The international symposium Decoding the Habitual will take place in Kai Art Center’s auditorium on Friday, October 15th and Saturday, October 16th, 2021 from 3pm to 6pm as part of the programme of 6th Tallinn Photomonth Biennial of Contemporary Art. The symposium is a part of the main exhibition Intensive Places (Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia, EKKM).
Curated by The Creative Association of Curators TOK / Anna Bitkina and Maria Veits
Speakers: Jasmina Cibic, Tanja Engelberts, Aziza Kadyri, Gareth Kennedy, Ingel Vaikla, Daniel McCarthy Clifford
The symposium of the 6th Tallinn Photomonth expands the conceptual framework of the main biennial exhibition “Intensive Places”. It builds up a set of propositions to stimulate our political imagination in order to divert the reproduction of current societal modes of living towards enhanced self-governance and more caring and empathic coexistence. Such a transformation firstly requires the analysis of biotechnological, economic and social strategies of governmental and corporate control so deeply and seamlessly embedded in our everyday reality that they become internalized and invisible without deliberate investigation. The symposium will concentrate on strategies and tactics of decoding and disclosing the policing mechanisms incorporated into the social system, including education, architecture, design and urban planning, digital etiquette and communication, environmental policies and more. Drawing from the concept of intensive places and analysing various spaces that represent the ‘society of control’ the Symposium speakers will look more closely into how our minds and bodies are governed by invisible suppressive structures for developing analytical spatial, digital and infrastructural literacy and awareness to work towards a more sustainable, happier and meaningful future.
Schedule:
Friday, October 15: “Statecraft Technologies”
15.00–15.10 Welcome words by the directors of the 6th Tallinn Photomonth Kulla Laas and Merilin Talumaa and representatives of Kai
15.10–15.20 Introduction words by TOK about the theme of the symposium, its connection to the exhibition “Intensive Places”, about speakers, overall schedule and the format of the 2-day event
15.20–16.00 Jasmina Cibic, “Let Concrete Thoughts Freely Pour”
16.00–16.40 Ingel Vaikla, “On Second Hand Memories” (presentation includes a video screening of Ingel’s work “Double Exposure”, 13 min)
16.40–17.00 Break
17.00–17.40 Daniel McCarthy Clifford
17.40–18.00 Q&A and wrap-up of the session
Saturday, October 16: “Spatial and Bodily Literacy and Practices of Freedom”
15.00–15.10 Introduction words by TOK about the speakers and schedule of the 2nd day of the symposium
15.10–15.50 Gareth Kennedy, “FIELD work: Evolving Naturecultures in Inner city Dublin”
15.50–16.30 Tanja Engelberts, “Exploring the ‘Hollow’: Hidden Structures of Artificial Natural and Industrial Landscape”
16.30–16.50 Break
16.50–17.30 Aziza Kadyri, Body-Gap-Garment-Gap-Room
17.30–18.00 Open discussion, Q&A
Participation in the symposium is free of charge and includes a visit to the exhibition of Gabriele Beveridge & Marge Monko Great Pretender also included in the Satellite Programme of Tallinn Photomonth. The symposium will take place in English.
For joining the conversation with the speakers via Zoom please register in advance:
FOR DAY 1, Oct 15
FOR DAY 2, Oct 16
More information: fotokuu.ee, tok-spb.org
We kindly ask all symposium participants at Kai Art Center to present a COVID-19 certificate (proof of vaccination, of having recovered from COVID-19 in the past 180 days, or proof of a recent negative test) and your ID. There is no rapid testing on-site. The certificate can be presented on your smart phone or as a print-out.