Newspaper Article “The return of the Biennale of Western Balkans”

The Biennale of the Western Balkans, based in Ioannina, was introduced in October, 2018. The appointment for the 2nd Biennale has been given for October 2020. However, the organizers are trying to have a cultural presence in the meantime.

On the occasion of the International Museum Day 2019, the Biennale of the Western Balkans and the working group “Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Media” of the Art History Laboratory of the School of Fine Arts of the University of Ioannina, participate in activities, which will take place on May 15, in collaboration with the Museum of Silversmithing of Ioannina of the Cultural Foundation of the Piraeus Group (PIOP) and the DIPETHE of Ioannina. The actions are entitled “Tradition again! Recording cultural heritage and artistic creation – interdisciplinary approaches, modern media”.

The program includes a series of lectures by young people, as well as by renowned scientists, researchers and creators, who come from different fields and seek a re-examination of tradition through modern media. The main goal is to explore new ways of recording and highlighting the cultural heritage, material and intangible, of different communities, but also to reflect on established types, perspectives and methodologies. The theoretical analysis is framed by an educational workshop and a program of screenings of short films, which concern the modern aspects and manifestations of the tradition. The workshop is organized in collaboration with the GLAM Hack team and examines the creative possibilities offered by digital cultural heritage platforms. The screening program, curated by Balkan Beyond Borders, Inter Alia and the Caravan Project, presents anthropological and artistic representations of tradition through contemporary cinema.

According to a relevant announcement, the purpose of the action is to connect with the program of the 1st Western Balkans Biennale and to further address issues raised then, such as, among others, the digital dimension of cultural heritage and cultural history, the applications of open standards and the value of communities. The action launches a turnover, which aspires to continue with issues related to cultural heritage, in relation to art and technology.