Tales advised via embroidery: Belarusian nationwide code – Tech Journal

Rufina Bazlova and Sofia Tocar are an artist and curator who join their private journeys with a shared ardour for artwork, activism, and cultural heritage. Their undertaking, #FramedinBelarus, has obtained assist from the EU-funded EU4Culture undertaking.

Bazlova, initially from Belarus, has been residing within the Czech Republic for 17 years. Her inventive journey started as a toddler and continued with formal training within the arts. She graduated in illustration and sculpture earlier than finishing her research on the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, the place she targeted on puppetry and stage design. Her connection to cross-stitching started from 2010 to 2012 throughout her time on the Sutnarka (Ladislav Sutnar School of Design and Artwork on the College of West Bohemia). Fascinated by Belarusian and Slavic ornaments, she started exploring this conventional craft. After spending time working in theatre and puppetry, Bazlova returned to cross-stitching in 2020, utilizing it as a medium to inform the up to date story of Belarus via this conventional nationwide code.

Sofia Tocar, initially from Republic of Moldova, has been residing within the Czech capital Prague for a few years. She moved there to review artwork historical past, which grew to become the idea of her skilled profession. Her curiosity in embroidery and its function in up to date artwork led her to put in writing a thesis on the topic, throughout which she found Rufina Bazlova’s work. This discovery marked the start of their collaboration. Over time, Tocar has organised artwork residencies and curated exhibitions, lots of which have targeted on Japanese Europe and explored themes corresponding to socially engaged artwork, artivism, and craftivism – all of that are mirrored within the #FramedinBelarus undertaking.
The story behind the collaboration of Rufina Bazlova and Sofia Tocar / Stitchit & Collective

Rufina: From the start I targeted on creating the ‘Vyzhyvanka’ sequence – artwork that documented the protests in Belarus. I made these artworks and shared them on-line, the place they rapidly grew to become fashionable. Individuals began asking if they may embroider these designs on their very own garments or belongings, wanting to attach with the work and get entangled.

In 2021, because the mass protests slowed down, the main target shifted to political prisoners, an vital situation that wanted consideration. Out of this got here the concept for the #FramedinBelarus undertaking to boost consciousness about political prisoners. It felt overwhelming at first, there have been lots of of prisoners, however I realised that getting others concerned may make an enormous distinction. That’s after I requested Sofia to hitch. Later, a number of different individuals joined in various levels to assist handle the undertaking.

All through the undertaking we held 19 exhibitions and obtained over 600 embroideries from members. Typically, the present variety of members is over 700 individuals from 41 nations. We now have additionally held 40 workshops in collaboration with cultural or human rights establishments, bringing collectively completely different individuals and creating house for dialogue or simply being collectively.

Sofia: I had all the time been fascinated by Rufina’s embroidery work, particularly since I had written my thesis on embroidery in up to date artwork.

What attracted me to this undertaking was the way it engaged individuals in a hands-on approach, past simply studying or reposting on-line. In right this moment’s fast-paced world, we are inclined to cease caring or studying after we get overwhelmed. However when individuals contribute bodily, like via embroidery, it creates a deeper connection. It’s about constructing an invisible community of people that actually care. After we began, we weren’t certain if a large-scale embroidery undertaking would work due to the effort and time concerned. However the undertaking has introduced collectively individuals from Belarus who perceive the significance, and others from locations like america or Japan who could have been removed from these occasions however have now turn into a part of the story. It’s an awesome instance of how artwork can carry completely different views collectively.

EU assist via the EU4Culture undertaking

Rufina: We obtained the EU4Culture grant in July 2023, which lined half a yr of our work. This assist helped us to develop new abilities, particularly in creating ourweb site and the construction of the undertaking. We targeted on connecting the completely different parts of the undertaking and ensuring that all the things labored collectively easily.

Sofia: What made this assist notably efficient was that it allowed us to concentrate on all components of the undertaking. The undertaking is kind of multilayered – workshops, managing duties or just following the undertaking. With restricted assets, we normally should concentrate on only one or two areas, corresponding to constructing a web site or selling our work. This assist gave us the time and house to develop all elements of the undertaking and be sure that all the things got here collectively.

Rufina: The assist from EU4Culture allowed us to concentrate on the undertaking and hold all the things organised and shifting ahead. For us, this type of assist is crucial as a result of it ensures that we will proceed our work with out having to cease or delay attributable to restricted assets.

Embroidery as a non-traditional instrument for political protest

Sofia: Embroidery is commonly seen as one thing conventional, related to the actions we realized from our grandmothers, female and never taken severely within the artwork world or political discussions. However with initiatives like ours – and others that concentrate on textiles and needlework – we’re displaying that it is a instrument for political change and a approach via which you’ll speak about injustice. A lot of these initiatives could not carry change on their very own, however along with different devices, we will make a change. It is a approach how we will talk with individuals, present our imaginative and prescient and step-by-step change one thing, as a result of it’s all the time a really lengthy course of.

Rufina: I’d add that there’s a meditative facet to embroidery. In right this moment’s world, the place individuals typically really feel overwhelmed by the information and occasions taking place round them, this method may also help them keep grounded and targeted.

The facility of artwork to rework society: Ars longa, vita brevis (Artwork is lengthy, life is brief)

Rufina: I consider that artwork can remodel society. In any other case, I wouldn’t be doing this work. Even after I really feel exhausted or overwhelmed, the thought that there are individuals on the market who’re impressed by what we’re doing retains me going.

Sofia: I believe that this Latin aphorism (‘Artwork is lengthy, life is brief’) is true for our undertaking as a result of we have now already created an enormous archive of over 600 embroideries. It’s an open query as a result of what is going to we do with that? Additionally, the query is when ought to we cease? We’re reflecting the political occasions, that are fairly unpredictable.

For now, we’re constructing this archive and questioning the place it would ultimately be displayed. The query is, can we have already got sufficient materials for a museum and the place to open it? It’s presently saved in Rufina’s studio, however it seems prefer it’s staying.

Writer: Elina Valaite / EU4Culture

Images from the embroidery workshop and the opening of the exhibition ‘Intervowen Areas’ inside the undertaking #FramedinBelarus by Rufina Bazlova / Stitchit Collective on the Mission of Democratic Belarus. These occasions had been a part of the Belarus Days, which befell in Brussels in December 2024.
© Cédric thenney Pictures / EU4Culture.

The Belarus Days had been held in Brussels on 9-13 December 2024. The sequence of occasions had been organised by the European Exterior Motion Service, the European Fee and the European Parliament, demonstrated the EU’s solidarity and continued assist for Belarusian civil society and impartial tradition.

The EU-funded EU4Culture undertaking supported Belarusian residents and civil society, fostering resilience and social improvement throughout turbulent occasions, via grant schemes for mobility and cultural and cross-innovation initiatives.

From 2021 to 2024 the EU4Culture undertaking was carried out by the Goethe-Institut Georgien (lead), Institut Français Georgie, the Danish Cultural Institute, and the Czech Centre.

The submit Tales advised via embroidery: Belarusian nationwide code appeared first on EU NEIGHBOURS east.

#Tales #advised #embroidery #Belarusian #nationwide #code