SharedSpace events
SharedSpace: Retreat, Veles
SharedSpace: Retreat, Veles
Group residency for invited artists
December 6 – 9, 2013
Veles, Macedonia
The first SharedSpace:Retreat, organized by the Centre for Creative Actions IMPACT and the Prague Quadrennial, in the cooperation with MOTUS: Enrico Casagrande and Daniela Francesconi Nicolò, took place December 6 - 9, 2013 in Veles, Macedonia. SharedSpace: Retreats are group residencies for several invited artists. Retreats propose unusual settings for residencies – hidden, mysterious, challenging places in Europe (unlike the usual art centers such as Berlin or London) to give space for artists to retreat and spend some quiet thinking time together. There will be a total of 4 retreats, this first one was in Macedonia, next retreats will take place in Finland, Latvia and the Czech Republic within the course of three years.
Artists and other intellectuals have learned to be project-oriented in order to survive in the system, to join networks through which they produce and exchange products. A 'salon' setting for intellectual conversation is an important part of European cultural tradition that used to have a crucial impact on the thinking in Europe. 'Salons' are now disappearing. It is our belief that we need to provide artists and intellectuals with space where 'just thinking' and 'just talking' happens. This space is needed for the already established artists, who are considered too busy and too recognized.
Each Retreat is hosted by a different artist - in case of the first retreat this is done by MOTUS: Enrico Casagrande and Daniela Francesconi Nicolò, who invite other artists and create the program for the residency. The Retreat took place in the city of Veles, a crucial point in Macedonian cultural history. Participants stayed at two renovated houses, originally built in 19th century in traditional architecture resembling an old-city, now considered monuments of culture.
The sense of the Retreat project as well as daily activities program of the Veles meeting was described by MOTUS, read below.
This project is organized by the Centre for Creative Actions IMPACT - an NGO dedicated to cultural exchange in the field of contemporary performing arts in Europe with a focus on innovative, creative and researching models of performing processes, through guest performances of foreign companies and initiatives, specific workshops and other tailored events redefining relevant performing trends in contemporary European landscape.
