Jury-Statement kültüř gemma! 2016 This year`s jury

 Jury-Statement
kültüř gemma! 2016
This year's jury consisted of curator and head of dramaturgy at the Tanzquartier Gabrielle Cram, the
musician and moderator Patrick Bongola alias Topoke, Gabriele Bagher from the Institut im Kontext,
the journalist Hirut Kiesel, the artist Stephanie Misa, as well as the artistic director of the
Brunnenpassage Ivana Pilic.
Here is their statement:
To begin with we would like to thank all applicants for all the inspirational and important
submissions!
It was not easy for us, as a jury, to decide which of the 150 proposals, that spanned across a vast
field of artistic expression, to include in the short-list of 22.
Meeting the applicants in person gave us further insight in the different subject areas, and the
way these were dealt with artistically. This made coming to a decision even more interesting, but
at the same time it also made it harder.
We decided upon projects that take a very clear position politically, as well as aesthetically.
Projects that combine local and global perspectives, and criticism with humour.
We hope that the four scholarship holders are able to open up new perspectives also for the
public concerning Vienna, and Austria, and it's complex history and present.
Thank you to all applicants for kültür gemma! and we wish you all the best for the future!
The four fellowship holders are:
Item 7
The rapper Item 7 will tell a story about what it means to come from a ghetto in Lagos, arrive in
Vienna in a shelter for asylum seekers, and try to set up a life for himself in a new place. To do
this he has chosen a surprising medium: the musical. Together with other musicians, they will
sing, rap, and perform and tell us of their shared experiences. The way a very personal story was
put in such a complex form, yet retained a very clear language, convinced the jury.
kültür gemma!
stadtkulturförderung
Blechturmgasse 12/11a
A-1040 Wien
+43 1 208 33 82
+ 43 650 5550250
[email protected]
www.kueltuergemma.at
Grace Latigo
The women- and human rights activist lays claim to stages of all shapes and sizes. Her work, that
is highly appreciated by the jury, can be found where politics and art, or popular- and counter
culture meet. As a stand-up comedian, Latigo will take a cheeky and grotesque look at the daily
life of a strong black woman in Vienna who does not let the most difficult circumstances drag her
down.
Mariel Rodriguez
Mariel Rodriguez puts the emphasis of her artistic research on a highly controversial plant: the
coca leaf. Based on archive work, of, for instance, the famous Novara-expedition that brought the
plant to Vienna, Rodriguez puts colonialism, bio-piracy, and narco-politics in relationship to one
another. The artistic way of dealing with the intricacies of economy and politics, as well as the
effects that has one a local, but also on a global level, is something that the jury found to be
highly relevant, and is looking forward to a multi-layered exhibition.
Vina Yun
The author and journalist Vina Yun will deal with a topic that has hardly ever been dealt with
before through he means of comic, the story of Korean migration in Vienna. The story is told from
the perspective of second-generation immigrants that enter into a dialogue with their parents and
grandparents. The idea to deal with this topic in a collective manner, but also to combine analysis
with satire through the means of graphic novel, filled the jury with enthusiasm.
The works of the scholarship holders will be presented together at the end of the year.
Acting as a member of this year's jury for the kültür gemma! was a possibility to actively take part in
their admirable socio-political engagement. They work tirelessly towards achieving equal
opportunities on a structural level for artists with a migrant background, as well as trying to create a
public awareness of the topics that come with that. (Gabrielle Cram)
You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model
that makes the existing model obsolete.”(R. Buckminster Fuller, quoted by Hirut Kiesel)
kültür gemma!
stadtkulturförderung
Blechturmgasse 12/11a
A-1040 Wien
+43 1 208 33 82
+ 43 650 5550250
[email protected]
www.kueltuergemma.at
kültür gemma!
stadtkulturförderung
Blechturmgasse 12/11a
A-1040 Wien
+43 1 208 33 82
+ 43 650 5550250
[email protected]
www.kueltuergemma.at