About the part that art plays in a globalising society

Framer Framed

9 Jun 2021
20:00 - 21:30

About the footprints, what we hide in the pockets and other shadows of hope

Framer Framed and State of Concept in Athens would like to invite you to an online premiere of the film ‘About the footprints, what we hide in the pockets and other shadows of hope’ by activist Russian collective CHTO DELAT made as part of the public programme of their solo exhibition in Athens. The film will premiere simultaneously on the 9th of June at 20:00 for the Netherlands and 21:00 for Greece and St. Petersburg via Framer Framed’s YouTube channel.

A still from the film ‘About the footprints, what we hide in the pockets and other shadows of hope‘ (2021) by CHTO DELAT

About the footprints, what we hide in the pockets and other shadows of hope
Live-stream link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xc-utKe8Ck
Language: Greek
Subtitles: English

The 84-minute film is the outcome of CHTO DELAT’s experimentation with integrating key texts by Zapatista spokesperson Subcomandante Marcos within the educational process of learning the Greek language. Along with a seminar delivered by architect Stavros Stavrides in the Open School for Migrants in Piraeus, in which he described the strong relations between the Zapatista movement and political activism in Greece, this process created a new paradigm of learning — somewhere in between real and imaginary concepts.*

The performance on which the film focuses integrates two narratives: the first based on texts written by the Zapatistas, where Durito (a fictional beetle character) metaphorically describes the core sociopolitical ideas of the movement. The second is based on the personal histories of Piraeus Open School participants, refugees who came to Greece from different places of the world. The students worked closely with Stathis Markopoulos, a puppet maker, director and puppet theatre professional (Ayusaya Puppet Theatre), who introduced them to the basic methods of shadow theatre. Their collaboration resulted in the production of a performance as a finissage to this project. Read more about the process.

In this film, one sees how reality intertwines with fiction and how our imagination gives us the ability to overcome our world’s cruel limitations, creating a shadow of hope. Finally, the film importantly reflects on the difficulties of learning and cultural production during the pandemic, and how we deal with brutal limitations imposed on us.

ABOUT

CHTO DELAT was founded in early 2003 in St. Petersburg by a workgroup of artists, critics, philosophers, and writers from St. Petersburg, Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod with the goal of merging political theory, art and activism. The name of the group, meaning what is to be done?, derives from a novel by the Russian 19th-century writer Nikolai Chernyshevsky.

State of Concept Athens is the first non-profit contemporary art institution with a permanent location and a yearly program to operate in Greece. Founded in 2013 by art critic and curator iLiana Fokianaki and based in the neighbourhood of Koukaki at the centre οf Athens, it is an independent platform that fosters the appreciation for local and international contemporary art and the growth of artistic and curatorial practice.

The Piraeus Open School for Migrants is a voluntary based association which works on educational and training support for the cultural advance of immigrants, refugees and vulnerable social groups in Greece.


Notes

*This film forms a part of the ongoing project “Slow orientation in Zapatism” which reflects how the ideas of Zapatism have influenced different communities outside Chiapas. The first part was realised in Russia and the second part in Italy.

About the footprints, what we hide in the pockets and other shadows of hope has been realised in collaboration with the Open School for Migrants in Piraeus (Athens, GR) and co-produced by State of Concept Athens, Framer Framed Amsterdam and Momentum.

Participants: Aidim Joymal, Aicha Elouarma, Mua A.Mungu, Madalina Manaila, Osman Mohammed Ahmed, Μohammad Jumanne Kisesa, Umer Muhammad.

Commissioned by Framer Framed and State of Concept Athens, the film was made as part of the public programme of CHTO DELAT’s solo exhibition When the roots start to move and get lost at State of Concept Athens, which opened in September 2020.



Migration / Community & Learning / Social Practice /

Agenda


When the roots start moving
Book presentation + Lecture performance by CHTO DELAT

Network


iliana fokianaki

iLiana Fokianaki

Curator, theorist and educator

Magazine