h.arta

Need for Space
2008
Dia Projection, 13 min

Die 13 minütige Text-Bild-Montage von h.arta könnte ebenso gut als Seiten eines Buches existieren. In der Ausstellung haben sich die drei Künstlerinnen Rodica Tache, Maria Crista und Anca Gyermant dafür entschieden, "Need for Space" zu projizieren. Die Ausschließlichkeit der Projektion brachte es mit sich, dass h.arta auch in Wien eine ganzes Zimmer bespielten und damit ihren Anspruch auf Raum als Voraussetzung für künstlerisches Handeln realisierten. Die Besucher mussten sich Zeit und vor der Projektion Platz nehmen, um der Erzählung über die Entstehung und die Stationen der Gruppe h.arta zu folgen. Um Ablauf und Absicht zu verstehen, war man gezwungen, konzentriert und geduldig Bilder und Texte zu lesen.

Das Bild oben zeigt den h.arta Projektraum in Bucarest, wo 2007 verschiedene Aktionen stattgefunden haben. Die politischen und gesellschafltichen Umbrüche der letzten Jahre und die damit einhergehenden sozialen Schräglagen  münden für h.arta in der Schaffung von eigenen Räumen:

In the process of writing this text, thinking about what is the thing that our projects have in common, what is the thread that conducts them from one to another, the word that came into discussion most often was space. The lack of it and the necessitiy to find it or to create it. The feeling of being out of place, sometimes as artist, sometime as citizen  and the ways to acknowledge and enlarge the spaces that are uncontaminated by the logic of profit. To have a place of your own. (aus Need for Space)

Fragebogen
h.arta

How would you describe your collective/group? (form+content, challenge)?

Rodica Tache: Best from the three of us !

Maria Crista: I am part of an artist group that is based on solidarity and friendship and this thing gives me the freedom to learn and to express myself.

Anca Gyermant: Being togehter, sorting out our misunderstandings, negotiating our differences as a way to construct a safer and broader space.

Can you tell us something about the genesis of your collective?

RT:We sarted to work together in 2001, immediately after we graduated from the art academy

MC: We met during the time we were studying in academy. we started to work together soon after we graduated

AG:we started to work together because we were sharing the same problems regarding art education and art system in general. we remained together because we became friends

Do you have any role models for your collaboration?

RT:  Mmmm...I dont know. There are a lot of peaple that inspired me, but i cant say that the way we work together is based on a certain model

MC: No

AG:No but we are very interested in the strategies and dynamics of other groups.

On what is your relation based? (friendship, companionship, combatation, love…)

RT: Friendship

MC: Friendship

AG:Friendship

How do you communicate?

RT: face to facem by phone, by mail :)

MC:we are discussing everything and we dont take any decisions concerning the projects without consulting each other

AG:trying to understand and acknowledge the different meanings we might give to each fact.

Is there any kind of division of work?

RT: It depends very much on what we are working on. sometimes we had to split and work seperately in order to be ready in time...

MC:Not really. we are trying to share the different tasks that are needed for developing our projects. sometimes these tasks could be creative, sometimes difficult or just routine tasks...

AG:We try as much as possible to share both conceptual and routine work.

At which points do conflicts appear?

RT: Small conflicts appear may times...for different reasons.

MC: conflicts may come out because we are different individuals(...) but it is always something that generates a better understanding, a way to discover more of ourselves and of each other...

AG: At this point of our collaboration and friendship after 7 years of working together conflicts are appearing less at an ideological level and are more often thea regard ...practical things

„Work is...“ (definition) – in what way is this term valid, how would you enlarge it?

RT: - a concept in progress

AG:a way to deal with the different fears, amongst which uncertanty is the biggest.

Which connection do work and identity have with each other to your mind?

MC: Maybe the work you do thats occupying most of your time it also influences the way you relate to yourself or (limitate) to the othersaround you.

AG: Unfortunately work and identity is the same for me many times. How much of the neo liberal pressures are contributing to this?

Does working in the collective have any consequence on your idea of identity?

RT:Yes, it made me aware that many things which constructing me are not fix

MC: Yes it enlarges my perspectives makes me aware of the complexity of the world around me

AG: It definitely does

How relevant are misunderstandings in the process of collaboration?

RT: Then i realize that people are so different and the same words could mean different things to diffferent people

MC: A process of collaboration is possible on long term only if the muisunderstandinigs are openly discussed and included in the groups learning about each other.