Ex-Territory

An interview with Maayan Amir and Ruti Sela, artists and curator of Project Ex-Territory, which previewed during ArtTLV09, the Tel Aviv Biennial of Contemporary Art (September 2009).

The project takes place on a boat under "neutral territory" - Mediterranean waters - and invites artists, writers and curators from around the globe, with a particular focus on the conflicting countries of the boats origin.

Reem Fekri: How did this project initially develop?

MA: The project does not wish to take for granted the imitation of rules dictated by political systems and economic elements; by defying the physical location, the project will also try to symbolically dispute the so-called genuineness with which we man positions that are, more often than not, the by-products of arbitrary circumstances. The idea is to be a heterotopic project – a project which exists outside a place, as such it has the power to delay and neutralise the whole power-relations present in a culture. As Foucault writes, we intend to create a space within which all the sites one can encounter at the heart of culture can be represented while being controversial and overturned at the same time.

RF: After its inauguration in September 2009 during ArtTLV09, the project will continue for 5 years. Why have you chosen this specific duration period?

MA: Since the project wishes to engage in emergency situations (such as the Israeli occupation, the war in Iraq, refugees and etc) that have been legitimised in unusual political situations that have become instituted, we feel that it is important that it will not itself get too established.

RF: Perhaps one of the main focuses of the exhibit is its location, or lack of location. Taking place on a boat within Mediterranean sea (‘neutral territory’) where artists, writers, curators, and musicians come together from conflicting countries and work as a collective. How does this work in terms of practicality and curatorially?

MA: By September 2010 we will indicate a specific location in the sea and invite people to get there by boats. We will try to find sponsors and even turn to people who have boats that would like to participate and will agree to host artist on their boats and then at the encounter space we will invite artists curator and others to screen art works on their sails, or make some performances or other ideas. We are still also trying to find a larger boat that will host for one week few exhibitions screenings and etc' that will function as center of the encounters.

RF: What do you hope this exhibition will bring to the region?

MA: By choosing a provisional and unstable platform, i.e. encounters at sea at an ahistorical place, a space that has no sovereignty and exists in an unusual way in relation to time and space, the project wishes to offer the x-territory as a platform and a stimulating option to exchange opinions, knowledge and thoughts, as well as the exploration of art. X-territory, taking place outside the laws of a specific nationality, wishes to offer a fantasy of futuristic worlds that overcome discrimination and inequality in the presence of the law, which characterize the wrongs and the conflicts of contemporary society; in contrast to the dystopias that characterise many influential works of art in the 20th century.

RF: Who do you think your audiences will consist mainly of?

MA: Artists, writers, scholars, filmmakers and everybody who is interested in contemporary culture and critical thinking.

RF: Tell me about your Wild West video programme?

MA: Wild West is a video programme specifically curated for the project by Ruti Sela and myself. Wild West explores a recurrent theme in the works of video artists from the Middle East: the use of imagery and subject matter derived from the Western film genre. Wild West will eventually include videos by leading Middle Eastern artists from the recent decade, some of whom refuse to show their work in Israel. The video program in its entirety will eventually be screened during the first Ex-Territory cruise. Its cinematic duels, when screened on the ship’s white sails – reminiscent of white flags – will produce a first example of the kind of imagery the project wishes to generate.

RF: Are all the artists from Israel and Palestine or does they span further than that?

MA: We aspire to create a transnational project so we invite artists, curators, writers, filmmakers and etc; from all over the world to join us.

For more information http://ex-territory.org/

 
Copyright Ex-Territory (2009)

 


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