Deadline: 25.08.2018

The Biennale of Western Balkans (BoWB) is a new arts and cultural event and institution, hosted for the first time in the city of Ioannina, region of Epirus in Northwestern Greece, in October 2018 (11-14.10.2018). Its vision is to bring intangible cultural heritage and community values in the contemporary context, in connection with art, new technologies and ecology. The aim is to support and present contemporary art that can engage aspects of intangible cultural heritage of the Greek and Western Balkan communities, and of the European and international field as well; Artworks that explore concepts of immateriality, of reuse, that experiment with collaborative working practices and field research. 

Moreover, the Biennale aims to create a critical framework for the dissemination of contemporary thought and research in art and culture, the commons and ecology, valuing in particular contributions that examine lesser known bodies of knowledge, collective, anonymous and nontextual works, women and queer theorists, undiscovered collections, and projects that make interconnections of smaller scenes with wider ones. Under the title "Tradition anew", the first Biennale of Western Balkans includes interdisciplinary projects that present innovative aspects of intangible heritage, discovering their intertemporal applications, imaginaries and future possibilities. The programme sets up the framework to envision the creation of a Virtual Museum for Digital Intangible Cultural Heritage and contemporary thought. The Biennale of Western Balkans is inviting artists, thinkers and makers from the Western Balkans and internationally to submit their works in the following modules: 

Main Event 

Patterns 

The main event of the Biennale includes the creation of large-scale installations (pavilions) in public space, with live performances and a communities-lead programme. Communities are invited to the pavilions.

Exhibitions 

Commons Myths

An exhibition that examines the concept of myth through interdisciplinary art and research, combining intangible cultural heritage manifestations with technology, anthropology and other fields. Open call to artists, creators, researchers and cultural heritage projects. Read more 

Weaving Europe, Weaving Balkans 

An exhibition that critically explores the historical language of weaving and textile as a practice and metaphor in the contemporary artistic practices based on new technologies. Open call to artists and creators. Read more 

Sonic Minds: Mnemonic Passages 

An immaterial walking sound exhibition that explores the relation of sound and memory as a collective and cultural expression, delving into sound archives, sound art and oral history. Open call to sound artists, composers, music producers, narrators, musicians, poets, theorists and creators. Read more 

 Conferences - Workshops

 Intangible Meetings 

Presentations and on-stage dialogues that survey, analyse and debate aspects of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), offering a multi-vocal and interdisciplinary perspective. Open call to cultural institutions, curators, researchers and scientists. Read more

Visual Ecotopias: History, Theory, Criticism 

A symposium toward a politics of ecology in contemporary art, departing from Guattari's concept of 'ecosophy', linking ecological thought, environmental aesthetics and artistic practices. Open call to cultural institutions, curators, researchers and scientists. Read more 

Un-co-nference 

Talks and workshops that set in its core the new age of the commons, with modules for the wider public and for professionals, where art and tradition can intersect with other fields. Open call to makers, thinkers, projects, initiatives. Read more

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