Food Resilience
WP / 1873
From Studies in the History of the Renaissance
Like the elements of which we are composed, the action of these forces extends beyond us; it rusts iron and ripens corn. Far out on every side of us those elements are broadcast, driven by many forces; and birth and gesture and death and the springing of violets from the grave are but a few out of ten thousand resultant combinations. That clear, perpetual outline of face and limb is but an image of ours, under which we group them - a design in a web, the actual threads of which pass out beyond it.
Becoming a body of water was a group exhibition, showcasing works by UK-based, East-Central European women artists. The show explored the social experience of being and becoming a CEE migrant woman through notions of adaptability, resilience, self-exploration, and connection with surroundings and the natural world.
The exhibition is inspired by the concept of hydrofeminism, developed by a cultural scholar and writer Astrida Neimanis. Neimanis’ writing and research focus on the cultural, social and political relationships between aquatic environments and Earth’s inhabitants, whose bodies are built primarily from water. Neimanis calls for a reevaluation of systems of power and responsibility, and advocates for creating sustainable bonds within the environment and between humans, based on care, trust and empathy.
In the Western art history, water has often been a symbol of transformation, change or unpredictability. It is ever-flowing and can take any course, depending on the circumstances and the vessel it inhabits. The exhibition revised the ideas of fluidity, adaptability and empathy concerning the East-Central European women artists' migration experiences.
Acceptance of change is a crucial element of the process of socialisation in a new environment, which eventually becomes home. We are ever-becoming, questioning our forms or essences as something fixed, solid and rigid. This fluidity becomes a tool of one’s resilience and agency.
Showcased works delved into fluidity on the symbolic level, through the explorations of self or the environment, but also on the literal level, by experimenting with textures, and natural materials, playing with the idea of preserving the elusive. The exhibition celebrates the resilience of CEE migrant women and provides a platform for their work and expression, which continues to be underrepresented in the contemporary art sector in the UK.
Participating artists: Natalia Janula, Maja A. Ngom, Miroslava Vecerova, Ana Milenkovic, Katia Kesic, Anna Kostritskaya, Noemi S. Conan
Commissioned by POMOC (Polish Migrants Organise for Change), and generously hosted by Calthorpe Community Garden, the project explored food, plant, and cultivation knowledge-sharing as a tactic to withstand and organise during the cost of living crisis.
Alternative economics became an underlying theme. Participants bonded through their shared ancestral fears of famine, violence, and invasion, while dreaming of wider networks of mutual aid. Selected artists were also invited to facilitate the sessions. Artist and educator Magda Fabianczyk invited everyone to make a ‘democratic soup’; performance artist Anca Dimofte asked for soil regeneration pledges during the Day of the Dead celebrations; and fine artists Olha Pryymak and Lika Tarkhan-Mouravi debated Eastern colonialism through the prism of Georgian tea.
A final public-facing event took place in December, with contributions from artists, activists, food lovers, therapists, and other community members whose paths crossed at Calthorpe Community Garden. These included learning about setting up food co-operatives, reflections on migrant land workers’ rights, and navigating daily stresses.
The workshops informed a zine which is freely accessible here.
My work
As a curator, I explore issues of East-Central European identity and representation in post-Brexit Britain. My practice looks at the systemic and cultural frameworks of CEE-related art production, curation, and facilitation. It often includes interrogation of politics of gender, national stereotypes, and underrepresentation of CEE artists in the UK and globally.
My approach towards working with artists, fellow curators, and institutions is based on mutual respect, empathy, and care. My practice is transnational and feminist.
My Ph.D. study at the London College of Communication is an integral part of my practice. My project looks at the history of exhibitions of East-Central European women artists in Britain after 1989.
I am also working as an Artist Development Coordinator at BACKLIT Gallery in Nottingham. As part of my role, I implement development strategies for BACKLIT’s studio and associate artists. I am also a Critical Friend of Birmingham Museums, working on the democratization and inclusion strategy.
2. Walter Pater
WP / 1873
From Studies in the History of the Renaissance
Like the elements of which we are composed, the action of these forces extends beyond us; it rusts iron and ripens corn. Far out on every side of us those elements are broadcast, driven by many forces; and birth and gesture and death and the springing of violets from the grave are but a few out of ten thousand resultant combinations. That clear, perpetual outline of face and limb is but an image of ours, under which we group them - a design in a web, the actual threads of which pass out beyond it.
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