Wings of Migrants

This project by Gluklya is presented at AKINCI as a ‘transparent research’ and focuses on migrants who come to Russia from the former Soviet Union. Migrants are often used as unskilled and low-paid workers, as a rule displaced to the periphery of society. This closure is determined by the deprived and often illegal status of migrants, as well as by the culture and language differences.

The film ‘Wings of Migrants’ which forms part of the show, is a collective collaboration with the “No dance company” in St-Petersburg. It started from the idea to create a long term project: ‘Theatre for migrants’. There is a historical link to the ‘Proletkult theatre’ (1920) of Ezenshtain and Tretyakov, who went to the GAZ factory (Gazovii Zavod) to play theatre. The idea of FFC was to create an encounter with dancers and migrant workers in order to invite them to become part of an utopian situation where they all can exist together in an equal position. The film was realized in one of the oldest factories in St-Petersburg.

The film ‘Wings of Migrants’ was supported by the Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies, UvA and co-produced with

Dr. Olga Sezneva. Financial support also came from Hugh Scott (Adventures of seeing), free lance curator from the UK and Leyla Akinci, Amsterdam.

Special thanks go to the great artist and feminist, Susan Morlan from the UK, as well as all who participated in the research : No Dance Company, Olga Denisova, Andrei Yakimov from Memorial, Aya Yakimova, Urii Shtopakov ,

Tsaplya Egorova, Angelika Artuh, and others.

On September 27th at 7 pm AKINCI will host a round table discussion focusing on issues connected to the use of aesthetics in exploring and intervening in socio-political realities with:

Gluklya (Natalia Pershina-Yakimanskaya), artist, founding member of FFC and member of Chto Delat?

Olga Sezneva, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Co-director of IMES, UvA
Mieke Bal, Professor of Theory of Literature and a founding director of the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis (ASCA)
Firuza Melville, Academic Associate, Head of the Shahnama Centre, Pembroke College at Cambridge University

Gluklya (Natalia Pershina Yakimanskaya) works within two collectives (since 1995 she collaborates with Olga Eorova (Tsaplya) in ‘The Factory of Found Clothes’ and since 2003 Gluklya is part of the artist group ‘Chto delat?’) as well as doing her own research, combining performance, environmental works, situationist actions, video, and direct contact.

Glukly’s work has been exhibited in Russia and abroad, including the MUMOK, Vienna (2012). the Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden Baden (2011), Shedhalle, Zurich (2011), SMART Project Space, Amsterdam (2011), Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid (2011), Kunsthalle, Vienna (2011), ICA, London (2010), Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven (2011 & 2009), Thessaloniki Biennale (2009), Museum of Contemporary Art, Kalmar (2008), Botkyrka Konsthall,Stokholm (2007), National Center for Contemporary Art, Moscow (2006), National contemporary art museum Oslo (2005)