COURAGE

connecting collections

In 2015, the "Commission for Disclosure of Documents and Announcing Affiliation of Bulgarian Citizens with the State Security and the Intelligence Services of the Bulgarian National Armed Forces" (Bulgarian acronym: CRDOPBGDSRSBNA), commonly known as "Commission for Dossiers" published collected archival documents about the relationship between the State Security and the Bulgarian intelligentsia, with an introductory chapter. The printed volume includes 72, the e-version 144 archival documents: reports by agents, action plans, various information by intelligence agents and other documents, arranged chronologically. The book appeared as volume N 31 in the series "From the Archives of the DS [State Security]".

In 2015, the Video Archive of the Academic Research Center of the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague published a DVD “Czech Performance Art: Film and Video, 1956–1989” edited by Pavlína Morganová, Terezie Nekvindová and Sláva Sobotovičová. This DVD gathers together rare visual recordings of interventions, performance pieces and happenings from the period before 1989 in Czechoslovakia. In the 1970s and 1980s, Czech performance art became a part of the unofficial art scene. DVD includes works by Vladimír Ambroz, Vladimír Boudník, Eugen Brikcius, Josef Daněk – Blahoslav Rozbořil, Milan Grygar, Vladimír Havlík, Lumír Hladík, Milan Knížák, Křižovnická škola čistého humoru bez vtipu, Rudolf Němec, Tomáš Ruller, Zorka Ságlová, Jiří Sozanský, Miloš Šejn, and Robert Wittmann.

Nisma e Historisë Gojore  të Kosovës ka lindur në verën e vitit 2012 nga një bashkëpunim në mes Rrjetit të Grave të Kosovës (Prishtinë) dhe “The New School for Public Engagement (NY), kur disa gra hulumtuese dhe aktiviste nga Prishtina dhe Nju Jork u bashkuan dhe diskutuan se si të realizojnë një ëndërr që kishin ndarë për një kohë të gjatë: për të shpëtuar nga harresa zërat e njerëzve – liderët  dhe njerëzit e zakonshëm - se historitë zyrtare të ndryshueshme të Kosovës kishin dënuar amneziën.

Aktivistët dëshironin  të shkonin përtej narracioneve  të viktimizimit dhe të menduarit në grup. Ata ishin të interesuar të rimarrin të gjithë përvojën jetësore të individëve. Falë fondeve nga “The New School, disa donatorë privatë, përkrahjen  e Rrjetit të Grave të Kosovës, por kryesisht punën e vullnetarëve, ata  filluan të filmojnë intervista. Natyrisht, blloku i parë i intervistave u realizua  me gratë shqiptare, pjesëmarje  e të cilave në kohë lufte dhe paqeje shpeshherë është anashkaluar, nëse jo e harruar. Intervistat janë  të mbledhura, filmuara dhe të transkriptuara në shqip, anglisht dhe serbisht dhe të prezentuara  në faqen e internetit. Në vitin 2015, Iniciativa Gojore e Historisë  u bë një organizatë e pavarur dhe filloi të zhvillonte tema më të gjera kërkimore. Që atëherë, Iniciativa mbulon edhe hulumtime për Luftën e Dytë Botërore në Kosovë, Kampanjën e Pajtimit të Hasmërive Familjare dhe  për Artistët dhe Shkrimtarët e Kosovës.

The exhibition BACK: Božidar Mandić and The Family of Clear Streams (1969 – 2015) was comprised of two parts.

The first was dedicated to the life and work of Božidar Mandić in Novi Sad in the late 1960s and during the 1970s. Bottle with milk (Flaša s mlekom), an artistic action originally performed in 1969 was reconstructed. There was a screening of the movie Maniac 7001 (Manijak 7001) shot on 8mm film by the brothers Miroslav Mandić and Božidar Mandić and of Gregor Zupanac’s documentary Lestvica about Božidar Mandić. Božidar Mandić's first solo exhibition on display in the Youth Tribune venue entitled One evening called evening (Jedno veče zvano veče) was also presented. A review published in Index magazine made its reconstruction possible. Extensive photo documentation was also a part of the exhibition. 

The second part of the exhibition is a presentation of Božidar's life and work in the Family of Clear Streams commune. Exhibited items are made of natural materials: wood, straw, dung and stone. By using these materials, the artist is, in the words of the curator and author of the exhibition, “trying to evoke the energy of nature, and of pagan and mystic elements within the gallery”. Some of them are Stones without inscriptions, potatoes without pesticide (Kamenje bez citata, krompiri bez pesticida; 2013), Volition (Htenje; 2010), Identity (Identitet; 1997), Sculpture of the wind (Skulptura vetral; 1980), Iron and dung (Gvožđe i balega; 1987), and Trace (Trag; 1979). They are permanently exhibited in the commune. Fourteen issues of the Breza family magazine, which was published until 1981, were also exhibited. All issues are one of a kind and they can only be read at the Family of Clear Streams commune.

The Museum of Contemporary Art of Vojvodina purchased the movies Maniac 7001 and Horses (Konji) made by the urban commune in Novi Sad, but they are still not on permanent display due to a lack of exhibition space. Some of the material, available in DVD format, was provided by The Public Broadcasting Service of Vojvodina, as because Božidar has only the VHS.