CLAUDIA ZANFI

ARCIPELAGO BALKANI SARAJEVO

ARCIPELAGO BALKANI

Project: aMAZElab Art&Cultures, Milan
Original idea and art director: Claudia Zanfi


“ARCIPELAGO BALKANI. An Alternative Map” is a journey towards the ‘New Balkans’, providing an analysis of the contemporary cultural life of the cities and their people through the eyes of artists, students and writers, in collaboration with various local institutions. An intense programme, two years of work and research, of exchanges and reflections, starting from the reality of three case-study cities: Skopje (Macedonia), Tirana (Albania) and Sarajevo (Bosnia). The project analyzes the contamination between contemporary art, urban development and social issues.

The project is awarded by the European Union Culture Office ‘Cultura 2007-2013’ grant.

 TIRANA (June 2011):

Claudia Zanfi has organized the solo exhibition by the Italian group ALTERAZIONI VIDEO, in collaboration with the Tirana Biennial (TICA). On view, for the first time, 500 polaroid snapshots taken during the artists’ travel in Albania. An original, heart-left, at times ironic, portrait of the city, the people and everyday situation in an undiscovered territory.
During the opening, the performance “LAVAZH SPECIAL PARTI”, a collective Tirana car wash, took place with the partecipation of local community and the Tirana Ekspres collective.

SARAJEVO (September 2011):

As the final step of the tour Arcipelgo Balkani, aMAZElab Art&Cultures (Milan) and Sarajevo Center for Contemporary Art (SCCA) are pleased to invite you to the event that will be held on

Thursday 29th September 2011,
from 5pm until 9pm, c/o the Kriterion Art House, Sarajevo

1) Presentation of the book ARCIPELAGO BALKANI. An Alternative Map
Published by Silvana Editoriale and curated by Claudia Zanfi, the book offers an alternative journey through the ‘New Balkans’, featuring an analysis of the city’s contemporary cultural life and that of the people in this youthful melting pot, through the eyes of both artists and writers.

2) Exhibition of works from the ‘Open City’ project
Artists: Marina Abramovic, Albanian Pavillion, Alterazioni Video, Balkan Depot / Tomislav Tarek, Pavel Braila, Yane Calovski, Danica Dakic, Calin Dan, Biljana Djurdjevic, Group Elementi (Biljana Isijanin & Ljupco Isijanin), Thomas Hirschhorn, Hristina Ivanovska, Armin Linke, Rasa Todosijevic – Marinela Kozelj, Borjana Mrdja, Oliver Musovik, Vladimir Nikolic, Damir Niksic, Adrian Paci, Antonio Petrov, Tadej Pogacar, Stefano Romano, Massimo Sciacca, Shoba, Igor Sovilj, Biljana Stefanovska, TooA / Cogni – De Mattia, Zaneta Vangeli, and Srdjan Jovanovic Weiss.

3) The ‘Public Dialogues’ Conference
A dialogue with and mapping of the independent cultural scene in Bosnia: ABART, the Abrasevic Cultural Centre, Mostar; the Biennial of Konjic and Kultzona; the MUM Collective, Mostar Urban Movement, Mostar; CID, Center for Informative Decontamination, Banja Luka; Tac.ka, the Prijedor Artists’ Association; the Duplex Gallery, Sarajevo; etc...

GREEN ISLAND 2011

GREEN ISLAND 2011
A project by Claudia Zanfi (director of aMAZElab / Laboratorio del Paesaggio)

GREEN ISLAND is a moment of reflection on key subjects such as sustainability, urban green and landscape, during the prestigious DESIGN WEEK MILANO.

The GREEN ISLAND project, aimed at valorising the public space, has been operating since 2002 in Zona Isola Milan, behind Garibaldi Train Station and via Pepe, involving a large network of arts and crafts workshops, design and architecture studios, as well as proposing site-specific installations and projects. Many kinds of contributors (artists, photographers, designers, architects, theorists and students) have been involved in the previous editions (Andrea Branzi with ‘Oasi Verde Garibaldi’; the Dutch designer Ton Matton with the project ‘Urban Orchad’; Lois Weinberger and his Mobile Garden, ect….).

For the ninth edition Claudia Zanfi, founder of the GREEEN ISLAND project, has invited botanists, designers and landscape architects, to come up with the first garden of wild plants in Milano.

The project ‘The Green Public Library’ is realized with a series of green patches and botanical tables that decorate the wall along the garden, serving as a proper ‘book’ for the spread and understanding of these vegetable species.

The seeds of the plants has been entrusted to the various international designers taking part in the project.

GREEN ISLAND is also a large network of exhibitions and events ‘green, bio, slow’ at Isola District, such as the solo show by the Swiss artist Katja Loher, in collaboration with Vernon Gallery (Prague); the photographic installation by American artist Paul Clemence; the launch of MONU magazine on art, architecture and design.

At the end of Design Week the project will be handed over to the neighbourhood. The adoption programme, the only one of its kind in Milano, has given rise to a real system of ‘community gardening’, thanks also to the original yet highly practical watering cans designed by Marti Giuxè, provided by the Museo Alessi, which has supported creative projects such as GREEN ISLAND for many years.

THE FIRST COMMUNITY GARDEN IN MILANO

The garden and the patches at the backside of the Garibaldi Railway Station- Zona Isola Milano, opened on the occasion of GREEN ISLAND 2011- Milano Design Week, have been adopted by local residents, artisans and artists. Weekly this community take care of the species and the herbs in the garden, creating a real system of community gardening, thanks also to the original yet highly practical watering cans designed by Marti Giuxè, provided by the Museo Alessi, which has supported creative projects such as GREEN ISLAND for many years.

ALTERNATIVE TIRANA

The first solo exhibition by the group ALTERAZIONI VIDEO in Tirana (Albania),
as part of the European project ARCIPELAGO BALKANI.

Curated by Claudia Zanfi (director of aMAZElab Milano),
Edi Muka (co-director and curator of TICA Tirana)

On view, for the first time, 500 polaroid snapshots taken during the artists’ travel in Albania.An original, heart-left, at times ironic, portrait of the city, the people and everyday situations in an undiscovered territory.During the opening, the performance “LAVAZH SPECIAL PARTI”, a collective Tirana car wash, will take place with the presence of the artists.

OPENING:
SATURDAY 25th JUNE 2011, 7pm.
Zeta Gallery, Tirana, Albania.