in der Kunsthalle Faust, Harro Schmidt, Hannover und im Kunstverein Hamm in Zusammenarbeit mit der GEHAG GmbH Berlin (Gebundene Ausgabe)

http://www.ursula-neugebauer.de/Eseiten/install/tour/tour01.htm

Eastern European represented as gangsters and gold diggers

Background of Metropolis, an online media provider 

In the midst of the widespread access to content, a Dutch website takes video journalism and documentary filmmaking to the next level. With 50 correspondents worldwide, Metropolis attempts to cover the daily lives of ordinary people and showcase them to its international viewers. The various topics that the journalists cover are diverse. From polygamy to environmental issues, the main content structure of each Metropolis's piece is a strong character with a unique story in a unique setting.

Bulgarian men represented as jerks

In Milena's report "Bulgaria: be a jerk", the Bulgarian correspondent attempts to provide a portrait of the typical Bulgarian man. The piece is fun to watch and at moment shocking. However, the Bulgarian viewers commented very negatively on the content and the manipulated and distorted representation of reality. The journalist twisted the topic and portrays Bulgarian men as gangsters and the women as gold diggers. Even though, this segment of society exists in Bulgaria, it does not comprise the whole population. In terms of ethics, the journalist cleverly manipulates her subjects and the audience. Therefore, from a moral point of view, the piece is misrepresenting a whole nation in order to seek exciting content.

Contextualizing Eastern European image and media representation

It is understandable for a journalist to seek exciting content, no matter the means. However, Eastern Europeans have a certain image in Western countries. Due to the communist area, Western societies see Eastern Europeans as outsiders and individuals that you need to be aware of. The iron curtain created an inner fear of communication from both parts and established Eastern Europeans as the 'Other' that you should fear. The post-communist era, on the other hand, gave raise to Eastern Europeans' image of sex workers, gangsters and gold seekers. Associating Eastern Europeans with mafia attachments is due to the fact that just after the communism regime fell apart, the individuals involved in illegal activities increased. Mafia associates not only spread out all over the world, but terrorized the ordinary people in all the countries in the eastern block. 

As a filmmaker, I'm reluctant to dismiss this video material, as it has a good structure and strong journalistic approach. However, as a Eastern European woman, I am disappointed that the journalist choses to add onto the misrepresentation of her own society in order to gain popularity and international exposure. 

Watch "Bulgaria: be a jerk" and see for yourself.

Metropolis TV - Most viewed - Bulgaria: Be a jerk

Link: http://www.metropolistv.nl/en/watch/most-viewed/bulgaria-be-a-jerk

Mimi Chakarova: Sex Slavery from the Inside

A Bulgarian documentary photographer explores the issue of sex slavery from the inside by putting a face to this international phenomenon. This film is not only informative, but brings tears to my eyes, as to how innocent girls and women can be sold as slaves in the 21st  Century.

(apps+80171985597.524703522.780364125a79564475eea6bdcceae28f@proxymail.facebook.com) has sent you the following program from FORA.tv:

 

Mimi Chakarova: Sex Slavery from the Inside

W Hotel - San Francisco, CA

Photographer and activist Chakarova puts a face on global sex trafficking through "The Price of Sex," a project done in collaboration with the Center for Investigative Reporting.

Chakarova's momentum: "What inspires me to do this work is that knowing is better than not knowing; otherwise we're left in the dark on matters that need immediate change."