What are you working on?
The current global political and economic situation demonstrates how quickly and drastically people’s living conditions can change. For artists working in conflict regions this often means a stop to financial support, access to partners and networks, as well as opportunities to produce and share their work. In September 2022 video artists and filmmakers staying in war zones were invited to enter the open call What are you working on?, offering them an opportunity to continue creating and sharing their work with an international audience.
In December 2022 an international jury selected seven winners:
Ameen Abo Kaseem (Syria)
Khin Thethtar Latt (Myanmar)
Moe Myat May Zarchi (Myanmar)
Olena Siyatovska (Ukraine)
Simon Mozgovyi & Tabor LTD (Alina Gorlova, Maksym Nakonnechnyi et Yelizaveta Smith) (Ukraine)
Usama Benyaala (Libya)
Vasyl Lyah (Ukraine)
With the grant they received, the video artists and filmmakers have produced works that were presented for the first time at the Biel/Bienne Festival of Photography in 2023. The screening was followed by a round-table discussion on supporting artistic creation during armed conflict, attended by Anastasia Alexandrova, Artlink project manager, Annette Amberg, Coalmine director and jury member, Sarah Girard, director and jury member, Reda Hamdy, artist, curator and jury member, Alexandra Talman, co-responsible for Cultureloop Network. Rahel Leupin, Artlink Director, moderated the discussion, which took place at the Biel/Bienne Public Library.
The open call was hosted by Artlink on behalf of Südkulturfonds and is realized in collaboration with partners:
Biel/Bienne Festival of Photography, www.bielerfototage.ch
Coalmine, Winterthur, www.coalmine.ch
FIT festival, Lugano, www.fitfestival.ch
Kaserne Basel, Basel, www.kaserne-basel.ch
