2018
RIBERA #3
THE MEMORY OF BIDASOA THROUGH ART
This program is promoted by the Irun City Council and managed by Bitamine Faktoria. It values the memory of the Bidasoa River through practices linked to contemporary art, as a tool to recover the river bank and strengthen its link with the citizens, recalling its role as a revitalizing factor of society.
Ribera is presented over two days in early autumn. The first and main day was developed in the surroundings of the Bidasoa with the objective to recover the geographical space of the river by means of dynamics of creation, perception and experience, remembering history in a transversal way. The second day was held at the CBA Cultural Centre with the aim to distribute the artistic processes and their results by inviting the public to a collective reflection.
The programme for this third edition included the following proposals: ECOS DEL BIDASOA, a sound installation by Bitamine Faktoria located in the former barracks of the carabineros in the area of Osinbiribil that included the stories of Virginia Gasull (1943) and Eneko Arcas (Deia); the TRAVEL BOOK participative activities; painting and drawing in the open air, promoted by Juncal Alfonso & Arantza Albisu (Il Duomo), and STORIES OF PEDALS, a bicycle narrated walk, told by Idoia Castro (Oiasso Museum), Ana Galdós, Fernando García Nieto, Mikel Huarte & Heidi Otaduy (Ribera Scholarship) and Ion Aranguren (Sos Racismo / Irungo Harrera Sarea). The program also included PAREDES DE LA MEMORIA, a mural intervention by Xabier Anunzibai under the viaduct on Santiago Street. For its part, Bitamine Faktoria designed CHECKPOINT, a device that served as an information and meeting point; LA PLAYA, an installation to contemplate on the Bidasoa; and SELFIE POINTS, an intervention that vindicates the riverbank as a tourist attraction. The day concluded with performances by Eneko Alcaraz (Cia. Ekilore) with his contemporary dance piece "Sorginak kanpora"; and Sur Le Feel, a jazz manouche trio that provided the soundtrack for the PIQUE-NIQUE CONCERT. Finally, the research project "La Isla de los Faisanes, modos de narrar la Historia", by Iván Gómez and Iraitz Agirre (Ribera Scholarships) was accomplished.
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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.