Communities Between Islands presents
the Chapter #02: Woven By the Currents
The interdisciplinary artistic program Communities Between Islands (CBI) announces the start of his second cycle entitled “Woven By the Currents”. Following the first cycle, held in autumn 2023 curated by the Archipelago Network, this chapter continues to encourage the collaboration and interaction of international artists with the local communities of Corsica, Sardinia and Syros through participatory workshops and public programs.
For Chapter #02: Woven By the CurrentsProvidenza invited the artists to the hosting program Sarah-Anaïs Desbenoit (1992, France), Dania Shihab (1982, Iraq) and Amalia Vargas (1994, Colombia) to explore landscapes, narratives and traditions that connect the three Mediterranean islands to create works that converse with these particular island cultures through sound, video and photography respectively.
From the 7 to 16 Maythe artists will be at Syros for the first part of their research, in the context of which they will implement a series of workshops open to the public. If you are interested in participating, sign up until Friday, May 3 by completing the participation form here. Entries will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
WORKSHOP by Dania Shihab
Friday 10 May, 17:00, Ermoupoli (exact location will be announced after registration)
Participants: up to 15 people
Duration: about 2 hours
The workshop will be held in English
Book your place here by May 3rd
Shihab’s workshop involves the creation of a collective sound project through recordings and looping techniques. In the first part of the workshop participants will take part in a listening session, followed by a sound walk in Hermoupolis and a group composition exercise.
About the work of Dania Shihab, titled Object – Land
Likening the physical displacement of the migrant experience to the geographic displacement of island life, Dania Shihab examines how these realities fuel the evolution of new melodic patterns and modes as well as how they affect the preservation of traditional music. This process involves collecting field recordings and exploring the topographies of the three Mediterranean islands, focusing on how musical practices in both native and immigrant communities are influenced by contemporary culture and the surrounding landscape. After gathering this information, Shihab will use her findings to create a lasting musical composition.
WORKSHOP by Sarah-Anaïs Desbenoit
Saturday, May 11, 12:00, Ermoupoli (exact location will be announced after registration)
Participants: up to 15 people
Duration: about 2 hours
The workshop will be held in English
Book your place here by May 3rd
In her workshop, Desbenoit suggests creating a collaborative project through DV (digital video) recordings and recordings. After a brief presentation of her research and the methodology she follows for the recordings, the group will take a nature walk, using the artist’s video and audio equipment. The resulting DV tapes will then be digitized and through a group process a collective work of art will be created.
About Sarah-Anaïs Desbenoit’s work, titled Mermaid Melody
During her hosting program, Desbenoit explores local myths related to women in Syros, Sardinia and Corsica. Mixing video and audio elements, it explores the beliefs and narratives shaped by the landscapes of these Mediterranean islands. The symbolism embedded in the areas helps reveal a rich variety of myths and legends that have been passed down from generation to generation. Combining elements of documentary and fiction, Desbenoit aims to stage these memories, offering audiences a unique perspective on the relationship between man and nature in these island landscapes.
WORKSHOP by Amalia Vargas
Tuesday, May 14, 17:00, Ermoupoli (exact location will be announced after registration)
Participants: up to 15 people
Duration: about 2 hours
The workshop will be conducted in English
Book your place here by May 3rd
Vargas proposes a photographic experience of capturing outdoor spaces in Syros through the use of a darkroom. The workshop will be conducted in three stages: first with the collective construction of the camera, then with outdoor shots in the center of Hermoupolis and finally with the display of the images. Vargas is interested in the traditional and industrial architecture of Syros, and through the photographs she aims to “compile” a glossary of images that will serve as inspiration for the sculptures she will create during her stay.
Mise en Formes, Center culturel des Foses d’Enfer, Saint-Rémy sur Orne
About the work of Amalia Vargas, titled Écume des fluxes
For the hospitality program, Vargas delves into the interplay of ancient and modern influences on the islands of Syros, Sardinia and Corsica. The landscape of each island acts as a source of inspiration for sculptural forms emerging from objects found on their shores. During her journey, she will collect such objects, drawing inspiration from architectural motifs, from caryatids to building details such as handrails. Through this process, her work aims to build an archaeology, an archive of our times — a testimony to the ongoing dialogue between humanity and the natural environment, inviting the public to reconsider their relationship with the landscapes and cultural heritage of the islands. of the Mediterranean.
“Communities Between Islands” is a collaborative initiative in which three Mediterranean organizations participate: h Providence in Corsica (France), the Cherimus in Sardinia (Italy) and the Archipelagos Network in Syros (Greece). From September 2023 to the end of 2024, these three organizations are hosting nine international artists who will work with local communities through artist residency programs and workshops, creating new artistic works inspired by local themes and concerns. Participating artists will present the result of their research in collaboration with local artistic bodies (FRAC Corsica, Museo Nivola in Sardinia and Syros International Film Festival) and the municipalities of Bastia, Perdaxius and Syros-Hermoupoli on each island respectively.
Communites Between Islands is a project of his Creative Europe financed by the European Commission and implemented with its support Goethe-Institut Athens and his Ioannou F. Kostopoulos Foundation.
Tags: Archipelagos Network Laboratories Syros
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