The Carnival of the Oppressed Feelings resulted from a series of workshops Gluklya had with refugees in her studio in Lola Lik, a creative hub in the former prison Bijlmerbajes, situated next to AZC Wenckebachweg. These sessions where aimed at trying to find new forms of expression for emotions which are difficult to convey because of language barriers. During the preparations for the festival, costumes, masks, music and objects were developed, expressing fear, vulnerability, loneliness and what it feels like to live in a former prison. With this carnival, we do not only want to make a powerful statement about welcoming refugees, but also give refugees a face and a voice in the public domain.
Monsters
The march is all about meeting the unknown, something which is often related to facing fears. And what ritual is more appropriate for driving away our demons and monsters than a carnival? All applicable rules conventions are suspended and everyone is both spectator and participant. The march pivots around five (poetic) political parties acting as metaphors for the ‘monsters’ refugees encounter during integration. Among the elaborately attired participants are: The Potato Eaters Party, The Monsters Party, The Language of Fragility Party, The Recycling Prison Party and The Spirits of History Party. By magnifying how we deal with vulnerability and trauma in society, Gluklya , TAAK and refuges holds up a mirror to us all.
Route and program
The march starts at 1 p.m from AZC Wenckebachweg with a dance performance. The march ends at the monument at Dam Square, where Charles Esche director of the Van Abbemuseum will read the Manifesto of the Utopian Unemployment Union a declaration jointly written by Gluklya together with refugees and civil society organizations. Route and program will be published at www.taak.me
About Gluklya
Russian original , now International artist Gluklya (Natalia Pershina-Yakimanskaya), now residing in Amsterdam, is a member of Chto Delat and co-founder of The Factory of Found Clothes (FFC). Since 2002 she has worked with refugees and other vulnerable groups and she has developed methods for jointly making conceptual clothing which communicate an emotional state. She is founder of the Utopian Unemployment Union of Amsterdam, a collaboration of migrants, artists and institutes developing models for artistic production at the cutting edge of art, economics, pedagogy, social sciences and activism.
Utopian Unemployment Union was made possible through the support of Mondriaan Fonds, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds and the Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst. Thanks to: Tijdelijk Museum, AZC Wenckebachweg, CreaBea and all other participants in the 5-Day Program: Rutger Groot Wassink (chair Groen Links Amsterdam), Klaartje Freeke (Lawyer mediation at Freeke&Monster), Michel Youssef (Refugee Company), Merel Willemsen (Musee da Crise/ Commonfare), Khalid Jone (We Are Here), Marianne Koeman (psychologist), Nadia Bekkers (dancer and activist), Chris Keulemans (writer, moderator, connector and co-founder of OndertussenOnderweg), Samer Al-Kadri (founder of Pages Book Store), Veronique Achoui (founder of Chains), Yvonne Dubbers (TAAK), Tuncay Korkmaz (Murad) (Turkish Kurd), Katia Krupennikova (curator and art critic), Brigitte van der Sande (art historian and curator)