Public event
Elements: Site-specific installation, performance and engaging activities
Collaboration with the Seasonal Neighbors
Online presence: Seasonal Neighbors, Ar-Tur
With the support of Ar-Tur, platform for architecture and space in the Kempen; Wortel Dorp, BE.
The project was realized as part of “dorpsmakersfestival” organized by Ar-Tur
«Come here, come here!» Her voice carried across the street, beckoning those who knew her.
In the parking lot of De Guld Café in Wortel a slightly taller-than-legal house on wheels stood motionless after a long journey. Its sharp and light grey exterior is a strange invitation for snooping around.
What can we do as village dramaturgs in Wortel?
How are/can rural conditions in western and eastern Europe (be) linked?
What makes a house a home?
Starting from these questions we delved into living together in the rural context of Kempen. Bringing the House of Seasonal Neighbors to Wortel, we opened a space for exchange, shared cups of tea, and dialogue about hospitality, community life, and living in the village. In concrete terms, we were looking for an alternative map for the region from the eyes of newcomers, mainly seasonal workers (in this case, a big Romanian community). The starting point was a research residency from which, further, we translated the encounters into the language of text, sound, dance, prints, objects, and socially engaged practice. Visitors could take pictures in front of big prints of Romanian landscapes, finishing this process by writing a letter to their loved ones. They could enjoy a small concert organized with the Romanian singer Andreea Handragel, who chose songs about homeland, departure, and movement. The whole project is an in-depth research of periphery experience, through the glance of architecture, minority study, urban development, and artistic contribution. The topics dealt with include displacement, migration, labor, seasonal workers, cultural identity, decentralization, co-creation and possible reparation offered by the peripheral voices.
Tijana Petrović 