This Autumn, the LAZNIA CCA takes part in the residency project in collaboration with the socio-cultural initiative 'Artonist', involving young contemporary art professionals from Belarus, as well as those who have been forced to live in exile. The main idea of the project is to integrate Belarusian residents in the local cultural contexts, build a network and sustainable partnerships. It is important to support and care for each other as well as to create a safe place for artistic research. It is an opportunity to give a voice and a place to members of the Belarusian diaspora.
In the frames of the project, an artist-curatorial residency of Dasha Brian will take place at LAZNIA CCA.
During her residency, Dasha Brian will focus on working on the exhibition "Sorry, Shame It on Me", which is a multidisciplinary project that draws attention to the problem of sexual, emotional and physical violence. The title of the exhibition is a play on the words "Sorry, shame/blame it on me", which refers to the guilt and shame that victims usually feel after being abused. Art installations will serve as a means to convey the emotional depth and complexity of the issue, as well as the society's response. An important part of the exhibition is the audio stories that add to the personal and real experiences of the victims. They will also contribute to the realization that the problem of violence is not abstract and very often "non-obvious" violence goes unnoticed because it has become a social norm. The project will include therapeutic activities (group discussion, lecture, etc.) that will help visitors to understand how to support and help those who face such situations. It will also offer tools to take the first personal step toward coping with trauma if you find yourself in an abusive situation. The project curator is currently working on selecting artists and creating installations for the selected gallery space.
Website of the project: https://sorry-shame-it-on-me.com/
Dasha Brian (born 1995, Minsk) – is an audiovisual artist working on the borderline of the arts based in Warsaw. With a background of working as a theater director and performance artist, Brian has developed an artistic practice that centers around live performances, short art films and video collages. In these works, Dasha portrays herself and others in various roles and scenarios, exploring such themes as representation in private and public life, politics and body. In her work she strives to go beyond the limitations of specific forms, rejecting the semantic limitations associated with the word "artist" or "director". Her experiences as a Belarusian political refugee in Western Europe have greatly influenced her art, leading her to question patterns of identity, particularly as a woman. After the 2020 revolution in Belarus, Dasha was forced to leave the country because of threats of political persecution from the Lukashenko regime. Since then she has been working a lot with political art and is the co-creator, director and curator of the art project "Revolution", which works with the themes of human rights, refugees, art in crisis situations, the revolution in Belarus and the war in Ukraine.