My suitcase stands in the corner

from the project «Х Letters»

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»My suitcase stands in the corner« (from the project «Х Letters»)

video , 4:15, 2022

 

Concept, modelling by Nadya Sayapina

Music, concept, video and postproduction by Eugene Buldyk

Vocals by Neue Vocalsolisten ensemble

 

Based on interviews with migrants collected by the artist in the ‘Letter to Mom’ project

 

«Х Letters» 20222023

 

NADYA SAYAPINAconcept, performing, videography

EUGENE BULDYKmusic, concept, videography

NEUE VOCALSOLISTEN STUTTGARTvocals

 

What do we write in our posts, say in stories, discuss in comments, tell in interviews?

 

What do we save in the archives of unviewed folders,what do we shoot on non-existent memory

films?

 

What are our letters home about?

 

Our reflections, statements, notes, memoirs, interviews, discussions and debates of posts, stories

and comments are drowning in the endless depths of social media feeds, they become censored

and self-censored. Textualised self-expression and reflection of context in the public space of

networks loses its value and relevance in the mass stream. This causes an urgent need to press

the »save« button, to archive, to convert it to the basis of a chronicle of the time.

 

»X Letters« is a videodiary, which correlates and combines in one »book« of different contexts

and human stories reflecting the theme of exile, migration and refugee, loss of home, choice,

adaptation and existential crisis caused by the war in Ukraine and political repressions in Belarus.

This is a commemoration of a common emotional experience through the personal, collected

from social network materials, interviews and multimedia archives. The project contains photos,

video, audio and texts of more than 50 people.

 

The project has initially been started within the framework of ECHOESVoices of Belarus IV

program of Musik der Jahrhunderte Stuttgart e. V. in 2022. It was finalized at PerspAKTIV art

residence implemented by RAZAM, Ambasada Kultury and IN SITU with the financial support of

the German Federal Foreign Office in 2023.