m of care – nov 7 23
about censorship of Russian-speaking authors with author, theorist and curator Pavel Arsenyev, artist Nika Dubrovskaya, curator Kirill Adibekov and theorist Boris Kliushnikov.
PAVEL ARSENYEV PRESENTS THE LATEST ISSUES OF [TRANSLIT] [https://museum.care/events/pavel-arsenyev-presents-the-latest-issues-of-translit/]:
Founded in 2005, [Translit] is an independent small press publishing and a literary and theoretical journal presenting a community of artists, poets, philosophers and humanities scholars.
While the editorial team was working on them, they became divided – one group remained in Russia, and the other established itself in what they called the “E-position”, signifying Europe, Emigration, or Exile.After more than a year of Russian aggression against Ukraine and the rise of fascism within Russia itself, Russian-speaking authors face diverse challenges depending on their geoposition of speech. Some of those who stay must negotiate with censorship and carefully phrase their words, while others encounter entirely different obstacles abroad. One of these challenges involves a persistent suspicion (of oneself) of cultural expansionism.
In Russia, discussing and opposing the war is a difficult task, whereas in Europe, speaking out against the war is easier, but using the Russian language presents its own difficulties. Ironically, due to this unique historical situation, we all find ourselves lacking words, as expressed by the phrase “bol’she net slov” on the cover of the most recent issue of [Translit], published in Russian in St. Petersburg. The inaugural issue, released in Marseille, continues the foreign-language numbering of [Translit]. Its slogan is “sens en (é)migration,” and it delves into the idea that the meaning of each statement in today’s context is split into two parts, with the meaning itself becoming migratory.
Pavel Arsenyev
Kirill Adibekov
Nika Dubrovskaya
Boris Kliushnikovnotes/quotes:
pavel:
kirill: liberating because nothing like this before
pavel: on russian youth being liberated..
pavel: no trying to impose knowledge.. trying to org exchange.. so institution w/o institution
kirill: institution was both formal and informal..i enjoyed this flexibility
pavel: on academic migrations
pavel: lot of decisions made because of tech reasons.. (on leaving stuff out et al).. so started to delegate dm
pavel: there was no center.. so not so sensitive to borders of our communities..
kirill: on his books being man made at home.. so so exciting for me.. so started to collab.. and more people joined.. became widespread.. allowed us to travel and present.. then 3 films.. then 10 books a yr.. which was a lot.. volunteers cutting books in shifts..
pavel: a lot of nice books able to publish in this informal way.. but could be dangerous again.. wanted to underline moment books made by hand.. and maybe.. time to change how written.. instruments of writing participate in our way of thinking.. let’s see not just what words mean.. but what they look like
pavel: openly anti war issue.. printed last summer.. and still dangerous for them.. transferred all earnings to unkarainian artists.. by highlighting their voices.. that was our clear editorial politics.. then tried to support no tjust by words but by deeds.. risky for subscribers.. so couldn’t risk their freedom.. so continued on level of words and cultural infra
kirill: speak on war and link today from translit and m of care
pavel: year after risky issue.. published #3 translit.. transformed distribution of census.. words became emigrant.. now every word could be understood differently.. ie: say it in russian.. risky.. but in english/french/german.. not so.. so people started to be deprived of words.. title.. no more words..
nika: fascinating for me that it’s all about physical objects.. participate as a physical labor.. m of care started.. during pandemic.. talking about offices being empty.. so w/david.. so how could spaces become care spaces.. so came up w this description.. museum of care.. then saw this magazine.. and thought about that.. so .. maybe we do some publishing house
pavel: physical participation is nice.. but public house outdated.. ie: hybrid situation now.. on/offline and recorded
nika: many forms available.. yesterday talking to guy who started kickstarter.. wants to publish david’s collectively .. so maybe do some projects around that
pavel: but since hybrid.. let’s make it more open to those here..
pavel: (?) insisting need to think by collective.. noticed this in myself.. ie: you should write this.. you should write this.. not a problem of production but our heritage
girl: when started project.. didn’t even remember who started it.. didn’t really matter
kirill: yeah.. all started w a spark of just meeting..
pavel: real habitus of collective writing.. maybe some consciously hiding their names
kirill: unpaid work was important
pavel: if interested and saw it as their own.. if some symbolic income and participate in magazine.. but if demanded to translate, proof read.. this kind of participation.. should be paid.. it was much more important to be published in this mag than to receive some small fee
nika: for david collectivity and dialogue was crucial..
pavel: this collectivity.. collection of author.. was already tested.. it sparked.. emerged accidentally.. just because had no money for publishing or for paying fee.. and we were trying to economize w publications.. wasn’t so much imagined as intro’d from some practice.. so habitus of cultural work.. rather than some plan/idea we tried to realize.. now because of this physical dissolution.. we need to reimagine how we exist .. not just on level of slogan.. this habitus very much changed by migration and war.. we need to imagine new groupings.. needs to be recombined a new
kirill: important that it all happens partly .. because of lack of infra/funding.. so only independent initiatives like this could emerge..
pavel: something could emerge because it wasn’t a pre existent framework.. if not intending to earn money.. spare time/space.. this condition not existent any more
pavel: how it exists now.. immigrant still in moscow .. some underground condition.. reading leftist poetry.. new interest.. announce where/when but never record.. this is risky.. still exist.. risking every time..
pavel: (reading) date, readings of unconventional poetry.. resisting .. authors working w emancipation objects.. so i don’t know how it’s possible.. so maybe we change roles now.. and after 15 yrs exile.. ie: making things by own hands in country that is f-ed up.. not easy to exist.. ie: in bunker space, shelter.. title of one of the places ‘only ourselves’.. i wouldn’t prize immigration as form of space.. but war started it all on its own.. didn’t need any more artists.. war itself changed function of objects.. and we should transcribe
nika: so hopefully we will figure out some collab
kirill: right now
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be you. 