Cooltzine vol.2 "Shared Space": London, Paris, Sofia

About

The event follows the 2018 version, when Cooltsalon established an ideas exchange model, that truly reflects the idea of ‘glocal’: a one-day simultaneous exhibition, where several cities showcased the same works to different audiences. The works came from submissions to a collaboratively created zine (“Cooltzine”); each participating city (hosting venue) then received the same exhibition assets for presentation and same zines for distribution, while contributors, hosts and attendees had the opportunity to tune into a live video stream, sneaking a peek into each other’s venues - Leyden Gallery (London), Cush.Bar (Sofia), Kvaka 22 (Belgrade) and be’kech (Berlin). The specific brief for Cooltzine vol.1 was “Neglected spaces in YOUR city where you find inspiration”, attracting responses from different parts of the world, revealing stories and individual experiences through the means of photography, illustration and collage. The first Cooltzine edition was made by 40 contributors, from early to mid-career artists, as well as self-taught multidisciplinary practitioners and amateur photographers. Full list of Cooltzine #1 contributors profiles can be found here. 

Cooltsalon decided to set up this exchange as an annual event, in the effort to shine light on socially active and culturally engaged establishments around the world, and as a reflection of the curators’ dedication to building connections between people and places. In times of political uncertainty across Europe and the UK, from unknown Brexit status to redefined borders, the 2019 edition explores “Shared Space”, as understood by creative practitioners around the world. Each page of the associated publication is a visual interpretation of the topic, while several works will be also on display on site, on the day of the simultaneous event. Full list of Cooltzine #2 contributors profiles can be found here.

Local audiences will be able to pick up copies of “Cooltzine #2” on the day, available only at that specific time, from that specific venue.

Collectively, there will be a virtual livestream event for every city to join. This year supported by Cisco technologies, contributors, hosts and attendees will be able to talk to each other in designated Q&A session slots for each city:

representatives of Place 167, an art space situated in an 1897-built house, and the ‘Art & Culture Today’ platform will discuss notions of ‘shared space’ in Sofia, together with local creatives and Cooltsalon collaborators, Femme Fatale Project and Ivo Nedyalkov, and MOVE.BG, Bulgarian edition’s hosting partner; Cooltsalon’s new Parisian partners will bring together Clement de Nercy of allmecen, Warren Simon of Nanoh Studio, and Sebastien Lis, co-founder Urban Art Paris; in London, representatives of Stour Space and the local ‘Fish Island’ creative community will share a round-table with creative-cultural agents Shelagh Wright and Peter Jenkinson, Cooltsalon collaborators Jake Francis, Elena Brake, Victor Buehring, Victoria Casillas, followed by brief demonstration from Giovanna Iorio of her project Poetry Sound Library, a world map of poets reading their own works (currently hosting 800 voices and growing) .

Each city will have one hour, with the last 20 minutes open to questions and comments from the other two locations. Transmitted via Cisco’s Webex platform, the international live streams will be available only to attendees on site, encouraging visits to each participating venue, respectively.

Further dissecting ‘shared space’, its implications and global vs local, Cooltsalon will offer attendees and hosting partners in Sofia, Paris and London a unifying exhibition content: same video pieces will be delivered for display in all 3 locations. The works come from Cooltsalon’s Open Call earlier in January 2019:

The Bridge Waltz (2014), video, by Israeli artist Shahar Tuchner; Femme Fatale Project feat. Anna Kalcheva video-art project BETA CUTS, of raw backstage motion scenes from a photography project of the same name (2016); and Shared Space (2019), looped video of stills, submissions to “Cooltzine #2”, curated by Cooltsalon.

At the same time, each venue will be distinguished with individual programme highlights, different for each participating city, where local collaborators will present works in real time. Running parallel with the live video chats, each hosting venue will have an ‘offline’ programme, including visiting hours for artworks display and presentations. In Sofia the rooms of MOVE.BG will host a display by Borya Shapshalova, including installation object, three large scale prints, a magazine-book with editorial photography and a few pieces of contemporary jewellery, all united as Structured Essence. Attendees in Paris will enjoy a collective exhibition from artists Hanoh Szpira, Meaghan Matthews, Ingrid Maillard and Ascidiacea. Attendees in London can explore Stour Space in-house exhibition, Sensational Reportage (on display until 30 May) by Valerie Savchits, Latvia-born, UK-residing artist, exploring themes such as unheard, unseen and unexplained. Recipient of Hotel Elephant and Southwark Council Arts & Culture Grant Scheme, Valerie was also one of the 300 art students selected to exhibit work at the Tate Modern 'Future Late' in 2016. Occupying a separate space within Stour’s premises, site-specific works of three Cooltsalon collaborators will be on display until closing time:

Ben Duax’ floor-mounted print (45cmx 275cm, vinyl sticker), Victor Buehring’s framed object assemblages 25 pockets of [...] and Voices (2018-in progress) site-specific installation (embroidered organza, acrylic tube, audio) from Victoria Casillas.

More works to be confirmed for each location.

For full schedule, additional artworks, opening times & updates on the simultaneous exhibition event - 18 May: http://tinyurl.com/y6jxjrzo 

For news & Cooltsalon projects: www.cooltsalon.com