MANUŠ MEANS Averklub HUMAN Collective MANUŠ MEANS Averklub HUMAN Collective 2/6 —————————————— 5/9 2021 Celebration of the anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution, lantern parade in Komořany, 1970s, courtesy state regional archives litoměřice, photo: unknown 2 3 rganized by a collective addressed the structural causes O of artists, cultural work- of the exclusion of the Roma ers, and activists, Manuš Means people, situating these in the Human opens up a series of wider historical context of the questions about the relationship twentieth century. But while it between art and the material looks to the past, the exhibition conditions of its production is strongly grounded in the and presentation, and about the contemporary moment. Starting ways in which the constitutive from the context of the Chanov narratives and origin stories of housing estate in the city of Most places, peoples, and nations are in the Czech Republic, the exhi- written. Through juxtaposing bition puts the living conditions ethnographic, documentary, and under the “totalitarian” regime of artistic materials, the exhibition the past and the “liberal” regime examines the role of art in creat- of the present into sharp con- ing cultural myths, the relation trast. In this way, a different map of art objects to remembrance of the second half of the twen- and the interpretation of history, tieth century emerges—one that and the scope of a decidedly deconstructs the false narratives non-elitist and activist practice perpetuated by major contempo- within the privileged space of rary media that present capitalist the white-cube exhibition hall. It countries as technologically and explores the ways in which we socially advanced, and socialist can talk about marginalization countries as oppressive and without slipping into stereotyp- joyless places in desperate need ing or exoticization, and how we of catching up. The exhibition can fight against oppression on explores the successes and short- an everyday level while challeng- comings of socialist policies ing ourselves to imagine things toward Romani integration in beyond the pragmatic realpolitik order to inspire us to look once of this particular moment. more at the socialist project, with clear eyes, as a possible Averklub Collective’s practice model of building equality that starts from recognizing that the goes beyond identity politics. Mosaic of a poppy in the House of Culture, Chanov housing estate housing Chanov Culture, of House the in a poppy of Mosaic oppression of marginalized and dispossessed peoples comes Economic injustice, stigmatiza- from structural conditions tion, negative stereotyping, and created by interlacing econom- racism against the Roma has ic and social factors over long been present across Europe for periods of time, rather than from centuries, and the treatment of isolated incidents of discrimina- the Roma is one of the biggest tion. Manuš Means Human traces blind spots of the contemporary the policies through which the European project—they contin- 4 Czechoslovak Socialist Republic ue to be scapegoated and used to divert public attention from into ways in which the cultural larger social conflicts. During the imagery of a marginalized people “transitional” period in Central is created, as a way to offer alter- and Eastern Europe, following natives to hegemonic narratives the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, of “minority” and to work against the violence targeted at the Roma policies of erasure and the population increased significantly. forgetting of past struggles and Austria had its own shameful ep- attempts at emancipation. isode in 1995, when four Romani men were killed in Oberwart by a Cultural and activist work pipe bomb hidden behind a sign interconnected with art practice that said, “Go back to India”. In strongly informs the activities of more recent history, a particularly the Averklub Collective, and we harsh example of discrimination are pleased that, through this exhi- is the division of Europeans into bition, we can present the group’s “bad” and “good” citizens, resulting latest research and artworks, in the infamous deportations of produced in collaboration with Roma from France and Italy in various generations of residents of 2010, and which continues through the Chanov housing estate. The increased policing and harass- aim is to move away from ro- ment. At the same time, despite manticization, victimization, and ulková p official declarations on inclusivity essentialization and to instead and numerous humanitarian and offer new perspectives capable of arie m non-governmental programs in mobilizing cross- ethnic solidari- most European countries, the ties. The exhibition at kunsthalle general socioeconomic position wien is also an implicit critique of the Roma people is down- of contemporary trends that dis- played and turned into a problem guise charity, and its patronizing of “cultural” difference, while the handing out of what one has in systemic causes behind their ex- excess, as solidarity. Manuš Means of archive the from treme poverty and social exclusion Human advocates for a solidarity remain unchanged. that asks for the questioning of one’s own comforts and privileges, This exhibition is about the and consideration of structural specific histories of the Roma, social changes that are necessary but by bringing to light different to create just and dignified living episodes from the history of conditions for all members of 1980s, center, city Most Romani movements, it touch- society. es upon, in the words of the Averklub Collective, “the desire What, How & for Whom / WHW for a dignified life common to all Directors, kunsthalle wien ordinary folk who are prevented from participating in decisions re- garding their own fates”. It looks 6 7 The Averklub Collective is Manuš Means Human (Manuš shows that any such attempt the outcome of a collaboration znamená člověk) is the title of a at cultural or ethnic exoticism between the Romafuturismo book by Vincent Danihel, a defers and complicates genuine Library (now the Josef Serinek Czechoslovak communist poli- emancipation and inclusion Library) and the association tician of Romani origin. In this within the broad collective of the Aver Roma. This collaboration book, which was published in European social community. The culminated in the establishment 1986, Danihel analyzes the his- exhibition presents artifacts and of the Aver Club Cultural torical development of the social documents relating to events Center at the Chanov housing status of the Roma. In using the from the past seventy years in estate in Most, Czech Republic. same title for the exhibition, we what used to be Czechoslovakia. want to draw attention to what It puts together a picture—albeit The Aver Club Cultural Center unites people rather than what a fragmentary one—of why the offers a daily cultural and leisure divides them. We want to show inclusion and cultural develop- program in the premises of what that, over and above the mul- ment of the Romani population used to be a nursery school, tiplicity of cultures, genders, is impossible without social jus- which is open to all residents nations, and so on, there exists tice. The truth is that the Roma of the housing estate. A social another level of belonging that is enjoyed greater social justice enterprise is also currently being accessible to all without excep- when integrated into the former set up in order to improve the tion. Aware of the individualism communist countries, and that social and economic situation of that could result from this, we the renewed capitalist order of the local population. Developed place the collective principle of the past thirty years has failed as a self-supporting initiative, mutual belonging at the fore- to achieve what was at least this social enterprise has front of our activities. While this partially accomplished under the stepped in to compensate for the could be regarded as a socialist previous regime. We see the for- lack of structural solutions. principle, we see it as a perspec- mer situation as inspirational for tive directed toward the future beginning to consider positive The Averklub Collective re- and also as the only possible way changes in the future. searches the silenced history of of relating to others within hu- the Roma and other sociopoliti- man society. We do not believe cal questions related to excluded that this perspective is possible localities and groups in the within a society organized along Czech Republic and beyond. Its capitalist lines. We are also con- members are František Nistor, scious of the confusing historical Roman Šváb, Radek Šváb, and conceptual associations that Nikola Nistorová, Dana Bažová, surround the word “socialist”, Helena Pompová, Zuzana but we are prepared to risk being Cicková, Markéta Pařízková, misunderstood. Markéta Strnadová, Ladislava Gažiová, Jakub Jurásek, The exhibition Manuš Means Zbyněk Baladrán, and Alexey Human attempts to show this Klyuykov. “dialectical whole” using the ex- ample of Romani art. Rather than simply recounting a comforting Averklub Collective Averklub Manuš Means Human Means Manuš 8 story of Romani art, it instead whw: Manuš Means Human builds on the collaboration between the artists from the Averklub Collective and activists and orga­ The System nizers in the Chanov housing estate in Most, Czech Republic. How did this collaboration come about, and why? How do you work together? Could you tell us a bit about your collective’s Must Change structure and artistic approach? ac: The collective arose spontaneously and naturally. We’ve never had an explicit mission statement. It was more a kind of functional aid to our joint efforts rather before than a declaration of collectivism as such. We got to know each other while searching for a new home for the Romafuturismo Library, which had previously been based in Prague. The Aver Roma [Other Roma] clubhouse Anything Else had already been in existence for some time at Chanov. It was led by a handful of locals, and the emphasis was on youth sports activities (e.g., the junior football team).