Redrawing Stories from the Past

Happy to announce we're part of a new international comics project dealing with history. Read all about it in this press release from MitOst by Laura Werling:

Graphic novel artists unveil forgotten stories of national socialism’s victims

Five young graphic novel artists from different European countries investigate NS victims’ forgotten stories as part of the project „Redrawing Stories from the Past“. The victims’ stories will be made public first through their artistic adaptation that will be presented in both a print edition and two exhibitions in Chemnitz and Berlin (late 2015).

The project „Redrawing Stories from the Past“ is organised by culture managers Elisabeth Desta and Ludwig Henne under the auspices of the MitOst association. The artists will meet first in the framework of a workshop in Pančevo, Serbia (from March 31th to April 5th) under the supervision of the well renowned comic theorist and historian Ole Frahm (Berlin) and the comic artist Sascha Hommer (Hamburg).

During the five day workshop the participants will be given the opportunity to engage into a debate about contradicting narratives of national socialism in Eastern and Western Europe. Expert inputs will complement the discussions covering their first research findings. The attending artists will also have the opportunity to meet the residential youth and to take part in a guided tour in the former concentration camp Samjište.

Finding new ways of commemoration is becoming ever more urgent since the numbers of contemporary witnesses are increasingly diminishing. Our project intends to identify artistic strategies and possibilities the graphic novel, hence the combination of image and text, can provide to preserve and visualise the remembrance of victims of national socialism. For younger readers graphic novels might constitute a new and exciting approach to learn about past events.

MitOst, an international organisation based in Berlin, supports exchange and cooperation between creative artists in Europe and seeks to empower civil society actors as well as civic commitment. Founded in 1996 as a platform for political networks and programs the association today functions as an umbrella organisation for several foundation programs, international projects, nine alumni groups as well as 11300 association members from 40 different countries and their various activities. In addition MitOst organises and carries out a yearly festival.

The following graphic novel artists are involved in the project:

Paula Bulling (Germany)
Max Baitinger (Germany)
Vuk Palibrk (Serbia)
Mārtiņš Zutis (Latvia)
Zosia Dzierżawska (Poland)


„Redrawing Stories from the Past“ is realised in cooperation with the Serbian association Elektrika, the Latvian comics magazine kuš! and the AJZ Chemnitz (Alternative Youth Centre Chemnitz).

The project is financially supported by the EVZ (Foundation Memory, Responsibility, Future), the KdFS (Saxon Foundation for Culture), the Goethe Institute Belgrade and the Kulturamt Neukölln (Cultural Office Neukölln).

contact:
Elisabeth Desta (head of project)
elisabeth.desta(at)kulturmanager.net
Telephone +49 179 9221440