The Kyiv International – ’68 NOW
events held by tranzit.cz
“Living Newspaper: The Legacy of the Prague Spring Today”
Blue hall
19. 5. 2018
A Symposium curated by tranzit.cz with the participation of Zbyněk Baladrán, Pavel Barša, Viola Ježková, Tomáš Hučko, Alexej Klyuykov.Perhaps we have never been as alienated from the spirit of 1968 in Czechoslovakia as we are now, when we find ourselves in hyper-polarized societies in which the progressive left is marginalized; meanwhile, the most immediate question of that time – could the socialist model be reformed or not – remains as central to any leftist thinking today as it was then.
“Filmmakers of the World, Unite!”
Screening and presentation by Tereza Stejskalová
Blue hall
20. 5. 2018
This screening of Black and White (1968) by Krishna Vishwanath and Fugue on the Black Keys (1965) by Drahomíra Vihanová will be followed by a presentation by Tereza Stejskalová (transit.cz) on the amnesia of the cultural exchange related to the temporary stay of students from Non-Aligned countries in Czechoslovakia. She will focus on the encounter between Asian and African students of film and the Czechoslovak New Wave in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as the paradox of racism under socialism. Because racism was supposed to be incompatible with socialism, this particular issue was considered taboo – yet film opened the question to public scrutiny.
1968 – tranzit.cz and VCRC
General information about the event.
The Kyiv International project aims to reveal the emancipatory potential in the idea of the political International, which first emerged in Europe. Today, in the age of structural crises of global institutions – when the maintenance of a transnational status quo is constructed from violated borders, peripheral wars, and the emergence of new walls and conflicts – the idea of cross-border unity and international solidarity is of utmost urgency for the future survival of Europe. The Kyiv International – ’68 NOW, the second edition of The Kyiv International – Kyiv Biennial 2017, will take place in the format of an international forum for art and knowledge, integrating art projects as an agora for debate.
The Kyiv International edition of May 2018 will explore the political and cultural heritage of the revolt and struggle of 1968, considering the antinomies of this moment for the West and East of Europe fifty years onward. The legacy of May 1968 remains a symbol of liberation and rebellion against entrenched power structures, and a cultural and artistic benchmark for Western Europe. The commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Prague Spring and Soviet military invasion of Czechoslovakia – most immediate in Eastern Europe – continue to define political and cultural divides across the continent. By overlapping the contrasting dimensions of this event, which is the starting point of contemporaneity, The Kyiv International – ’68 NOW contributes to the development of a united European subjectivity grounded in democratic internationalism, based on the principles of solidarity and inclusivity.
