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Newsletter Sept. 2012



Editorial

One voice not to be overheard in these days is 'uncertainty'!  Uncertainty not only about the outcome, but about the future. This  uncertainty is linked as well to the past especially when people forget their childhood dreams of the fact that back then they were eager to explore the world. For they had then still further going dreams. Brendan Kennelly would call it a betrayal of the self if those dreams are forgotten. But how to  realize a true love, when no true story about life is being told? However, there is still left the possibility of wonder about how that poem can climb up that tree to see so far? It is only when we stop to dream then uncertainty has a single say about  the outcome. Not certainty of the senses, not the feeling of trust, and certainly not the feeling to be connected with people in a true way shall guide us then, but something  negative, something ready to take us hostage with mistrust, in order to leave us be without imagination. How amazing is, therefore, a child which runs past us to follow a piece of wood it has  thrown into the river. In an intuitive guess as to what floats, what not, this child can continue that wonder down stream. And there is the poem by Katerina Anghelaki Rooke about 'Destiny still flows' or the poems by Najet Adouani who seeks to strengthen her wings. All these thoughts are dreams ready to let us sense what is afloat in the common air we all breathe. How lucky to be alive!
HF




Eine Stimme die in diesen Tagen vor allem hörbar ist, lautet "Ungewissheit!" Ungewissheit nicht nur betreffend dem Ergebnis, sondern auch was die Zukunft betrifft. Diese Ungewissheit bezieht sich ebenso auf die Vergangenheit, insbesondere auf das was die Menschen vergessen haben und zwar ihre Kindheitsträume. Als sie heranwuchsen, träumten sie davon die Welt zu entdecken. Aber wie eine echte Liebe finden wenn keine wahren Geschichten übers Leben erzählt werden? Erst wenn wir nicht mehr träumen, dann hat die Ungewissheit das alleinige Sagen betreffs dem Ergebnis: nicht Gewissheit, kein Gefühl des Vertrauens, und bestimmt nicht das Empfinden einer wahren Verbundenheit mit den Menschen, sondern etwas negatives das unser Vertrauen ertränkt und wir ohne Phantasie verbleiben. Erstaunlich bleibt aber das Kind welches an uns verbei rennt, um dem Stück Holz das es in den Fluß geworfen hat, zu folgen. Da gibt es das Gedicht von Katerina Anghelaki Rooke zum 'Schicksal das noch immer fliesst' oder die Gedichte von Najet Adouani die es versucht ihre Flügel zu stärken. Gedanken dahin fliegend auf dem Zauberteppich sind wie Träume gleich den Netzen die wir auswerfen, um das einzuholen was in der Luft die wir alle einatmen, schwebt. Welch ein Glück zu leben! 
HF

 

Latest postings on website of Poiein kai Prattein - Sept. 2012

International
Mike van Graan: After the shooting of the miners - reflections by a playwright
After the killing of 44 miners, Mike van Graan reported that he nearly choked when giving his speech at the playwright forum in Stockholm, Sweden.
India
The criticism of Nationalism by Tagore – a review of Tagore's thoughts on an important issue especially these days when the European crisis strokes once again the xenophobic and extreme Nationalist forces

European Structural Fund - Studies on Funding of Culture
The studies on culture and Structural Funds, including the one on Greece by Hatto Fischer are available online on DG EAC’s website: 
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/news/20120924-reports-structural-funds_en.htm

European Capitals of Culture
Aarhus, ECoC for 2017
Bruge, a decade later – the legacy of 2002
Legacy of Berlin (West) 1988


Poiein kai Prattein
Publication of the catalogue "Imperishable Water", 2012 with Haroula Hadjinicilou, Anna Arvanitaki, Hatto Fischer (ed.) 
Hatto Fischer: The poem 'Destiny still flows' by Katerina Anghelaki Rooke
- this concerns a discussion of the poem which inspired the action on Rhodes last year
 
Poetry
Najet Adouani: The Arabic world viewed from her magic carpet
Gabriel Rosenstock: Haiku and thoughts about 'poetry and language' and 'poetry and social relevance'
Indian Section
Kritya Festival
Gabriel Rosenstock: Travel to India – exerpt from his travelogue
Dileep Jhaveri – poems and interviews as well a philosophical follow up
Rati Saxena: Talking roofs - collection of poems translated from Hindi into English

Art
Jad Salman: "The beasts are hungry" -  Exhibition at Weekend Gallery, Berlin, 7. - 29.Sept. 2012 

Kids' Guernica
Memorial exhibition in Nagasaki, August 2012
Christa Kleinbub: Action at Helene Lange school in Mannheim, Germany The school is now preparing to support an action in Togo, Africa

 

 

'IMPERISHABLE WATER and the open question of development'

 

 

Public presentation of Catalogue 'Imperishable water and open question of development'

at Gavrielides Book Shop 'Poems and Crime'

Monday, Oct. 15Th 2012, 20.00

ΠΑΡΟΥΣΙΑΣΗ ΤΟΥ ΣΥΛΛΟΓΙΚΟΥ ΒΙΒΛΙΟΥ "ΑΦΘΑΡΤΑ ΝΕΡΑ. ΦΥΣΗ, ΤΕΧΝΗ ΚΑΙ ΣΥΛΛΟΓΙΚΗ ΔΡΑΣΗ ΣΤΟΥΣ ΥΓΡΟΤΟΠΟΥΣ ΤΗΣ ΡΟΔΟΥ" (Φιλοξενούμενη εκδήλωση)
Art bar ποιήματα και εγκλήματα, Αγίας Ειρήνης 17, 60 μέτρα από το μετρό, τηλ. 210 3228839

 

Δευτέρα
15
Οκτώβριος 2012

8:00 μμ

Το art bar poems and crimes, Αγίας Ειρήνης 17 (μεταξύ Αθηνάς και Αιόλου), Μοναστηράκι σας προσκαλεί τη Δευτέρα 15 Οκτωβρίου στις 8:00 μ.μ. στην παρουσίαση του βιβλίου "Άφθαρτα νερά. Φύση, τέχνη και συλλογική δράση στους υγροτόπους της Ρόδου". Εκδότης Ποιείν και πράττειν. Για το βιβλίο θα μιλήσουν οι επιμελητές της έκδοσης Άννα Αρβανιτάκη, Hatto Fischer, Χαρούλα Χατζηνικολάου, καθώς και ο Σωκράτης Καμπουρόπουλος, ειδικός σύμβουλος του ΕΚΕΒΙ.
Η παρουσίαση θα κλείσει με ένα παραμύθι-ποίημα για την ακατάλυτη δύναμη του νερού που θα αφηγηθεί η Χριστίνα Φραγκεσκάκη.

http://www.gavrielidesbooks.gr/ekdhloseis.aspx

 

 

 

 

 

"Imperishable water" - cover of the catalogue published by Poiein kai Pratttein in August, 2012.

Last year curator Charoula Hadjinicolaou undertook in the name of Poiein kai Prattein the task of organizing a special action on Rhodes May/June 2011. The aim was to come to terms with 'water / wetland related issues and the open question of development.' The action on Rhodes included five days of excursions and an one day conference on Saturday, June 3, 2011. While Haroula Hadjinicolaou emphasized the artistic approach and Anna Arvanitaki emphasized the planning and land use dimension, Hatto Fischer strived to attain first a 'memorandum of understanding' and then proceeded to reflect the EU Water directive 2000. Together with the other participants something like a biotope of ideas was created.

 


Traveling by magic carpet with poetess Najet Adouani over the Middle East in 2012

 

There was first Tunesia, then came Egypt. It was called the Arabic spring, but then came the military intervention in Libya and now the violent conflict in Syria lasting over more than 18 months. Thus the hopeful sign of the 'blue bird' in the Middle East' being heard in Egypt as sign of political maturation in 2011 has been replaced by what the poetess Najet Adouani writes about the current state of affairs, for "troubles are everywhere now, nobody is happy, clouds are covering the blue, birds can't sing free as before."

What has happened? Why the surge of the Salafists and the tendency towards an extreme version of religious law as if this can promise a better way of governing than what was before the case? For outsiders the Middle East has always been a puzzle, an evasive region with many hidden alleys and enchanting eyes behind veils. When Kapuscinski knew no longer how to judge events in Etiopia, he simply resorted to literature, in order to let intuition and the imagination do the talking. Finding out some truths in the making shall not be simple, but then there is this invitation by Najet Adouani.

"We fly over all the events to see what happens", proposes the poetess Najet Adouani, and she means by that to do so with "a magic carpet so that we can travel into the depth of the history!"

"But what about the inner need for survival?", I asked her. "Is that not linked to upholding the highest code of ethics possible, even when that would mean a denial of love as it would threaten to undermine the code of the inner circle in power? That question relates to an article about King Arthur and his fateful ending. The king of the round table of knights recognized his true love who had been fighting him all his life long only when first he, then she were mortally wounded."

Najet Adouani response was immediate: "Answers are found where the real and the legend come together and make that harmony possible which is reflected in how every person relates to his or her feelings".

And the poetess in her exclaims: "I like this kind of writing where things have more than one meaning, so that reading the story is like a wonderful promenade by the sea side at sunset."

About interpretation of what is going on in the Middle East, she adds a word of caution: "Of course behind each image there is another meaning which takes one into the present or to what is going on now. If we only change names, we can find the same persons acting out a new role, one which is also inspired by that distant one in the past, and this is so because the two paradoxes prevail: love and hate are always here, we can't erase one of them."

She has written many novels about this hate-love drama and reminds which writers have been drawn to the Arab world by taking such a trip on the magic carpet.

Athens 10.8.2012

 

City, Culture and Sustainability - from research to innovative practices

 

Poiein kai Prattein is interested in the interconnectivity between city, culture and sustainability. Research work done so far: 'cities of tomorrow' (Kristina Kresztely), cultural cooperation in border regions (Rafael Mandujano), action research and sustainability (Olegl Koefoed), the example of regime building in Thessaloniki when European Capital of Culture (Anestis D. Mantatzis), the radio and urban spaces (Jan Brüggemeier), planning law in Greece (Anna Arvanitaki) and EU cultural policy, European Capitals of Culture and most recently a study for the European Commission on how culture is promoted in Greece through use of the Structural Fund (Hatto Fischer). For the latter, Anestis Mantatzis did a special study about cultural and creative industries in Greece. Rafael Mandujano is also preparing for Les Rencontres "The European Campus of local and regional authorities for Culture". It is to be held in Paris Nov. 21-24, 2012. Linked to the action on Rhodes, Poiein kai Prattein wishes to transform research into innovative practices so that ideas can forthcome out of unconventional angels.

Anestis D. Mantatzis, Regional and Urban Planning MSc

Rafael Mandujano, Ph.D. about Cultural Cooperation in Border Regions

Kristina Kresztely, Independent Research Consultant in Urban and Cultural Policy

Oleg Koefoed, Action Philosopher

Jan Brüggemeier, Media artist

Anna Arvanitaki President of Poiein kai Prattein, urban planner

Hatto Fischer, Coordinator of Poiein kai Prattein, philosopher, poet


 

Since 2005 Poiein kai Prattein has become involved in Kids' Guernica related activities to promote cultural actions based on a collaborative learning process.

The house depicted as logos can be found in the Kids' Guernica mural called ‘The War is Over’. It was the first contribution of Poiein kai Prattein to Kids’ Guernica when celebrating its 10th Anniversary in Ubud, Bali 2005. There followed exhibitions in Crete and Chios, and October 2007 in Athens. The latter exhibition was linked with the ECCM Symposium 'Productivity of Culture'. The recommendation was made then Kids' Guernica should be linked to every city which becomes European Capital of Culture see Wroclaw 2016 in Poland, and furthermore San Sebastian 2016. The latest action of Kids' Guernica in Europe has been in Tübingen, Germany while actions continue in Japan, Haiti, Israel and Togo in Africa.

Kids' Guernica started in Japan in 1995 in response to Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The idea is very simple: children, youth and even adults can paint together their message of peace on a canvas having the same size as Picasso's Guernica (7,8 x 3,5 m)

More information can be obtained on the webpages of Poiein kai Prattein and at the international website: www.kids-guernica.org

Kids' Guernica actions in 2012

In Japan many actions are devoted to support children in the distressed areas after the 3.March 2011 disaster at Fukushima and other areas hit by the Tsunami wave. There was a beautiful gesture of children affected by the earthquake in Haiti painted half of the canvas and then send it to the children in Japan. There are other actions which took place in Europe as sign of solidarity, mainly organized by Alexandra Zanne in France.

There is a special memorial exhibition in Nagasaki from August 5th - 10th organized by Prof. Abe

Action in Mexico

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHDMMv_CwSg

Action at Oscar Helen School in Mannheim, Germany

 

Students of Oskar Helene School

After the mural was completed and exhibited, the school started to collect money in support of a further Kids' Guernica action in Togo, Africa. The contact to the village school has been made by Christa Kleinbub, teacher at the school and initiator of the action at her school.

 

Children at Kakadu school in Togo           Photo by Christa Kleinbub


 

Platform for Intercultural Europe

Poiein kai Prattein is a member of the Platform for Intercultural Europe.

The Platform for Intercultural Europe held its meeting in June 2012, and discussed among other issues, the possibility of museums to contribute to the integration of migrants or people with another cultural background then the socalled official one. In this case something special was added as the museum discussed was located in a new town where weaker links to cultural heritage roots prevail. 
As the Platform has to deal with its own internal problems and future perspective, it is not altogether clear how active participation of its members can be secured over and beyond the coming together once a year in Brussels.
The next practical exchange of experience shall take place in Belfast.
In the meantime, the situation for migrants in Greece has deteriorated even more after 6000 were rounded up over one weekend in July 12 - 15, and of which around 1 400 are said to be deported as they were found not to have any legal documents. While the Minister of Interior wants to justify all of this as if Greece cannot cope in the economic crisis, even the Conservative newspaper Kathimerini reminds how many of them were fetched into the country as cheap labour in order to make possible the construction of the Olympic venues, or else they help to populate villages otherwise deserted especially in the winter times. Once the wind of economic fortunes turns, who can count on a thankfulness? The drive towards a harsh reality is only complete when people experience themselves the need to immigrate. Apparently that is forgotten in Greece even while many have left already in anticipation that things will get still worse compared to what the economic recession sind 2008-9 has brought with it. If there is no future perspective, there is also the ever acute problem of xenophobic forces seeking solutions by being only for one kind of citizen, namely the nationally defined and in need of state protection to ward off a further decline in living standard and feeling of being respected or not in the world. But as Horkheimer and Adorno stated already in 1944, even when Facism has been defeated, there are still the xenophobic forces which will have to be dealt with. The operation for the round up was called 'Zeus Xenos' and Kathimerini asked who was so perverse to think up such a code name! 
More information about the Platform itself can be obtained by visiting its website at http://www.intercultural-europe.org

2012

12 - 14.1.2012 Preparatory meeting of European Youth project 'Identity and Nation' coordinated by the Kreisau Initiative to be held in Berlin with 2 workshops to follow: 1st seminar in Krzyzowa, Poland 23-29.2.2012 and 2nd seminar in Padua, Italy (11 - 17.6.2012)

February 22 - 25  College Art Association, with the support of Getty Foundation, shall host international art historians at the CAA Centennial Conference in Los Angeles, Los Angeles Convention Center.

March 15 Delegation of World Poetry Movement visiting President Michael D. Higgins in Dublin, Ireland

March 21 Day of poetry organized by World Poetry Movement in Paris

LE MOUVEMENT POÉTIQUE MONDIAL

vous invite à une lecture en collaboration avec

La Biennale des Poètes en Val de Marne

et L’Oreille du Loup

Le mercredi 21 mars 2012 à 19H

Au MOTif

6, villa Marcel‐Lods, Passage de l’Atlas, 75019 Paris

Métro Belleville (lignes 2 et 11) / Bus ligne 26

 

Action in Athens: it's happening here, too:

http://www.ianos.gr/index.asp?park=ps_text&cat=170&cns=3&key=2592
http://www.21martiou.blogspot.com/

 

March 20 - 24 in Gdansk EUROPEAN POETRY OF FREEDOM

March 24 - 27 World Poetry Movement delegation in Brussels - includes meeting with Commissioner Vassiliou on March 27th and poetry readings in Antwerp and at Passa Porta in Brussels on March 27th, 20.00

April 16 - 17 Conference in Paris - Marne-la-Vallee about "Building the urban future and Transit Orientated Development / rail and other modes, connecting with urban and regional development": http://www.aesop-planning.eu/news/en_GB/2011/09/14/readabout/call-for-abstract-building-the-urban-future-and-transit-oriented-development-rail-and-other-modes-connecting-with-urban-and-regional-development

April 19 - 21 Conference on 'History, Memory, Performance' organized by the Department of Theatre, University of Ottawa and the Carleton Centre for Public History, Carleton University.

http://historymemoryperformanceottawa.wordpress.com/conference-schedule/

May 11 - 13 Second preparatory meeting of the EU Youth Project 'Nation and Identity' in Berlin

May 12  Freie Universität von Berlin: Ehrung der Doktoren

May 19th Cross-Border Movement of Cultural Goods - Conference at Acropolis Museum, start 10.30

June 5 / 6 Meeting of the Platform for Intercultural Europe in Brussels: "Participation and Citizenship: Can European Institutions lead the way? Should they?"

June 11 - 17  EU Youth Project 'Nation and Identity' meeting in Padua, Italy

June 17/18 European Capitals of culture: what past, what future? Conference in Avignon organized by Les Rencontres together with University Network of European Capitals of Culture
the site: http://www.lesrencontres.eu/

June 23 - 29 International Poetry Festival in Medellin, Colombia: Fernando Rendon, director, in conjunction with World Poetry Movement

August 5th - "Imperishable Water and the open question of development" - presentation by Poiein kai Prattein of the catalogue in Rhodes. Afterwards trail blazing action in Natura 2000 area

August 5 - 10 Kids' Guernica memorial exhibition in Nagasaki, Japan: Prof. Abe

7 Sept. Jad Salman's exhibition in Weekend Gallery, Berlin

21 Sept. UNESCO shall observe World Peace Day in New York

2-3 October 16th INTERNATIONAL CEMAT SYMPOSIUM and 12th Council of Europe Meeting of the Workshops for the implementation of the European Landscape Convention: “Vision for the future of Europe on territorial democracy: Landscape as a new strategy for spatial planning” in Thessalonica, Greece.

October 15 Conference about the future of European Capitals of Culture in Brussels

October 16 - 17 The European Commission organises in Brussels an audience development conference, entitled "European audiences: 2020 and beyond"

October 18 - 21 6.ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival at Babylon in Berlin www.literaturwerkstatt.org

October 30 - In honor of Pablo Neruda

www.wpm2011.org 

The World Poetry Movement asks organization you to joins in organizing the world tribute to poet Pablo Neruda, one of the greatest bards of the twentieth century. This tribute will take place next October 30th and will consist of poetry readings, lectures, film screenings, talks and other activities around the poetry of this top figure of the poetry world.

Nov. 21 - 24 Rafael Mandujano from Les Rencontres organizes "The European Campus of local and regional authorities for Culture"

 

Hatto Fischer

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