Skopje, 9 August 2024 (MIA) — The 35th Galichnik Art Colony will take place on Aug. 12–19 and focus on new media art dedicated to how collective memory is shaped through culture.

According to organizers in a press release, participants will discuss and create art exploring how societies' historical memory and interpretations are shaped by their culture, institutions, and shared narratives.

"This concept extends beyond personal memories to include the ways in which a community maintains and transmits its history," organizers say, pointing to monuments, museums, curricula, media, and community rites and rituals as examples. 

"Collective memory is not without its flaws. Narratives of the past can be biased or missing information because people tend to remember certain things more vividly while forgetting or minimizing others," they add.

"Discord can arise when different groups' memories of the same events conflict with each other. Collective memory is a tool political parties and governments use to justify their actions and goals," organizers note.

However, by delving into and carefully considering their collective memory, people can build a richer and more inclusive view of history, which is essential for learning from the past and applying those lessons in the present, according to organizers.

"The collective culture of memory is profoundly important in the arts [...], which serve as a critical medium for exploring, preserving, and challenging collective memories," organizers say, pointing out that visual artists, writers, musicians, and filmmakers play a key role in shaping collective memory by interpreting historical events, questioning dominant narratives, and creating spaces for marginalized voices. 

The Galichnik mountain village will welcome ten artists to the art colony. 

They are Christine Lederer from Austria, Ivana Hostnik from Serbia/Slovenia, Lachezar Boyadzhiev from Bulgaria, Sofia Dimova from Bulgaria, Marina Kassianidou from Cyprus, Elia Kalogianni from Greece, Stefan Kornacki from Poland, Yll Xhaferi from Kosovo, Klelija Zhivkovikj from North Macedonia, and Darko Aleksoski, also from North Macedonia.

They will focus on creating new media art and their artworks produced by means of electronic media technologies: virtual art, digital art, interactive art, Internet art, "all of which have replaced the classic easel paintings, sculptures, drawings," organizers said, adding that this makes the Galichnik Art Colony the only one of its kind in the region. mr/