How did this grant contribute to the realization of your project in regard to artistic exchange, local cultural development and/or the promotion of cultural diversity?
I attended a residency program in Vessel, Bari. I was a great opportunity for me to make a research on their archive, which is composed of artist portfolios from Puglia and thesis and publication about Puglia. During this residency I also took part at their new project: “re-definition archive” which focus on a different narrative, terminology and elaboration that create not just about West-East of Europe, but about Europe as a whole. Our main topic was the re-definition of the curator. In Bari I made a presentation in the public library and met with 6 artists, 2 graphic designers and 2 young curators and visited 4 galleries. At the second week of the residency I attended to a talk in Troia at the University and discuss the definition of the curator and the role of the biennials together with the art students. I also attended a curatorial workshop with 22 curators who came from different parts of the world.
How does exchange, networking and international contacts contribute to the development of your artistic and cultural project?
The main idea for most of my projects is to build a cultural dialogue with the region so exchange, networking and international contacts are always vital element. It was an opportunity to develop an archive shared by art spaces in Bari and AGUSAD, Antakya and hopefully it is a beginning for a cultural dialogue and collaborative projects with the art institutions in other Mediterranean Countries.
Can you elaborate on the learning and knowledge you have gained and shared throughout this experience?
Being an independent curator, mobility is necessary to increase skills and competence. It is really important to meet with the other actor and learn more about the cultural production in other parts of the world. Especially in arts it is important to discover new techniques, formations and new approaches to artistic creativity and it is impossible to explore extensively the artistic production other than the mainstream approach without traveling to other countries. From my Italy experience I learned new methods of collective thinking, working and discover new ways of accomplishing alternative art projects and building new collaborative international platform. It was really great and motivating to feel that other people are sharing the same concerns with me and looking for new productive spaces for creating new forms of knowledge and for questioning the parameters of authorship through co-operative ways of production.