2022
FRONTIÈRE - Cross-border artistic practices
FRONTIÈRE - Cross-border artistic practices, an event in collaboration with the Montreal artists' centre DARE-DARE and Bitamine Faktoria. This meeting takes place on the occasion of the launch of the publication Frontière, which reviews TOPO's thematic programming for 2019-2022. Helga Massetani, from Bitamine Faktoria, will present the project Atlas Emocional del Bidasoa. Sylvie Cotton, from DARE-DARE, will present the Satellite project and its publication.
PROJECTS.
FRONTIÈRE by TOPO.
Under the theme of the frontier, TOPO has created a cycle of exhibitions and online projects from 2019 to 2022. Rooted in human history and still very current, the theme brings together several issues raised by TOPO, political as well as social and technological.
The Frontier programme includes three thematic cycles with three female authors and art historians: Nuria Carton de Grammont, Paule Mackrous and Mirna Abiad-Boyadjian. To enrich the reflection, four other specialists address the notion of the border more broadly according to different approaches linked to their field of research: Ricard Zapata Barrero (politics), Chantal Pontbriand (aesthetics), Jean-Dominique Leccia (psychiatry) and David Jhave Johnston (technology).
The paper publication, a map that traces the works of the 10 artists proposed by TOPO in the framework of the programme, is expanded on the web with essays and multimedia content (essays, videos and podcasts).
SATELLITE by DARE-DARE.
"This publication traces the first trajectories of a programme of cross-border artistic explorations initiated in 2011 by the artist-run centre DARE-DARE as a satellite of its home territory in Montreal. More than just a retrospective visual overview and a presentation of works produced in three very different urban contexts (Detroit, Tijuana, Mexico City), the book proposes a series of recent observations of the artists and host partners to relive their vivid memories, retrace the path of thought and experience, reveal the imprint on creative practice and intellectual reflection, or even the repercussions on career or artistic mission."
- Extract from the essay by Martin Dufrasne, coordinator of the SATELLITE project and coordinator of DARE-DARE programming
Bitamine Faktoria's Emotional Atlas of Bidasoa.
This publication is the continuation of the research carried out in 2019 within the project "Emotional cartography of Bidasoa". It is a series of notebooks accompanied by the work of the illustrator Elena Odriozola, which highlight significant social aspects. These ten fascicles tell the stories of a geographical area - that of the river Bidasoa - elegantly written by María José Noain Maura in a language accessible to all audiences.
Helga Massetani's visit is possible thanks to the support of the Etxepare Institute and the Ministère des Relations internationales du Québec, within the framework of the cultural cooperation agreement between Québec and Euskadi.
PARTICIPANTS OF THE COMMUNITY
MORE PROJECTS
SHOP ONLINE
You can now find all Bitamine publications and projects in our new online shop:
shop.bitamine.net
Research project
Artistic residencies / New approaches
The initiative to review the programmes of aid for creation organised by Bitamine Faktoria over the last 10 years arose shortly after the period of pandemics, confinements and limitations on many of the freedoms we had enjoyed until then.
It is true that the new present had changed as a consequence of the events. The economy had been affected, many families had lost loved ones, the routine and changing restrictions we faced on a daily basis made us feel lost and hopeless. But also, people had changed. Many of us have taken advantage of this hiatus to slow down, reflect, analyse, blame ourselves, accept that sometimes we lose and even take away burdensome duties. To question our objectives and look for answers.
Continuing with the model we had proposed until then in our structure was irresponsible. And the answers would not appear on their own, they had to be sought.
Within this framework, a long task was planned, with concrete phases, articulated with each other and consecutive in time.
A research project was launched in November 2021 to find out the state of the artistic and cultural sector in the Basque Country, and it was carried out throughout 2022.
Many people have been involved in the work process, which has been an invaluable source of knowledge, and it is thanks to all of them that we can now share these results, which I sincerely hope will be useful and fruitful for the sector.
Download the research
Design: Estudio Moriskette
Emotional Atlas of Bidasoa - exhibition
2023.02.03 / 2023.06.04
OIASSO MUSEOA
An exhibition at the Oiasso Roman Museum (Irun) curated and art directed by Helga Massetani Piemonte and María José Noain Maura.
"It is not possible to bathe twice in the same river". This famous phrase, perhaps erroneously attributed to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, is perfect for reflecting on the Bidasoa. Its character as a border river, since ancient times, has allowed it to see the most varied historical events, to hear different languages on its banks, to host great celebrations and great tragedies, to become a mute witness to the passing of time. The river Bidasoa is the protagonist of this exhibition and comes to life through the voices of its inhabitants.
In 2019, Bitamine Faktoria (Helga Massetani Piemonte) and Los Viajes de Aspasia (María José Noain Maura) received the Ribera grant from Irun City Council to develop a project that at the time was called "Cartografía Emocional del Bidasoa" (Emotional Cartography of the Bidasoa). Previous work was carried out on the history of artistic cartography which was followed by anthropological research, in which, through surveys and group interviews, the emotional perception that the inhabitants of its banks have of the Bidasoa was collected. In this way, a conceptual and artistic map of the river's memory was drawn up.
The project was continued in 2021, taking on a new dimension that transformed it into "Atlas Emocional del Bidasoa". It was then the Olatuak grant from the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa and the Creation Aid from Irun Town Council that facilitated the transformation of the research into an artist's book: an edition of ten literary and historical notebooks, illustrated by Elena Odriozola. Ten of the themes most highlighted by the citizens during the research phase were chosen and are now transformed into ten modules that make up this exhibition. Each module talks about an aspect, but not only for information purposes, but also as an artistic installation that aims to evoke memories, stir emotions, rescue from oblivion what we were, are and want to be. They can be visited in the order that each person chooses: the important thing is to move between them, like the waters of the river. After all, as the Greek philosopher himself said, everything flows, nothing remains.
KREDITUAK / CRÉDITOS
Komisariotza / Comisariado: Helga Massetani Piemonte, María José Noain Maura
Ilustrazioak / Ilustraciones: Elena Odriozola
Ekoizpena / Producción: Ander Garmendia
Eskerrak / Agradecimientos
Gipuzkoako Foru Aldundia / Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa
Gordailua. Gipuzkoako Ondare Bildumen Zentroa / Centro de Colecciones Patrimoniales de Gipuzkoa.
Hondarribiko Udala / Ayuntamiento de Hondarribia
Irungo Udal Artxiboa / Archivo Municipal de Irun
Kutxa Fundazioa
San Telmo Museoa
Irungo Memoria Historikoaren Bulegoa /Oficina Memoria Histórica de Irun
José Luis Noain Cendoya
Kutxateka
"Nicolás Guerendiain" Irungo Errepublikarrak / Asociación Republicana Irunesa “Nicolás Guerendiain”
Eta ikerketa-fasean parte hartu zuten guztiei. / A todas las personas que participaron en la fase de investigación.