Nikola Balberčáková: ME AND MY WEST MELANCHOLY ARE GETTING EVERYTHING WE NEED

The work metaphorically interprets the building of the tobacco factory in Smolník as a global body set in current power dynamics, which faces possible disintegration. Text excerpts in the form of videoinstallation are linked to the theme of resilient society and deal with forms of coping mechanisms and recovery as forms of resilience. With the idea, that it is impossible to return to the identical original state before the crisis, breakdown or disaster, the search for new schemes, solutions and patterns can be one approach to resilience. Through emotionality, a shared text documenting the life of female workers in the factory, the stories themselves become organs of a collective body and aims to create social sensitivity on the spectrum of individuals as endangered groups and the supportive nature of the collectivity.

The Transnational Artistic Showcase “Reimagining Realities” is an interdisciplinary collaboration residency that unites artists from in Slovakia and Ukraine and seeks to delve into complex themes such as wartime experiences, climate change, digital tools in conflict, resistance, and the profound impact of propaganda on memory and societal mindset.

The Reimagining Realities project is implemented by Tabačka Kulturfabrik n.o. with the support of the IZOLYATSIA foundation, Trans Europe Halles and Malý Berlín and co-financed by the ZMINA: Rebuilding program, created with the support of the European Union under a dedicated call for proposals to support Ukrainian displaced people and the Ukrainian Cultural and Creative Sectors.