AtWork New York (USA) – Partner: The Africa Center, NY
when: 30 May – 3 June2019 – application deadline: 20 May 2019
AtWork Libreville (Gabon) – Partners: ONG Mukasa; Institut Français Gabon; Musée National des Arts et Traditions du Gabon
when: 24-28 June 2019 – application deadline: 1o June 2019
AtWork Venice (Italy) – Partner: UNHCR
when: 9 – 13 September 2019 – application deadline: 31 August 2019
AtWork Maputo (Mozambique) – Partners: Pfwura Ndzilo; ANIMA
when: 11 – 15 November 2019 – application deadline: 24 October 2019
AtWork London (UK) – In collaboration with Young People’s Programmes at Tate Modern
when: 25 – 29 November 2019 – application deadline: 13 November 2019
Moleskine Foundation launches a call for the international creative talents to participate in its itinerant educational format AtWork. We have planned 6 chapters in 2019 that will be united under the same umbrella topic: “Where is South?”. 150 participants, 6 Countries, 150 notebooks.
“We are conditioned in our thoughts. When we are asked a question, we don’t take the time to think it over. We answer. But does the answer matter if the question is irrelevant? It reminds me of that old saying attributed to the native Americans: when the Wise man points the moon with his finger, the stupid stares at the finger.
To ask “Where is South?” equals, in a certain manner, to show the moon. The cardinal points have two functions: when they refer to a place or region, they are written with a capital; and when it is a direction or an orientation, they take a minuscule.
Our contemporary times have preferred one of the meanings to the other. When somebody says South today, it is clear in his head that he is designating a precise point, which, when we think of it, is totally inaccurate. For instance, what does the famous Global South really represent, if not only a political statement? A way the world order has chosen to name regions in opposition to others? Whenever I hear the expression: countries from the South, I always wonder what exactly the hidden message is, since South is always considered, no matter if it becomes a claim of some sorts, as inferior.
Let us try to liberate those four points from any ideology and reconsider them for what they are: directions. If we succeed in doing so, we shall rediscover that South or North do not exist as such but become activated in their meaning by the way we think about them. No matter where we are, there is always a south, and therefore, it is us who are entitled to define the meaning of the “word”, because South starts from me. It indicates a distance between the point that I want to reach and myself. It is a very intimate notion that can vary according to the place where we think we are standing. In other words, there cannot be any South without the gaze we invest it with.”
AtWork is an itinerant educational format conceived by Moleskine Foundation and Simon Njami that uses the creative process to stimulate critical thinking and debate among the participants. It helps to develop the intellectual and emotional skills necessary to develop both a personal and a collective sense of identity.
Each AtWork chapter is a 4-5-day intensive workshop (from 10:AM to 6:PM) on the topic “Where is South?” that culminates in an exhibition of the artistic notebooks created during the workshop. Each workshop can accommodate 25 participants and will be conducted by a prominent artist or intellectual, such as Simon Njami and others. There is a fee to participate in the workshop. The money collected through the paying participants will be used to cover the scholarships for the future AtWork workshops.
Moleskine Foundation will be giving out 20 scholarships for each chapter that will cover the participation costs. Travel and accommodation will be at the participants’ expense. *
* except for the AtWork Venice chapter for candidates who are beneficiaries of international protection permits (refugee status and subsidiary protection) or asylum seekers.
AtWork New York (USA) conducted by Simon Njami – In partnership with The Africa Center, NY
The workshop will take place at the Skowhegan facilities on 136 West 22d street. Participation fee is €300.
when: 30 May – 3 June2019 – application deadline: 20 May 2019
AtWork Libreville (Gabon) conducted by Simon Njami – In partnership with ONG Mukasa, Institut Français, Musée National Du Gabon.
The workshop will take place at the Institut Français facilities. Participation fee is €150
when: 24-28 June 2019 – application deadline: 1 June 2019
AtWork Venice (Italy) conducted by Simon Njami – In partnership with UNHCR.
The workshop will take place at the Palazzo Querini facilities. Participation fee is €300
when: 9 – 13 September 2019 – application deadline: 31 August 2019
AtWork Maputo (Mozambique) conducted by Simon Njami – In partnership with Pfwura Ndzilo; ANIMA
The workshop will take place at Museu Nacional de Arte.
Participation fee is €150
when: 11 – 15 November 2019 – application deadline: 24 October 2019
AtWork London (UK) – In collaboration with Young People’s Programmes at Tate Modern.
when: 25 – 29 November 2019 – application deadline: 13 November 2019
