Dear Readers, today is Sunday and Sunday’s in Serbia are usually very relaxed days. Too much for my taste, so I want to use this occasion to share some impressions with you. Our workshop now lasts for more than 2 weeks and that days have been very dense in terms of content. We have been introduced to the City of Pozarevac by few individuals and local active people, and have been well received here. After the first week, where we met local industrials, politicians, activists, people from various local cultural or social intitiatives, I face difficulties to find a way to relate with our workshop subject. What is somehow a burning subject here, is the disappearance of the middle class, so I walk around between castles and barracks. If you press the gallery in this post, you will find few images, from the seminar, from the first steps around the town, from our close encounter with the International Roma Union of Serbia, but also images from our visit to a local illegal settlement, inhabited IDP’s (inner displaced people) from Kosovo.

My initial motivation, to participate in that Workshop “the Return of the Gastarbajter” was to have a broader overview of that phenomena, that is also part of my own story. My parents were migrants from Yugoslavia, and I was born and raised in Austria. People in Serbia, often claim that the reasons for migration were always only economical, and that only non-educated, almost illiterate people moved towards Western Europe and further. In my case, my parents had an decent education, and they managed to somehow focus to live, where they are, and not to build castles for a imagined future, for an uncertain return to the places, where they moved from.

Here we have here loads of houses, I call them castles, built by the gastarbajters, that seem more a monument of their absence, than to serve for living. People started moving from this region, called Branicevski Okrug, from the 70ties, and their main destinations, were Austria, Germany and France. In the reagion Branicevo live about 250.000 people, and they believe that 70.000 live in Austria. Another peak of the migration was also during the violent disintegration of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRJ), and during that time, that phenomena of building huge representational houses appeared. During the period of the hyperinflation, were people in Serbia used to work for an average loan of 10 DM (german marks, 5 Euros today), for the Gastarbajter, earning money abroad, it was quite easy to build huge houses. They believed that one day, after 20 and more years working abroad, that they will return with their families and live in that huge houses. Also, under socialist law it was impossible to invest in a kind of business, as business was part of the public affairs, and in a society which functions under a communist premise, private property in a public field was impossible. Than happened, that a kind of competition between, or about status symbols started, so everyone tried to build a house, which is bigger than the neighbors one. Although my fellow Serbs, believe that they are special with that attitude, I used to say that greediness is international.

You can for sure imagine, that building such huge houses, during a period, where people worked for almost nothing, in an hard struggle to survive, feed a lot of hate, between that different layers of societies. On one side, almost everyone in Serbia, survived or survives due to that money, sent back by people from abroad, but still resentments were fed, somehow understandable if you have to cue for hours for bread, flour, oil and sugar, while others are building palaces. On the other side, gastarbajter complained that they had to pay high bribes for the legalization of their buildings, and that they are only seen and recognized as the one who bring or have to bring expensive presents and money, when they return once a year from abroad, usually in very fancy new and big cars. A very complex situation.

To add, or to illustrate our complex situation, you will detect, that I switch sometimes from I to we, and from we to I, as I want to provide you with a subjective perspective, but as there are more people in our workshop, some of my sentences match also common perspectives… so an additional complexity was provided by the Open Forum, during the Seminar, which was open for the local community to present their perspectives on the phenomena around Gastarbajter. Their impact on the local culture, economical situation, political situation etc… This was very well attended, and the local Roma Association, the International Roma Union of Serbia responded most to our invite. Many Roma people have been or are Gastarbajters, and the phenomena of the big representative houses is widespread between them. Also the Association IRU Srbija is run by a guy, who was himself Guestworker in Austria, till he lost his residency permit, due to an change of law. That what he percieved as being kicked out from Austria, was also his initial point and entrance to the field of Activism. IRU has now around 70 members. They have an office and they organize different programs, like they remove old furniture from different household, mainly inhabited by old people, who don’t need them anymore, or can’t effort to pay these items being removed, and IRU redistributes that different stuff, to the needs of different people.

Thanks to IRU, some of us also came in close contact to people living in shanties, and tragically one baby died today in such a temporary shanty, of meningitis. Reality intrudes in a tough way. In a way, if you try to focus on migration, you can’t ignore that fact, that many people here live in such conditions, and that by disappearance of the middle-class, solidarity faded away. Next Sunday there will be the opening of our show, or the presentation of our interdisciplinary artistic workshop. It will happen in public space, so all of you near, are invited to come.

to be continued…

alex

Suddenly the guy, I interviewed, turned out to be Radovan Karadzic, and everything I read in Austrian Newspaper, how he visited Vienna, was interogated by the austrian police… I knew that from the guy I interviewed!!!

Strange things happen these days, but in the end, i was not the only one to believe that Pera Glumac is Radovan Karadzic…

ps: due to different reasons, i was not able to finish the film yet. Will keep you posted!

for all german speaking people: click here

Article in the online version of Der Standard: click here

(scroll down for the program srpski/english)

All three of them have been deeply involved in the fight against Milosevic’s regime. Radojko Luković, got famous to the serbian public, as “the face of Serbia”, after he was beaten by friends of Milosevic’s son Marko.

Mile Veljkovic, who wrote for many national and international newspapers, worked as journalist for many international media agencies, was also involved in our workshop. Thanks to his support, our public seminar, will be held, in the TV Station IN TV, where he was editor in chief. Aleksandar Mitrović used to work with Mile, for the same TV Station.

We are left without words, and can’t realize that Mile won’t be with us.

With deepest sympathy with their families.

Links:

english article on B92, read the comments too.

http://www.club-inn.tv/

Wednesday / Sreda  – 23.7.2008. -  History and current situation in Požarevac / Istorija i trenutna situacija u Požarevcu
10:00 Presentation of the Project/ Prezentacija projekta
12:30 History of Požarevca/ Istorija Požarevca
14:00 Serb, Vlah, Roma and other cultures in the area /Srpska, Vlaška, Romska i druge kulture na ovim prostorima
15:30 Culture – current situation and future perspectives / Kultura – trenutna situacija i planovi za dalji razvoj
17:00 Lunch / Ručak
19:00 Discussion / Diskusija
Thursday/ Četvrtak – 24.7.2008. – Current Situation / Trenutna situacija

10:00 Economy – current situation and future perspectives / Ekonomija – trenutna situacija i planovi za dalji razvoj
12:00 local Industry / Vodeće industrije
13:30 Political situation / Politička situacija
15:00 Urbanism / Urbanizam
17:00 Lunch / Ručak
19:30 Discussion / Diskusija

Friday/Petak -  25.07.2008. – About Gastarbajters / O gastarbajterima (gostujućim radnicima)
10:00 personal Stories of Gastarbajters / Priče gostujućih radnika
12:00 personal Stories of Gastarbajters / Priče gostujućih radnika
13:30 Impact of Gastarbajters on the local economical situation / Uticaj gostujućih radnika na ekonomsku situaciju u Požarevcu
15:00 Impact of Gastarbajters on the local cultural situation / Uticaj gostujućih radnika na kulturnu situaciju u Požarevcu
16:30 Lunch / Ručak
18:00 The situation of Gastarbajters in Europe / Položaj gostujućih radnika u Evropi

Saturday/Subota – 26.07.2008. – Open Forum/Otvoreni Forum – Mobility as a Form of Integration / Mobilnost kao vid integracije

10:00 City tour / Obilazak grada
12:00 OpenForum – What can be learned by moving around? / Otvoreni Forum – Šta se može naučiti iz mobilnosti?
14:00 OpenForum – What are the advantages of being a foreigner? / Otvoreni Forum – Koje vam prednosti donosi to što ste stranac?
16:00 Ručak
17:00 OpenForum – What are the benefits of Gastarbajters for their communities? / Otvoreni Forum – Koje pogodnosti gastarbajteri donose svojim zajednicama?
18:30 Students articles – Department of Anthropology and Ethnology, Belgrade University / Članci studenata – Odeljenje za antropologiju i etnologiju, Univerzitet u Beogradu

Sunday/ Nedelja – 27.07.2008. – Open Forum / Otvoreni Forum – Mobility as a Form of Integration / Mobilnost kao vid integracije
10:00 OpenForum – Can inter-national characteristic be found in Gastarbajter communities? / Otvoreni Forum – Mogu li se internacionalni karakteri pronaći u gastarbajterskim zajednicama?
12:00 OpenForum – How can we in Europe make better use of mobility? / Otvoreni Forum – Kako možemo obezbediti bolju upotrebu mobilnosti u Evropi?
14:00 break / pauza
15:00 Conceptual discussion – Presentation of artworks’ ideas and choosing public places for work  / Konceptualna polemika – Prezentacija ideja za umetnička dela i izbor javnih mesta na kojima će umetnici stvarati
16:00 Lunch / Ručak
17:30 Artists’ presentations / Prezentacije umetnika

Monday/Ponedeljak – 28.07.2008. – Art Interventions / Intervencije umetnošću

10:00 Visiting work places / Poseta izabranim lokacijama za rad
12:00 artists’ presentations / Prezentacije umetnika
17:00 Lunch / Ručak
21:00 Party / Žurka

Thuesday/Utorak – 29.07.2008. – beginning of artists’ workshop / početak umetničke radionice
Sunday/Nedelja – 10.08.2008. – exhibition opening / otvaranje izložbe

Information, please scroll down, or select in the categories the link: The return of the Gastarbajter

cheers alex

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Art Interventions
The Return of the Gastarbeiters
22.7-10.8.2008

Location: Požarevac, Eastern Serbia

Media: all media

Organizers: KUD “Art Klub”, Kucevo
Partners: Serbian Ministry of Diaspora, Požarevac Cultural Center, Citizens of Europe, Berlin, Neocom, Vienna

Colloquium description:
The subject of the colloquium is returning guest workers from Europe to Eastern Serbia and their influence on the local economy, politics, culture and environment.
It will consist of:

• 3-week field research by students of the anthropology department of the Philosophical faculty of Belgrade
  University
• a week long seminar that will include lecture on the history of the area and its current situation, on the
• subject of returning economical immigration and on engaged art and art in public space
• a 2-week artist’s workshop in which will participate 20 artists, 10 Serb and 10 international,
• 3- week exhibition  in Požarevac
• Seminar and presentation in Belgrade

The artists will work and exhibit in public spaces in order to allow maximum communication with the returning immigrants and the population that stayed behind. The documentation of interviews with returning immigrants and decision makers done as part of the pre-colloquia research, students’ research, the lectures given in the seminars and the artists work will be collected in catalogues and presented in Belgrade to create a reaction on a national level.

Concept:
The area of Eastern Serbia is a traditionally poor agricultural area and therefore had much immigration to different developed countries. Now many immigrants are returning with their interpretation of the experience they have got in the West which often deteriorates to corruption, nationalism, nouveau riche culture and lack of respect to the environment. Since the area is dependent on that income there is no public debate on the phenomenon and no directives, no regulations or laws regarding these issues.
The relation between the immigrants – host community distinctly affects the relation immigrants – home community but there is an agreement of silence between the home community and immigrants to keep these worlds apart. When in Serbia they very rarely talk about their experiences and difficulties abroad. In that way they maintain an illusion that they do not really work abroad and conceal their real status their and assert the powerful image of the patron and their status of power. Consequently, people in these areas talk about people who “have money” or “do not have money” but never about working for money. That money is either “given or not given” to them as reward or punishment for how they behave, again without any relation to work. To fulfill their side of the bargain the local community plays the role of an obedient, respectful, needy kin which makes them even more helpless and lacking initiative. This project will raise taboo in the public of discussing these issues and pressure public institution to create regulation concerning the disturbing aspects of the phenomenon.

Conditions: the artists will be provided with accommodations and food and will use local material. An additional sum of up to 75 Euro will be provided for materials.

For further details and registration please contact: noa.treister(at)gmail.com

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Sex in Transition
15-31.8.2008

Location: Kucevo, Eastern Serbia

Media: all media

Organizers: KUD “Art Klub”, Kucevo
Partners: Serbian Ministry of Culture, Municipality of Kucevo, The Kattenbak Collective, Amsterdam, Citizens of Europe, Berlin,

Colloquium description:
The subject of the colloquium is returning guest workers from Europe to Eastern Serbia and their influence on the local economy, politics, culture and environment.
It will consist of:

• 3-week field research by students of the anthropology department of the Philosophical faculty of Belgrade University
• a week long seminar that will include lecture on the history of the area and its current situation, on the subject of returning economical immigration and on engaged art and art in public space
• a 2-week artist’s workshop in which will participate 20 artists, 10 Serb and 10 international,
• 3- week exhibition  in Kucevo
• Seminar and presentation in Belgrade

The artists will work and exhibit in public spaces in order to allow maximum communication with the returning immigrants and the population that stayed behind. The documentation of interviews with returning immigrants and decision makers done as part of the pre-colloquia research, students’ research, the lectures given in the seminars and the artists work will be collected in catalogues and presented in Belgrade to create a reaction on a national level.

Concept:
When we speak about communities or countries in transition, we usually refer to economical transition in this we underestimate the abyss that lays before the sides facing each other. The difference rests within the basic concepts (such as truth, time, security, privacy, intimacy, communication, etc.) on which each person builds his/her life. The main discrepancy lies in the grasp of a person as an individual, which is a modern concept, from which grow notions of love, happiness, accomplishment, freedom, etc. Marriage, in this community structure, is one of the institutions that insure its continuum in the same way. Both men and women fill preconditioned roles before and during their married life and in that pay their dues to the community and are held in check by the rumor economy and the threat of excommunication that would penetrate even their basic means of existence. What happens inside the marriage (form love to neglect or violence) is irrelevant to the surrounding as long as the institution is maintained and therefore is accepted by the partners themselves. As was perceived by one of the community members:

“When you ask men what they think about it, most of the would answer that about intimacy that have never heard but sexually they are very active, great lovers (a legend close to Greek mythology ϑ) and that they can seduce any women. On the other hand, most women would say, with allusive irony, that of intimacy they have long forgotten and that sex they accept as a duty, something they have to “execute” with their man, like preparing lunch, housekeeping or similar things.
[…] in a small town, in which are still performed many old, even pagan customs, in which there is still fear of occultism (Vlah magic) and in which people are still closely (and shallowly) connected with their families, land, past, life revolves around “practicalities”. Most people think: “if I sow the land, it will give birth, if I sow a woman she also will give birth ϑ” and everything will function well on a superficial level because I am a monkey and not a man! If I tough intimacy, it will touch me, which can be extremely fuck up, and I don’t wish to have a fucked up life!” (Davor Radulj)

No person or community is located in one end of this scale or another, we are all somewhere in the middle with our fears of losing our economical and emotional security, our standing in society, or our future continuity on the one hand and a wish to become and be loyal to the event of love on the other hand.
It is this diversity that our project aims to map and about which we wish to create a public debate.

Conditions: the artists will be provided with accommodations and food and will use local material. An additional sum of up to 75 Euro will be provided for materials.

For further details and registration, please contact: noa.treister(at)gmail.com

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