Prej:E premte, 10 Shkurt 2012 – 9:00

Deri:E diel, 25 Mars 2012 – 17:00

Adresa: Prishtinë

Përshkrimi

* OPEN CALL: PRISTINA *

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*GRAPHIC, NOVEL. *

*SKETCHING W. G. SEBALD IN PRISTINA*

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On the occasion of the project *GRAPHIC, NOVEL. *Qendra Multimedia, Pristina, and Tirana Art Lab – Center for Contemporary Art, Tirana, are pleased to announce a *Call for Entries *to attend the upcoming graphic novel workshop in Pristina, Kosovo, from: *May 5 – May 11, 2012*.

The workshop is open to art students, graphic-novelists, comic artists, designers, illustrators, visuals artists and writers of all ages and backgrounds.

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*Submission Deadline* for applications is: *March 25, 2012*

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*THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS WILL RECEIVE TRAVEL COSTS AND FREE BOARD AND LODGING IN PRISTINA.*

*ABOUT THE WORKSHOP*

In the last years graphic novels have attracted more and more attention both in the field of literature and the visual arts. Not only they open alternative perspectives onto the complexities of every day life. With their distinct use of two mediums – image and text – they also suggest how memories and recollections of the past can find new forms of expression despite their inherent blanks.

This interrelation between image and text lies at the core of the project *GRAPHIC, NOVEL*. Taking the works of W. G. Sebald as a point of departure, we would like to rethink the dynamics between the two mediums in the context of Pristina, eager to tackle what suggests itself as ‘grey areas’ in the memorization process by means of graphic and text. Also W. G. Sebald famously utilized in his work both image and text in order to find a momentary equilibrium between otherwise hazy or fragmented recollections, personal memories, and, at times, ineffable events. However, similar to the grid-like structure of a graphic novel, the merging of image and text in Sebald’s work produces an ‘excess of meaning’,which cannot be utterly resolved.

The workshop aims at thinking the potential of the literary and graphic elements of graphic novels further by drawing on the author’s ‘poet(h)ic of remembering’, but also by the direct encounter with and research into the environment the workshop is set in. The participants are invited to creatively delve into yet unprecedented graphic-novelist techniques, sketching what has been lost, what is to be retrieved, and how to conjoin the missing bits and contradictions of the local recent history. Being an initiative from Pristina and Tirana, the subject-matter from where to explore those techniques are the city and its (in-)visible histories. Therefore, additional to the seminars, the workshop will look closer at the matter and the surfaces of the city. Archival documents, found photographies, oral histories and walks through the city will form a central part of the research and of the elaboration of a new graphic novel by means of visual and literary expressions.

Throughout the workshop, the participants are invited to work on a on a chosen context presented to them in the city of Pristina. The results of the workshop will be shown in a group exhibition during the “Polip Literature Festival” held from *May 11, 2012* to *May 13, 2012*.

*GRAPHIC, NOVEL.* is organized by Qendra Multimedia and Tirana Art Lab – Center for contemporary Art and coordinated by Elisabeth Desta and Sonja Lau. The workshop is held by researcher Ute Friederich and graphic novelist Barbara Yelin.

A project in cooperation with the Goethe Institut.

*APPLICATION PROCESS*

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To download the *Application Form *please visit* www.tiranaartlab.org <http://www.tiranaartlab.org/> *or see attached document.

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All applications arriving prior to the due date, *March 25, 2012*, will be taken into consideration, assessed, and a selection of participants chosen. The result of the selection will be announced by *April 15, 2012*. All applicants will be informed of their approval or decline in written form. If you are interested in being a part of the workshop *GRAPHIC, NOVEL*. please send a completed application form (see attachment), an artist statement, an idea for a possible research you want to deal with in the workshop, a short biography, a selection of recent works (literary or visual), and a picture of the artist by no later than *March 25, 2012* (date of receipt) to: Please specify in your statement why you would like to participate in the workshop in Pristina, and if you have any prior experience in working in the region.

Submission can be made either online or by sending a CD-ROM / works on paper. Please respect the format JPG and a resolution of 300 dpi for visual/graphic works. Incomplete applications cannot be considered. Application on papers / CD-ROM cannot be returned to the sender.

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Elisabeth Desta

*Qendra Multimedia *

Rr. Xhelal Mitrovica p.n. Teatri Dodona

10000 Prishtina, Kosovo

Tel: +381 (0) 38 722 464

Mobil: +386 (0) 49290429

Fax: +381 38 222 793

elisabeth.desta@kulturmanager.net <mailto:elisabeth.desta@kulturmanager.net> info@qendra.org <mailto:info@qendra.org> | www.qendra.org <http://www.qendra.org/>

Pristina

The Youngest Country of the World!
Did you know…Following more than seven decades of Yugoslav/Serbian government, Kosovo declared its independence on February 17, 2008. Hence, the Connecticut-size land made the world headlines when became the youngest country in the first decade of the 21st century. Ten years before, it was not an independent nation in Europe compared to its neighbors — for example, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia Hercegovina. At the same time, Kosovo boasted one of Europe’s last wars, an ethnic-based conflict, where were killed more than 10,000 persons. From the end of the Cold War to the beginning of the 21st century, it had not been neither prosperous nor stable. In those circumstances, Kosovo Pristina  stood as the poorest region on the European mainland. Later on, Kosovo’s independence was backed by America, Albania, and Great Britain. In 2009, it was one of the most peaceful countries on the Balkan Peninsula of Europe.

People
Did you know… This Southeastern European nation has a population of about 2,500,000. It ranks 148th in population among the countries of the world. Around 88 per cent of the nation’s population is made up of Albanians. There are also other ethnic groups: Serbs, Bosniaks, Goranis, Roma, Turks, Ashkalis, Egyptians.

Education
Did you know…Education and technology have received increased emphasis in this landlocked country since it became independent in the first decade of the 21st century.

Pristina

Pristina

Kosovo & the United States of America
Did you know…On November 23, 1999, President Bill Clinton made history when arrived in Ferizaj, Kosovo. Since then, it was the first official visit by an American Head of State to Kosovo. America’s leader Clinton arrived in Ferizaj to an enthusiastic welcome. During his visit, Mr Clinton had called on Kosovo Albanians to forgive the injustices perpetrated against them by the Serbs. This Southeastern European nation Kosovo and capital Pristina has been recognized by Washington since 2008.

Geography
Did you know…The landlocked country of Kosovo, that once formed part of Ottoman empire, lies on the Balkan Peninsula of Southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro on the Northwest, Macedonia on the South, and Albania on the West. This new nation holds a territory of 4,203 square miles (or 10,908 square kilometers). On the other hand, the Kosovar countryside consists mainly of mountains separated by fertile valleys. Unique among European countries, it is about the size of Connecticut, an American state Pristina.

Kosovo’s capital
Did you know…Pristina — the country’s largest city — is the capital city of Kosovo. It is also the nation’s chief commercial, cultural, and industrial center. Since then, Pristina is rich history and friendly people has made it one of the most important metropolises on the Balkan Peninsula. Additionally,it has about 800,000 inhabitants.

Languages
Did you know…Albanian, English  and Serbian are the national languages. The landlocked nation also has other non-official languages: Gorani, Romani, Bosnian, and Turkish, among others.

Sports
Did you know…The most popular sports are: basketball, boxing, canoe, chess, gymnastics, soccer, swimming, table tennis, team handball, track & field, water polo, and wrestling. Nonetheless, the Olympic team — made up of Albanians, Kosovo Serbs, Bosniaks and Goranis — has not competed in the modern Olympic Games. Over the past 14 months, the national government has stepped up efforts to participate in the world championships and multi-sports events. Some of its best athletes living in Western Europe. In 1987, Kosovo’s boxer Aziz Salihu earned the gold medal at the Mediterranean Games in Syria. Prisstina

Ecology Pristina

Did you know… More than 25 per cent of its territory is covered by rainforests.

Awards & Prizes
Did you know…The new nation was endorsed by Donald Trump,president of Miss Universe Organization in 2008. Also that year, Miss Kosovo, Zana Krasniqi, under the watchful eye of Fadil Berisha — one of the world’s most popular fashion photographers — made the top 15 in Nha Trang, Vietnam. Pristina She was the first Kosovar women to compete in MU. Ironically, Kosovo does not have diplomatic ties with Hanoi. In the following year, in August 2009, the nation’s contestant Marigona “Gona” Dragusha finished third in The Bahamas, outpacing 80 other entries. Prior to Miss Kosovo’s Bahamas trip, she, who is reminiscent of the world-famous actress Audrey Hepburn, had been training in New York City,along with Hasna Xhukici, Miss Albania Pristina.

Metropolises
Did you know… Apart from Pristina, the region gathers four amazing cities: Dakovica, Kosovska Mitrovica, Peja, and Prizren.

International Organizations
Did you know…Since 2009 this Eastern European nation belongs to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

Economics
Did you know… On the economic side, Kosovo over the last five decades has changed from a socialist economy to a free market system. From then onwards, a number of foreign corporations operate businesses in the country. Despite being one of Europe’s smallest nations, the landlocked country has important mineral resources, including nickel, lignite, lead, chrome, aluminum, and magnesium. But there’s more. Much of Europe’s coal wealth lies in Kosovo. The resources could provide for economic growth to Pristina  if those natural resources were used more fully. Additionally, Kosovo is endowed with fertil soil. Nature-based tourism is a new source of income.

Mountains
Did you know…Deravica is the nation’s tallest peak: it rises 8,714 feet (2,656 meters) above sea level.

Famous Kosovars
Did you know… The country’s has produced a number of performers/artists, including Melihate Ajeti (actress), Adekina Ismajli (singer), Shaban Gashi (photographer), Akil Mark Koci (composer), Esat Valla (painter) and a host of other pristina . It has also produced many fine writers, among them Xhevdet Bajraj and Eqrem Basha. However, few of them are known outside the country.

Foreign Relations
Did you know…During the 1990s and early 2000s, Kosovo worked to establish ties with several republics. So far, the new nation has been internationally recognized by 62 member countries of the United Nations, including the United States, Australia, France, Turkey, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, the new country receives continued support and aid from the US and European Union.

Pristina