Art as a field of social reflection

A discussion on the topics of empowerment and representation of vulnerable groups through artistic experience at the opening of the All that I am photography exhibition, which was part of the Multivizija project.

Thursday, 30 May 2019

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An hour before the opening of the exhibition of the series of photographs taken in the course of the Multivizija project, we held a discussion of the empowerment and representation of vulnerable groups through artistic experience. The discussion was moderated by Manca Juvan, an independent photographer and supervisor of the Multivizija photography workshops. In the introduction, she stated that art was a field of social reflection and a mirror through which we confront ourselves or the injustices we experience. Photography workshop participants and authors of photographs taking part in the discussion were Jelena Radusinović, an immigrant from Montenegro and Miranda and Aljoša Škaper, a couple, who presented the workings of ` partnership with a disabled person in a wheelchair, Nino Bektashashvili, a Gerogian photographer who participated as supervisory assistant, and professor Dr Robi Kroflič from the Facutly of Ats at the University of Ljubljana, who explained the theoretical basis of taking part in artistic practices.

First, the participants presented their views on creativity; Aljoša and Miranda explained that their photography series aimed to present the everyday realities of their relationship. After his accident, Aljoša was relegated to a wheelchair and so they had to contemplate the continuation of their relationship together. They are bothered by curious individuals who pry into their relationship inquiring into the details of their life together, particularly in relation to sexuality but also due to the attitude towards the person in a wheelchair with the assumption that the walking person takes on the role of personal assistant. Their photography series revealed a small part of their lives demonstrating that they are very similar to other couples, but at the same time that their relationship is marked by certain particularities just like other partnerships.

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Years ago, Jelena Radusinović moved to Slovenia from Montenegro. She did not get the sense that the environment discriminated against her; perhaps she felt the cultural differences most strongly on an emotional level, perceiving Slovenian people as much more withheld. In the course of creating the series, Jelena confronted herself, intending to convey her emotional responses to the audience with the aid of photography.

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Nino Bektashashvili came from Gerogia and has been living in Slovenia for as many as ten years. She also had next to no negative experiences with the environment save for perhaps a few stemming from her own reserved nature. As individuals, we enter new social contexts in our own specific ways. At first they feel foreign, but in time we get accustomed and accept everything as part of our everyday reality. Both Jelena and Nino stated that the experience of migration and passage from one culture into another puts one “somewhere in the middle, inbetween”; you don’t integrate entirely into the new environment, but at the same time you are no longer a part of the society which you hail from.

In principal, the participants viewed their participation in the photography workshops in two ways; For Aljoša ad Miranda it was a way to present their life to others; Jelena saw artistic creation primarily as delving into herself. Nino participated in the workshops in the capacity of supervisory assistant to three disabled persons. This experience changed her, not only because she mastered new working methods, but also because it altered her perception of disabled persons.

Dr. Robi Kroflič presented the transformative power of art and its meaning in upbringing. Through art, a different field of reflection is established. In psychoanalysis we are faced with the most painful aspects of our lives from which we distance ourselves in our daily lives; this results in suppression. Psychoanalysts attempt to rouse these aspects and bring them to a resolution. Somehow, artists do this on their own; alongside the artistic process runs a therapeutic process, which plays a cathartic role. The power of the series on display is the ability to impart, through presenting of a part of their reality, the view and experience of the person who captured the activity through the lens of the camera.

Dr. Kroflič further wonders how this type of artistic expression can influence the field of political dimension. He believes that this is made possible specifically by entering the public domain, where an individual can carve out a better position than they held at the outset. Kroflič does not believe that art will change the world; citing Jacques Rancier, he explains that every political change first requires a change in perspective, which causes a transformation  of sensory perceptions. If we perceive the world through customary optics, then we are blind to those points, which require changing. An altered viewpoint opens up new horizons, their unveiling enabled by artistic expression. 

Artistic creativity allows entry into the public sphere. Customarily the vulnerable groups are depicted from someone else’s point of view; however, the photographs of the All that I am exhibition capture the views of the vulnerable groups themselves and thereby brings about their direct entry into the public sphere. This is a lesson for those of us lacking such a perspective, lacking direct knowledge of this situation, who only have an inkling. Those who have a chance to enter their perspective in the public sphere, gain the possibility to affirm their way of reading or their aspect. In this way, they become significant to the public, because they impact its perception. The exhibition therefore not only shows how people face obstacles, but offers more: an entry into the public sphere. Therefore, we can talk about the concept of subjectification, which differs from empowerment; the concept of empowerment implies that we are helping someone gain power, while the concept of subjectification does not imply this aspect of assistance – it stands for entering the public sphere from the margins on one’s own.

What role does the story play? According to Dr Kroflič the story has the power to address us and rouse us to identify with it. The school system teaches us that accumulating data and measurements helps us gain better understanding of individual phenomena or situations. Data relates what the occurrence is like but its sense and meaning can only be accessed through story. A story has temporal structure: from the perspective of the present we see, which events shaped the situation at hand. However, we observe this with our minds set on future goals. The story structure and narration help us make sense of an event, an occurrence – particularly in relation to what these mean for the future. Long ago, Aristotle said that we learn more about history from Greek tragedies than even the most precise historic description. In order to make sense of occurrences, we therefore make use of languages; these have narrative structure, which holds true for all art.

Multivizija uses a specific story form. The photographs are accompanied by authors’ descriptions and an introductory message explaining what the photographs were intended to communicate and present to the public. We are therefore aware of context, not only as to the identity of those communicating, but also what it was they intended to say, about the ideas and vision behind their creation. We therefore possess a holistic hermeneutic insight into the entire procedure: alongside the scenes from individual lives we also learn a lot about persons presenting them.

In conclusion, the discussion also broached the question as to whether art can save the world. Aljoša Škaper believes this is possible; if their series changes a single person’s perspective that counts for a lot. Jelena Radusinović is of the opinion that one must first change themselves in order to change the world. Dr Robi Kroflič does not share the romantic view of the artist, who will instigate a political or cultural revolution. Nevertheless, he thinks that the exhibition in question will change our perception of the people with fates such as those depicted by the photographs. This is a first step towards change. Manca Juvan’s closing thought was that an artwork will not cause a revolution, but that it is up to the audience to gaze upon the artworks actively and read them in the same way.

The discussion was followed by the opening of the exhibition titled ‘All that I am’ featuring eleven photography series by twelve participants in photography training sessions in the course of the Multivizija project: Camillo Acosta Mendoza, Aber Al Gendy, Tina Cerk, Naiem Ibrahim, Kevin Koman Modic, Katrin Modic, Jelena Radusinović, Aljoša and Miranda Škaper, Romana Šteblaj, Naira Tahirović, Urša Tonejec.

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The accompanying programme included a lively musical act by Ali R. Taha and Yuri Baron playing songs from Syria, Slovenia and elsewhere; Najem Ibrahim’s reading of an essay about his life, Aber Al Ghendy reading of her poem titled Adrenalin, and a short video featuring Aljoša Škaper realting his attitude towards disability. The programme was moderated by Romana Zajec, APIS Institute’s artistic and programme director. The exhibition was opened by photographer and supervisor Luka Dakskobler.

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All the photography series are available to view at the Multivizija's Internet site.