Balkan Beats 40 - Art is

Balkan Beats

ART is...

#40

FREE PRESS

A BIMONTHLY MAGAZINE BY THE VOLUNTEERS OF THE UNITED SOCIETIES OF BALKANS

Editorial

The 40th Edition “I was sitting with my friends in a cafe inside

Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, and I am not sure why we started to talk about the idea of art.

Maybe we were inspired by the beautiful city we were visiting, but at that moment we had a lively discussion about different interpretations of this word and the concept of art itself.

We didn’t agree on something, each of us

Art is...

by Giovanni Stanislao

sations is to listen and maybe process ideas that are coming from outside, something that you never considered till that moment and, maybe, to change your mind. Or maybe not, maybe you are still sure about your own idea, and that’s also understandable.

I really don’t know what art is. I really don’t

know what art should be, I have a vague idea saw art in a personal and specific way, prob- of what art is for me, but this idea is liquid, ably based on our own experience and our changing all the time. I don’t think there are defined borders. own taste.

Someone’s point of view, for instance, was And we can all explore, without no intention

inflexible: art is something that needs to have a meaning, a message. “Why?” I would ask.

Personally I don’t think so, I think you can find art everywhere, and the perception we have about the world around us is extremely subjective: something that has a meaning for me can be totally empty and meaningless for someone else. Someone else’s point of view was similar to mine, while other members of our group were sleeping on the table, bored by us arguing.

to be complete, what is art, for our volunteers. In this special issue of our magazine you will see how volunteers approach art, how they perceive it and what are their interests in this field.

Join us in this journey and maybe you will understand that you always wanted a tattoo or to start reading comic books, playing music.

Maybe you will find out you are born for theatre or for pottery making. Or maybe, you will use these hints to reflect and discover what Obviously nobody was right or wrong. The is your own idea of art. interesting part of these kinds of conver-

Balkan Beats, a part of Balkan Hotspot

Balkan Hotspot is the EVS (European Volun-

stant changes in the Balkan and Eastern Eurotary Service) project of “United Societies of Bal- pean region and under the need for the creation kans”, a NGO founded in Thessaloniki in 2008 of a better social environment. by a team of active young people.

Key areas of the organization’s activities conThe Balkans and Eastern Europe are geograph- cern the defense of human rights, the organizaical regions with many cultural features which tion of youth exchanges and training courses, offer a broad spectrum of actions and youth which will bring young people from Balkans and involvement initiatives. The organization was Europe together, the organization of local educacreated as a response to the pressure of con- tional seminars and multimedia production. www.balkanhotspot.org

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This magazine is distributed free of charge.

Contents

Contents Volunteer Life MY ART

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Out Of The Borders LIVING ART

When a new world comes out of a pencil

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09

19

Art in traditional African pottery making

Local Life URBAN ART

13

Exarcheia: The Anarchist Neighborhood in the Heart of Athens

Mix Fix

ALTERNATIVE ART

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Un Monde en Rose

The art of being in love

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The Ninth Art

Making jokes is an exercise of responsibility NOT YOUR AVERAGE FORM OF ART

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Tattoos: One Of The Oldest Forms Of Art

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Advertising: between art and business

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Bone Music: The Story of the Forbidden Music Made on X-ray

“Street art in Exarcheia, © Yusuf Taşkıran Athens” United Societies of Balkans is a Non Governmental Organization, founded in Thessaloniki in 2008, by a team of active young people. The organization was created as a response to the pressure of constant changes in the Balkan and Eastern European region and under the need for the creation of a better social environment. Key areas of the organization’s activities concern the defense of human rights, the organization of youth exchanges and training courses, which will bring young people from Balkans and Europe together, the organization of local educational seminars and multimedia production (webradio, videos, documentaries).

Main goals of the organization • To promote the values of non formal le- aring,volunteering, active citizenship and democracy for the creation of a better future for European youth.

• To promote human rights, solidarity and respect for diversity.

• To build healthy cooperation bridges between countries of the Balkan area and that of Eastern Europe with the rest of Europe.

• To locate and multiply the special cultural attributes of our societies.

• The break down of prejudices and stereo- types between Balkan countries.

Tel./Fax: +30 2310 215 629 | www.usbngo.gr

Property of Balkan Beats The United Societies of Balkans, NGO, does not necessarily share the opinions expressed in Balkan Beats. It is illegal to reproduce any part of this publication without referring to the source.

UNITED SOCIETIES OF BALKANS, NGO 8, Delmouzou str., Thessaloniki

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Volunteer Life My art

When a new world comes out of a pencil

by Maya Inninger

“Hello, I am Maya. I’m 20 years old and from Germany. I like to draw and sketch since I’ve

been quite small. Art has always been a companion in my life but one that is changing its face a lot. Art is my understanding friend when I need to let off steam and emotions. It’s my corrier pigeon that expresses my love and feelings to people in ways that I could never put it words. Sometimes it’s my drug to travel into my own world, sometimes I’m addicted to it. It’s also one of the worst pain and frustration and pushes my limits more often than any person.

It can ben my passion in lack of a lover. At times it’s my comfort zone, at other times it edges me out of my comfort zone. I don’t know what exactly art is for me, but I know for sure that it will always play an important role in my life.

Dirty dishes

04

© Maya Inninger

My art

My sister 2

Volunteer Life

© Maya Inninger

05

Volunteer Life My art

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Tears in our oceans

© Maya Inninger

Colorful nude

© Maya Inninger

My art

Can I finger you?

Volunteer Life

© Maya Inninger

07

Volunteer Life My art

My sister

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© Maya Inninger

My art

Volunteer Life

Art in traditional African pottery making

by Milica Velimirovic

“Pottery has historically been studied as ‘primitive craft ‘and something that doesn’t have

financial of cultural value. Back to the 15th century when European, Arab, and American men wrote the early historical of the African societies they didn’t consider pottery as ‘art’ and consequently, neither did their audiences in their home countries. African pottery is mainly hand-built. One of the constants in their traditional pottery production is that they are usually hand crafted without the use of a wheel. Maid pots are mostly used in everyday life of agricultural communities and their artistic expression is restricted to form and surface texture.

woman is allowed to make the pottery, while in others it is only the men. In some cultures, Many superstitions and rituals are present in there had to be a cleansing ritual before any pottery exploits, where in some tribes, only the work on pottery can begin, and in others, a man

Rituals in pottery making

“Bamana potter Seban Fané, Kunògò, Mali, 1991.

© Photograph by Barbara E. Frank.

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Volunteer Life My art

Stacking the pots for firing. Kunògò, Mali, 1991.

© Photograph by Barbara E. Frank.

ture of life that people in the past used to live, wasn’t allowed to be with a woman the night they behaviours and lifestyle. before he intended to create pottery, or a menstruating woman wasn’t allowed near the pits. It has always been fascinating for me to make something with my own hands, Something tanWhy pottery is representing art for me gible. Clay gives a lot of possibilities to the creator to play with textures, decorations, shapes, It’s still debating about whether pottery is con- and later colours. sidered art. From my point of view, it is. Pots represents data from the period in which they I came across traditional African pottery were created, the way of thinking and skills that during high school. The Museum of African Art the creators possessed. It gives us bigger pic- in Belgrade organized holiday workshops on

Blackening the pots. Kunògò, Mali, 1988.

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© Photograph by Barbara E. Frank.

Pots for sale on market day. Banamba, Mali, 1988

© Photograph by Barbara E. Frank.

My art

Volunteer Life

Exhibition in the Museum of African Art in Belgrade, year 2020.

The

most interesting part was the making of clay pots. The process itself takes a lot of the topic of pottery. For two weeks we had the time, patience, and focus. After two weeks of opportunity to learn more about the history of production, we had an exhibition and awards pottery and its significance. were given for the three best amateur works.

Work that I have presented on the exhibition.

Awarding moment after exhibition.

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Volunteer Life My art

Workshop for adults, year 2022.

Workshop for adults, year 2022.

The Museum of African Art in Belgrade organiz- students and adults. The best thing is that eves annual workshops for children, high school erything is free of charge.

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Urban Art

Local Life

Exarcheia: The Anarchist Neighborhood in the Heart of Athens

by Yusuf Taşkiran

Walking through the streets of Athens, when you look up, you will see the ancient city

where western philosophical thought was born. When you look in the other direction, you will discover a multicultural and mysterious neighbourhood with endless graffiti on its walls.

resistance located in the heart of Greece in Athens. Perhaps it’s one of the most marginal It’s a neighbourhood of artistic and political areas of Athens. Nevertheless, Exarcheia is a

Exarcheia…

© Yusuf Taşkıran

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Local Life Urban Art

As I walked along the street, I saw slogans,

posters and graffiti on the walls. There is a message inside all kinds of art, especially street art. You can understand this better when you see the streets of Exarcheia. This part of Exarcheia, which has graffitied about resistance, sometimes contains politic, sometimes anti-authoritarian slogans and things like that.

Most of the graffiti I saw walking on the street criticized the police force, the state, capitalism, and even tourism.

Exercheia has a long history of political pro-

tests and riots. Its political history, the liberal thought which environment created in the neighbourhood and the past events have made Exarcheia even more known. The most important of these is the Polytechnic Resistance held in 1973.

On November 17, 1973, a student uprising against the far-right military dictatorship oc-

© Yusuf Taşkıran

neighbourhood where many intellectuals, activists and artists live, where many anarchist and anti-fascist groups are located, and where they live in solidarity and somehow preserve their existence. The neighbourhood got its name from a businessman named Exarchos (Greek: Έξαρχος), who opened a large store there.

I looked at some of the travel blogs which I

reviewed about Exarcheia, instead of following the people talkings about Exarcheia as a dangerous area, on the contrary, I went there with the excitement of wandering around the streets of Exarcheia.

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© Yusuf Taşkıran

Urban Art

curred at Athens Polytechnic University. Hundreds of students assembled to oppose to Dictatorship of President Georgios Papadopoulos.

Students start a great anti-imperialist demonstration at the university. In the protests that lasted for three days, the students demanded the end of the military regime. Students became the symbol of resistance against the dictatorship in Greece. Even the public comes to the university to support the students. The military administration began to panic and sent tanks to the university, which the police couldn’t enter during these three days. The protestors were met with tanks and began to emerge as a place synonymous with leftist politics and anarchy.

Local Life

© Yusuf Taşkıran

ent countries who shared the same fate. Alexis ve Berkin.

The image on the left is Alexandros Grigoropoulos, who was killed by the police in Athens on December 6, 2008, and Berkin Elvan, who was killed by the police again on June 16, 2013, during the Gezi protests in Istanbul.

Fascism is universal. After Berkin was shot during the Gezi protests, these two children were commemorated together. Today, I saw the pictures of these two children side by side on the wall You are my brother Alexis, είσαι ο there. While the violence created αδερφός μου Berkin. by fascism is still encountered While I was wandering the streets of Ex- everywhere today, it is hopeful to archeia, a corner caught my attention: in this be aware of the joint pain and to corner, pictures of two children from two differ- continue solidarity for peace.

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Out Of The Borders Living Art

The art of being in love “An artist should not fall in love with another artist.”

by Tifenn Gancedo Marina Abramović

For many artists, art is a performance execut-

ed at a moment M on a support, resulting in a canvas or a sculpture. But for others, art is lived fully, through the body, even through its own life and is a test, a surpassing of its limits, a resistance of its body, mental and spiritual

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being. Art is lived entirely in joy as in suffering.

This is notably the case for the couple Marina Abramovic and Ulay, two artists known worldwide in the 80s for their extreme performances.

But before talking more about their common work, let’s linger a bit on our two characters.

Living Art

Out Of The Borders

No art without an artist

Marina is a Serbian artist who belongs to the

artistic movement of body art, i.e. artistic practices based around the body. Thus, she does not hesitate to put herself in danger during certain performances by mutilating herself, taking drugs… In one of her most famous performances, she even gave her body to strangers, allowing them to do whatever they wanted with it.

their couple through art by executing several performances which will force them to surpass themselves.

One example is Rest energy (1980) in which

Ulay holds an arrow and Marina holds the bow and they both balance each other. The arrow is aimed at Marina’s heart. If Ulay moves, the Ulay on the other hand is a German artist and outcome will be fatal for Marina. This perforphotographer, interested in space and society. mance illustrates the trust in the couple but In 1974 he worked on the project Renais sense also the man’s position of dominance. which is a serie of self reflected collages about gender construction. This exposition was con- In another performance called Relation in time ( 1977), the two artists sit back to back, tied by their sidered scandalous at the time.

Union and fusion

In 1975, the two artists met and decided to

form a couple. During 12 years, they will live

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Out Of The Borders Living Art

hair and do not move for 17 hours. As they do so, feel this love lived, the joy of the reunion, the their hair is untangled and their bond unraveled. sadness of the separation and the bond still For years, the two artists will explore the dy- present despite the years. It is to my eyes one namics and limits of their love, but unfortunate- of the most beautiful works of art that I have ly their relationship will deteriorate and they will seen because for me, art is the fact of feeling decide to separate. They will live this separa- something in front of a work. And this is exactly tion through a final performance : in 1988, they what happens in this case, it really makes me will each travel to one end of the Great Wall of feel a lot, I lived the emotion and the beauty of China (over 2000 km) before meeting one last the moment. time in the middle for a final farewell.

The end

Each of them will go their own way.

But 22 years later, while Marina organizes a

“Some couples buy pots and pans when they move in together. Ulay and I began planning how to make art together.” Marina Abramović, Walk Through

performance at MoMa during the retrospective: Walls: A Memoir The Artist is present, consisting in sharing a minute of silence with strangers, she will meet Ulay one last time for a final performance. One Ulay will die of cancer a few years later, leaving of the most intense ever. Through their eyes we behind the work of his collaboration with Marina.

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Living Art

Out Of The Borders

Making jokes is an exercise of responsibility

by Roberto Gentile

Writing, thinking, doing stand up comedy: behind the writing process.

“I went to a restaurant that serves ‘breakfast at any time’. So I ordered French Toast during What is stand-up comedy? the Renaissance.”

Stand-up comedy is a comic style in which a coSteven Wright made this joke, and it works well median performs in front of a live audience, usually speaking directly to them. It is a comedian who for two reasons: tells funny stories through comedic performances. the premise is straightforward and clear: “I went to a restaurant that serves ‘breakfast at any The comedian usually recites a fast-paced time’; And the punchline - So I ordered French succession of humorous stories, short jokes called “bits”, and one-liners, which constitute Toast during the Renaissance is impressive. what is typically called a monologue, routine For years I have found stand-up comedy a fas- or act. Stand-up comedians perform in comedy cinating art: making people laugh is like being clubs, bars and theaters. a magician: you speak and tell a story, leading the listener to look for a direction and expect What does stand up comedy mean a solution, and suddenly PUNCH! PUNCHLINE! to me?

With a sudden swerve, you abruptly interrupt Excellent question, thank you, Roberto. the beliefs of those who listen to you. Words Writing comedy for me is one of the many that sound like a punch. Precisely.

Before going into too much detail, maybe I should answer a few questions:

valuable ways to explore my sensitivity because doing stand-up does not mean only making people laugh. Or rather, it only means this for people sitting at the table of a pub or in the most comfortable theater chairs, but for the writer, for those who have to stage the jokes, doing stand up means much more.

I will give a concrete example to clarify the con-

Steven Wright

cept: there are different ways to write comedy, techniques and rules from which you can start, and with time and experience, each person finds their unique method, often imbued with designs and styles different.

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Out Of The Borders Living Art

Roberto Gentile

A basic rule, which is often underestimated

or ignored by novice performers, is to write, at more dramatic than comic tone because you first, ignoring the fact of wanting to make peo- are analysing your fear. ple laugh—writing in prose.

With the text under your eyes and the sadness You want to do a comic piece about the fear in your mind, you can begin to dig into every you have of being on stage; well, before you try sentence to imagine possible worlds or exyour hand at various jokes and sketches, one of treme situations that the fear of being on stage the options available to you is to simply write and your personality can bring. And from this what you feel, straight away, without censoring moment, the comic journey begins; from here, any of your thoughts. At this point, the short you see the glimmers of madness that lead to monologue will probably have a decidedly the uniqueness of your stories.

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Living Art

Out Of The Borders

What stand-up comedy is not: black humour.

It is customary to think that doing stand up

comedy means wearing a mask of cynicism and slapping society and the individuals who live it with words. This label is because some of the most famous stand-up comedians, like Ricky Gervais, Louis Ck, and George Carlin, have pushed the public of specific slices of Steve Martin Writing stand-ups using such a technique the world to think of stand-up as a synonym that I use transforms the art of making people for Black humour because of their borderline laugh into a simpler journaling exercise. Start- jokes. And that’s not the case. ing here, starting from you, without constraints It can be, but it can take other forms as well. or rules other than letting the words slip from the ink of the pen, is less worrying than “looking Stand-up comedy and how you write and perfor the joke”. form on stage is a highly subjective operation You will get to the joke, over time, with the resulting from several variables. right ways and the proper techniques, but first, If you want to make stand-up by forcing youryou have to process your feelings, write, un- self to write cynical jokes because stand up = derstand what you want to say, discover new black humour, well…then many excellent potenaspects, ask questions, and retrieve moments tial comedians will be lost in the sea. and sensations.

The techniques for constructing a joke are not In short, a sort of journey of introspection to very many, readily available on the internet and get on stage, take the microphone and laugh at in some manuals. yourself with the audience.

However, mixing them by merging them with That’s why I find the art of comic writing and your personality creates comedy that can be bringing it to the stage fascinating. Because based on criticism of society; a comedy aims to script allows you to have a personal reflection ridicule itself, an observational comedy, based tool, a diary of memories from which to grab on the small details that, once heard, make you jokes, it enables you to face limits and shyness. exclaim, “man, I noticed this too!”.

It will enable you not to take yourself seriously In short, not just black humour. without hindering yourself from facing reality because you understand the value of empathy It is essential to define something and building a relationship with the public.

from what it is not.

starting

It is an artistic work that, however, requires And comedy is not necessarily black humour, craftsmanship.

not only that.

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Out Of The Borders Living Art

Ricky Gervais

Making jokes is an exercise of responsibility.

about the social meaning. Social networks act as a megaphone, and we need to be mindful of this.

Writing comedy confronts you with a question: It is not true that “we can no longer say anyHow much can I push myself on a sensitive topic? thing”. However, when writing a joke about religions or some cultures, you have to be ready For several years we have been talking about to take responsibility for it. Much more than in political correctness: a term used to describe the past. language, policies, or measures intended to avoid offence or disadvantage to members of Personally, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. On the contrary, I believe that reflecting on what particular groups in society. you can say puts you in front of questions and Is it true that “we can no longer say anything”? reflections that can allow you to understand No. this is a generalisation that forgets to read your style, your arguments, and what you want the context. So let’s try to analyse. to base your comic voice on.

It is undoubtedly true that social media has giv- Making a borderline joke on Twitter can be a

en a virtual microphone to all those who have risky choice because the people who read it written and expressed opinions and thoughts don’t know your personality or story. on the various platforms. And the audience that listens can go from one to 1,000,000 in A borderline joke made to your friends over just a few shares. a beer can trigger immense laughter because they know your “language code”.

Which places each person in front of the actual aspect: the responsibility for their own be- The same joke made on a stage or on Twitter, haviour. There is a big difference between the in front of people who have no idea who you past and the present in comic writing: the need are, can trigger an irresistible desire to get hit to be aware of what you are saying and think by a fist or label you as a “monster”.

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Living Art

Out Of The Borders

The victim could feel embarrassment, shame,

Understanding that some jokes can be made

pain, and be laughed at. The victim could, in fact, feel like a victim.

in front of your friends and not at other stages Put like this, it is no longer funny. does not mean that “you can no longer say anything”, but rather indicates an intelligence capa- This is the most immediate example of underble of reading the context and surfing its wave. standing that hidden truths are hidden under every joke, as well as pain and trauma and situThe value of tragedy in comic writing ations that were anything but funny when they One of the reasons I find it more fascinating were experienced. to write comedy is that you can start from your It is essential to make an aside: It’s good to own dramas to build a joke. delve into your grief to write comedy, but that mean that being depressed automatLet’s make an easy example: Slip on a banana doesn’t ically gives you the quality of a comedian: peel. A comedy called “slapstick”. sometimes, to talk about your own dramas, you to have had the right time to have passed For those in front of a screen, this scene can be have hilarious. But if we put ourselves in the shoes over them. Otherwise, it becomes a dig in the of someone who slips on the banana, the feel- skin that only causes pain. ings could be anything but laughable.

Apart from this, an example of how pain can

be turned into comedy is provided by one of the most beautiful and intense stand-up comedy shows: live on the sunset trip by Richard Pryor.

In the late evening of June 9, 1980, during the

making of the film Unsupervised Freedom, following days spent taking cocaine, Pryor doused his body with rum and set himself on fire. Naked and on fire, he ran down Parthenia Street out of his Los Angeles mansion until he was pinned down and arrested by the police.

He was transported to the hospital with second and third-degree burns on about half of his body.

Pryor spent 6 weeks hospitalised in the severe

burns ward of Sherman Oaks Hospital. His daughter, Rain, claimed that the accident occurred due to drug-induced psychosis.

Pryor incorporated an ironic description of the

Richard Pryor

incident into his comedy show. He told every detail, mimicking the flames that enveloped his body, the pain it caused, and the drug-induced sensations that night.

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Out Of The Borders Living Art

A few years later, in an interview, Pryor said, “I

tried to commit suicide. Next question? “.

The courage to submit his own personal dra- I fear, at times, the idea of compulsive jokes:

ma made Richard Pryor and his eternal the search for a joke in contexts that need everything but your jokes; comedy unique.

For me, the idea of making stand-up is continuous navigation between an exercise in style Making stand-up is a highly subjective pro- and an exasperation of one’s own comic mask. cess. Each one has its own techniques, comic And this search puts you in front of the certainvoice, goals, ambitions and values to deliver to ty - not the probability, but the certainty - of failure, of jokes that perhaps will receive applause this art. or turn people’s faces upside down.

Laughing at one’s pain can be a way of exorcising fears, traumas, dramas, broken dreams, Comedy writing makes you vulnerable to the consumed conflicts, contradictions felt, the banality of your observations and arguments; inconsistency of our minds, and the awkward- it causes you to desperately seek a semblance ness to which life subjects us from time to time. of originality.

Laughing is serious business

Writing comedies pushes you to get involved, Who knows, maybe someday I’ll have a spe-

get out of your comfort zone, and collect ex- cial on Netflix and be so rich that I can afford periences with the hope that your stories will to walk smiling randomly at people to proudly show off my 24-karat gold teeth - teeth that I make an audience laugh one day. will have implanted because I am too busy havI see art as a way to explore sensibility, and ing a beautiful life to find the time to brush them -. writing comedy matches exactly this definition.

Several times I noticed my attitude to analyse Maybe someday I’ll wear one of those prewhat I’m surrounded by, looking at peo- sumed intellectual coats that I bought after months of doubts resolved only after exhuming ple’s behaviour. and asking on Yahoo Answers, “hey, length and I love to get on the bus observing the behaviour colour for a coat that wants to provoke envy of those who have not stamped the ticket and and disgust at the same time? 10 points to the are anxiously experiencing the journey; Or of best answer!!!! “; But despite everything, I will two people who notice the only free seat left not forget who was close to me in my time of and wait for the right moment to take posses- need, and that is why I will hire a butler for sion of the throne. my butler.

I love to walk to dig through the crowd, search- And if this possibility makes you laugh, well, ing for small and trivial situations.

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I’m on the right path.

Not your average form of art

Out Of The Borders

Advertising: between art and business

by Laura De Cesare

Advertising is always around us when we have lunch, go out on the street, read a news-

paper, or scroll our Instagram home page. But, how does it change over time? How many differences do we have now if we look at the past? And how is the relationship between art and advertising?

Toulouse Lautrec

When

we think about art, maybe we never imagine that advertising could also be a form of art.

Her story is ancient, and it starts at the end of ‘800.

In this period, the first advertising poster real-

ised by Toulouse Lautrec was born.

Toulouse Lautrec was a French painter and a pioneer of graphic design. In 1891, the Moulin Rouge’s director commissioned the young artist to create a poster to announce the arrival on the stage of a new dancer: Louise Weber.

From this moment, advertising language changed. Toulouse Lautrec showed details about bohèmien life in Paris, using simple lines and intense colours, leaving emotions permanently in the observer’s mind.

© www.metmuseum.org/art/collection

He became one of Paris’s most crucial illustrators and designers in a few years. Lautrec helped the avant-garde language become fa-

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Out Of The Borders Not your average form of art

mous, and he represents a link between paint- Acqua San Pellegrino and Strega liquor, but the ing originality and press standardisation. most important partnership was with CampaHe also realised the design of the favourite During Futurism, the advertising poster ri.

“Campari Soda” bottle, known worldwide, with changed the concept. It was more graphic and many posters advertising. less pictorial, more communicative, emotional and looking to the future, the industrial and the Depero thought, with the owner Davide Camtechnology. In this period, the most influential pari, that the product must be recognizable to artist was Fortunato Depero. everybody to succeed.

With the economic boom, advertising lost its artistic value and became a business in Depero was an Italian painter, sculptor, de- the postwar period. Advertisers understood signer, illustrator, scenographer and costume that they had to study the sign and the form designer. In 1919 opened his “Casa d’Arte Futurista” in Rovereto, a city in the north of Italy. It was an advertising agency where his adventure started. He thought that art should walk near industry, science, politic and fashion, celebrating it but without being subjugated from there.

Depero created new lettering and used colourful illustrations and abstract figures.

Depero

The artist had a lot of collaborations with fa-

mous Italian enterprises such as Magnesia,

Depero - Campari

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© www.depero.it

Depero - Campari

© www.depero.it

Not your average form of art

Out Of The Borders

Andy Warhol

The leading artist of this period was Andy War-

to touch the public, and advertising became a science linked with sociology, psychology and marketing. Right now, Pop art has grown. Pop art means popular art, and it’s the first art that put in contact art with the mass.

Coca-Cola - Andy warhol

hol. He was an American painter, graphic, illustrator, sculptor, screenwriter, film director and actor. He decided to convert art into business using silk-screen printing. With this technique, he printed goods in a series. In this way, the objects hadn’t the concept of a single piece but

© www.mostrawarhol.it/andy-warhol-opere

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Out Of The Borders Not your average form of art

two actors in star camp. The second one, from Laurence’s Women in love, is more intimate and underlines the amorous lexical of the poet.

Obsession - David Lynch

© www.darlin.it/cultura-pop

The third from The sun also rise by Hemingway

is more spectral: there is a half-naked man in a became a commercial product. It’s the case of dark room full of strange shadows, obsessed silk-screen reproduction of Coca-Cola’s cans. with woman visions that, after a burst of light, kissed him. In the final, Lynch shoots the man’s David Lynch eyes, and he starts to cry. This scene underlines the obsession for a love that maybe could Recently, advertising has changed a lot. During be only in his dream. The spot based on Flauthe poster campaign, many artists committed bert’s work it’s not available. It’s well-none only their work and created videos. It’s the exam- the name of the actors: Lara Flynn Boyle and ple of David Lynch, an American film director, Benicio Del Toro. screenwriter, musician and painter. He created different advertising spots for Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Dior and Barilla, little artistic videos that show his unconventional talent.

History tells us that Lynch received his first

offer to realise an advertising campaign from Calvin Klein for the new perfume Obsession.

When, in 1988, he started to shoot that in advertising, the path toward passion began.

He created four spots from F. Scott Fitzgerald,

D.H. Lawrence, Ernest Hemingway and Gustav Flaubert’s literary piece of novels. In these advertisements, the film director’s passion it’s clear, and the main characteristics are black tones, a dreamy atmosphere, unusual framings and flashing lights.

At

the same time, all themes have their own peculiarities.

SCAN HERE TO WATCH THE ADVERTISEMENT

Businesses and society always choose new ways to persuade the public, and the arts are The first one was created on a fragment of always the key to success. It seduces the audiFitzgerald’s Great Gatsby, and it’s the most ro- ence and transforms brands into legends that mantic. It finished with a sensual kiss between remain in everybody’s minds forever.

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Not your average form of art

Out Of The Borders

Bone Music: The Story of the Forbidden Music Made on X-ray During the Second World War, many genres of

music were banned in the Soviet Union. Especially listening to the recordings of western musicians was seen as a crime. A large amount of music was censored by the Soviet state, including rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, and forbidden Russian immigrant songs. Such music was defined as the music of the enemy. Among the banned singers were many musicians such as Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Pyotr Leshchenko, the Rolling Stones and Ella Fitzgerald.

by Yusuf Taşkiran

Ribs

recordings (also known under other names such as music on ribs, bones music) were improvised gramophone records made in the Soviet Union using discarded X-ray film.

The iconic images of gramophone grooves cut into x-rays of skulls, rib cages and bones have captured imagination way beyond the music scene.

With a special lathe, bootleggers were pressed

on thick radiographs found in hospital bins and Despite the strict bans on music in the Soviet then cut into rough discs around 25 centimeUnion, some music fans found a way around ters across, sometimes using a cigarette to censorship. In this forbidden period, music had burn the central hole. a very interesting story in underground culture.

Due to the absence of western music recordMusic lovers and bootleggers defiant of cenings in the USSR, people had to rely on recordsorship began to compose and distribute their ings from the black market. They took risks to own records. The most interesting thing was obtain these recordings, even though they knew how they made these recordings?

A skull x-ray recording

A hands x-ray recording

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Out Of The Borders Not your average form of art

A rib X-ray recording

it was a penalty for being caught with forbidden music. Copying bootleg rock and jazz records onto old x-rays was the ingenious plan of a group of people who didn’t want to give up music.

A hands X-ray recording

films with ribs, skull and hip bones to copy the recordings. It seemed almost impossible to imagine that people would go this far to listen to a song. Stephen Coates, who came across an X-ray recording at a market stall during his They needed a device to make these record- travels, makes the following definition; ings. In 1946, two music lovers, Ruslan Bugaslovski and Boris Taigin, succeeded in copying “They are images of pain and damage overthe recordings. Using parts from tools such as laid with the sounds of pleasure, fragile phodrills and old gramophones, they built a record- tographs of the interiors of Soviet citizens ing machine.They used previously used X-ray inscribed with the music they secretly loved”

Disc recorder

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Un Monde en Rose

A world in pink

by Lena Foligné

“They reassure me, they represent simple emo-

tions, they don’t take it into their heads and I can them do many things in different scenes “We all have our ups and downs, and my graph- make that come from dreams or everyday stories. ic universe was born from a difficult moment in my life. The end of my studies, the end of It has become a whole world! A world that I relationships, questioning of myself, the end of have been manipulating a lot for two years a part of my youth... in short, a lot of compli- now. So much so that it is no longer me who cated elements accumulated all at once. So I controls it, but it has taken over me. It makes had to externalise all that to find a way to put it me create all sorts of things: sculptures, illusinto perspective. trations, ceramics and textiles. That I stage in living space as well as in different places From there, my first pink characters appeared, my where I could exhibit my work. Now this pink very simplistic, very colourful, which contrastworld, I hope, will extend to others, touching ed with my emotions and my experience.” people as it has touched me and embellishing Hey, I am Lena, and I am passionate about psy- ours, sometimes too bland. “

If you are interested to see more about Clément’s work, do not hesitate to follow him on Instagram!

When I learned that this magazine would be dedicated to art, I thought about Clément, a I find it particularly interesting how his artistic friend of mine but also an artist that I greatly personality grew during a difficult period of his admire, from Rennes, France. In this article, he life. In his case, I can question myself : should talks about his art, how he started creating and he need to feel sad to have inspiration ? where his creativity led him.

Creativity is a very personal thing that explains why two artistic works are distinct. Each of us is unique, and we are also different from yesterday and from tomorrow. That is why art and creativity are so rich for me; whether you are

chology and intrigued by using art in therapy.

Clément’s Studio

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an artist or a spectator, the same art is seen in various ways, and it also depends on your mood at the moment.

I remember having a super lovely conversation with a psychologist and an artist about art.

After discussing, we all agreed that art could be a way to express ourselves by bringing up what we truly feel, whether we do it consciously or unconsciously.

Because yes, in my opinion, we can express

our feelings in visual form: visual arts, dance, music, film, video, theatre, writing, storytelling…

Do not worry, no matter how talented or skilled we are, the most important thing is to listen to our inner “voice” and express ourselves through our artistic creation. The most interesting is to bring out emotions and feelings repressed in our unconscious.

The power of the unconscious!

As Clément said: “It has become a whole world!

A world that I have been manipulating a lot for two years now. So much so that it is no longer me who controls it but it has taken over me.”

I will not answer the question above, “should

Clément needed to feel sad to have inspiration?”, first because the answer is his and your who draws his inspiration from everyday life but opinion is your own and subjective. also his unconscious, in his dreams, for example.

But you can ask yourself: “The illustration of a great dream where I gathered everything I love in one project (bmx, art, How do you find inspiration? design, party and drawing). A crazy project of a car-ramp! The perfect mix between a bus and a What is the price of creativity, what is the cost or art? skatepark to be able to ride anywhere.”

To illustrate, I can use the experience of Clément,

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The Ninth Art

by Giovanni Stanislao

Every year at the end of October, my friends and I hop on a train from the south of Italy head-

ed to Lucca, a beautiful medieval city in Tuscany. There, we rent an apartment too small for our group, we buy junk food, we prepare to not sleep at all and we spend five intense days in the nerd paradise: the biggest comic book convention in Europe. We never skipped an edition of the festival since we started to attend 12 years ago, it’s a tradition and a really important moment for us during the year. People wait for Christmas, we wait for Lucca Comics.

What happens in these events, without even

romanticizing too much, is magical. Thousands of people with the same passion and interests gather in the same place to meet their idols, maybe a writer of a fantasy book they love, an artist from Marvel Comics who draws their favorite character, or an actor from a TV Series; they gather to “cosplay”, dressing up as their favorite characters from anime or movies; they gather to buy and read the newest publications presented during the festival by the authors; they share this moment as part of a community, with enthusiasm and energy.

they are not a form of art with the same dignity as the others.

From escape to art

USA,

between the nineteenth and twentieth century a new form of visual communication was born. In the beginning, comic books were a way to escape reality, giving the readers the tool to run away from their problems, from the daily life. It’s in this moment that Superman, Batman or Captain America were created. In their series these characters would deal with

Probably this sense of being part of something

is why every comic book lover will get angry when people dare to say that comics (or bande dessinè or manga or whatever you want to call them) are only for kids, when they dare to say

Captain America

Superman by Andy Warhol

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issues that were representing the real society of the time, so that the american citizens didn’t need to do it . That’s why we have Captain America, the common man become superhero, punching Hitler’s face in one of the most famous cover from Marvel Comics.

Many names, same concept

It’s true that when most people hear the words

comic books, they go with their mind to superheroes and action, maybe some would think about Disney’s characters. Not many would imagine that actually other countries outside of the USA have a developed comic book culture, But what is art if not a way to express ideas with amazing example of how this form of art or reflecting on society and people? Probably deserves more attention by the big public. without even realizing it, authors like Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster (Superman), Bob Kane and Parallel to the so called Silver Age of SuperBill Finger (Batman), Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and heroes ( from the 50’ to the 70’, when comics Steve Ditko (who had the genius idea of the “su- became a real mainstream source of entertainperhero with super problems”, creating charac- ment, with an increase of popularity among the ters like Spider-man, Hulk, the X-Men, Black youth), in other countries masterpieces were Panther etc.), influenced society in a way it was being produced. impossible to predict.

The Argentinian Historieta reaches its peak in It’s in the 60s that art started to evolve and take the 60’s with masters such as Hèctor German a different path: artists like Andy Wharol and Oesterheld, Hugo Pratt, Francisco Solano Lohis Pop Art movement didn’t want to relegate pez and Alberto Breccia. The most representait anymore to the traditional forms like sculp- tive work from this period is surely El Eternauta ture and painting, but there was the necessity (Oesterheld, Lopez), a series that uses sci-fi to find new way to express creativity: comics tropes and archetypes to metaphorically talk became that way. about the geopolitical situation of the country, even of the entire south american region.

Now considered a masterpiece, the plot is of-

El Eternauta

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Corto Maltese

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Tintin

ten seen as an anticipation of the golpe in the

1976, in which Oesterheld himself will be a victim as one of the many desaparecidos.

Italy sees the creation of the comic industry

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

(“fumetto” in italian) as an evolution of the educational or religious comic books for children.

Artists used this platform to create and develop their talent, even if in the beginning this medium was not even considered a form of entertainment, let alone a form of art: the point was to teach something to the young readers.

But the quality of the work was high and that’s where italian masters of this art began: Attilio Micheluzzi, Jacovitti, Dino Battaglia. Gianni De Luca and many others, who later created their own and adult stories for us to enjoy. Then a new phase started with characters now famous all over the world: Tex Willer (Giovanni Luigi Bonelli), Diabolik (Angela and Luciana Giussani), Kriminal (Max Bunker), Dylan Dog (Tiziano Sclavi) and, probably the most important, Corto Maltese (Hugo Pratt). The difference from before was that from now on the tone

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will be darker, more adult, with often politi- the comic books festival are actual cultural events that even politicians and institutions attend. cal connotations.

France

and Belgium are, with their Bande Dessinnè, the most important european comic book industry. The production in these countries has always been huge, with characters that today are known by everybody; some exemple: Tintin by Hergè, Lucky Luke by Morris, Asterix and Obelix by Renè Goscinny and Alber Uderzo or The Smurfs, created by Peyo. In this country comics are perceived as a form of art,

Japan has maybe the biggest comic books in-

dustry in the whole world, with extremely popular manga like Dragon Ball, One Piece, Naruto, Attack on Titans. These series are known by everyone, thanks to the anime screening in TV or platforms like Netflix. The manga culture is interesting because it often shows all the contrasts and idiosyncrasy of the japanese society: 20th Century Boys by Naoki Urawasa, Akira by Kutsuhiro Otomo, Doraemon by Fujiko F. Fujio or Ranma ½ by Rumiko Takahashi are different examples of how mangaka (the term used to call comic book creators in this country) use their own artistic style to talk about common themes. From genres that can space from comedy to horror, they often describe this peculiar society, its people, their social issues and traditions, even if the story is set in a fantasy world or a distant sci-fi future; and very often environment and respect for nature are the main topics, starting from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki or Battle Angel Alita by Yukito Kishiro.

Something serious

“ When I want to relax I read essays by Engels.

When I want something more serious I read Corto Maltese”- Umberto Eco

For the famous author of “The Name of the Ms. Marvel- Kamala Khan

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Rose”, comics were a serious thing. Sadly is not common to see intellectuals, writers or institutions talking about them or sometimes even

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considering them a form of art or something valuable for culture. Proof of this prejudice is that in schools, very rarely comics are a subject of study, usually education systems around the world focus on the so-called classic arts, such as painting, sculpture and music.

But, as we said before, comics have a huge im-

pact in every day society and people.

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selling books in the country (next to extremely popular titles like Harry Potter or My Brilliant Friend).

And when comic books are a way to overcome

personal tragedies and express yourself, in a way that other people can relate and use it to do the same, it is meaningful: that’s the case of Emil Ferris with her My Favorite Things Are Monsters, a work that the artist used to describe her difficult life as a girl in the 70s and her illness that made her paralyzed for a long time and forced her to learn how to draw or even walk again.

muslim immigrants living in america understand they can be whatever they want to be despite the cultural differencies, just because in 2014 Marvel Comics created the new Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan, a teenager girl who happend to be the first muslim superhero, it’s But the examples of why this art should be more appreciated and considered are endless. something meaningful.

When black men all over the world finally find It’s representation in media thanks to Black Panther (1966), the most important African superhero, it is meaningful.

When,

through comic books, we can learn about important topics, social issues, human rights, it is meaningful: not a lot of people in Italy knew about the Kurdish conflict in Syria and Turkey till Kobane Calling, an amazing Graphic Novel by Zerocalcare, became one of the best

encouraging to see important museums like the Louvre or the British Museum hosting exhibition about comic books artists, treating them as all the other artists; or the permanent exhibition the Uffizi Gallery in Florence created with 52 of the most important italian comic book artists; it’s inspiring to see Belgium government deciding to celebrate their culture redesigning citizens passports that from this year will feature characters like Tintin and the Smurfs between the pages.

Kobane Calling by Zerocalcare

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My hope is that more will follow this model and society will accept this beautiful form of art as part of the “valuable” culture. Excelsior!

My Favorite Things are Monsters

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Tattoos: One Of The Oldest Forms Of Art

by Yusuf Taşkiran

Tattoo is the art of self-expression that people inscribe on their bodies to emphasize something, sometimes with a letter or text, sometimes with a shape or drawing. Today, people from different cultures get tattoos on their bodies for different reasons. So, how old is the history of this art, which remains popular these days? Why are the meanings they represent so important to people?

Tattoos are considered one of the oldest forms

Nowadays

of art.The beginning of tattoo art, which is sometimes a fashion and sometimes a means The tattoo industry and culture has evolved of self expression, is almost as old as the his- over the years. In recent years, tattoo culture has been developed by many artists and turned tory of humanity. into modern fine arts. With the increasing popularity of tattoo culture, many people get tattoos Tattoos in history on different parts of their body for different There are many more stories from the past, reasons. However, there are still prohibitions many things to be told about tattoo art. Differ- against tattoo art in some countries. For exament cultures, with different reasons and stories, ple, in Japan, if you have a tattoo on your body, have carried and kept the tradition of tattooing entrance in some places is forbidden because until today. In ancient civilizations, tattoo de- getting a tattoo in Japan is associated with a signs sometimes represented status symbols, criminal organization called the Yakuza. In Densometimes religious beliefs, or even forms of mark, tattooing on the hands and face is conpunishment. Some civilizations even thought sidered a crime. Before getting a tattoo in the that the tattoo had a protective role against country of prohibition, North Korea, you must diseases and evils. For example, in the past, get government approval. In Thailand, a Budnoble and heroic people had tattoos among dhist country, it is prohibited to have a Buddha the Hun Turks. In Ancient Greeks, tattoos were tattoo on your body. made to show criminals and slaves. In Ancient Egypt, tattoos included motifs consisting of My skin is my canva symbolic images of gods. In New Zealand, the Maori tribe applied facial tattoos called “moko” The shape of each tattoo, the message it wants to their faces. Moko was defined as a symbol to give and the meaning it represents are very of beauty for women and a symbol of war for different. Tattoos represent thoughts and feelmen. It was considered disrespectful to have ings that we sometimes don’t talk about. These this tattoo done by non-Maori people. In the designs that people embroider on their bodies Hawaiian Islands, they believed that tattoos can sometimes be simple and sometimes detailed. Each tattoo has a meaning that is improtected people from evil spirits.

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Laura

It’s a water lily, the flower that grows in the mud.

The photo in black and white doesn’t show you the tattoo’s color: it’s half coloured in pink, and the other part of the flower is in black and white; on the basis, there is the blue of the lake drawn as a watercolor. I chose the water lily as a tattoo because it represents the best way to live life: even if it could be a lot of trouble, they help us improve and grow. I choose to design my tattoo middle coloured and middle in black and white because problems never end, and there will be ever something to face, but not be discouraged; on the contrary, be grateful for life because we will be better for sure.

Yusuf portant to the person who has the tattoo. We asked some of our Balkan Hotspot volunteers what their tattoos mean to them, and we got interesting answers:

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Sisyphus…The man who deceived the gods in

Greek mythology. In other words, he was the first man punished by the gods. The gods had punished him by raising a boulder to the top of a mountain. He was punished with pain and

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Tifenn failure, as the boulder he had so selflessly had rolled back onto the mountainside each time.

Sisyphus, who came down from the hill to roll the rock again, is actually a rebellion against despair. This is sometimes the case with our resistance to the challenges in our daily lives.

The story of my tattoo is actually not so great:

I was at a party with a tattoo artist guy, and I wanted to know if getting a tattoo was painful so he suggested that I try. As I didn’t have an idea for the drawing I just told him that the whole thing was super chaotic and we decided to tattoo “chaos”.

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Lena

To me, a tattoo is a way to express yourself,

either it is just aesthetic or with a meaning. My tattoos are linked with some moments of my life : they are my emotions, they are part of me !

Giovanni

At some point I decided to have a tattoo for ev-

ery life changing experience I would go through, bad and good. This is my second one: I was volunteering in Turkey with an organization that was trying to save turtles. The project was interesting but what made this period something I will never forget was the people. And that’s why I did this tattoo (representing the first two baby turtles I personally saved), with some of the other volunteers, volunteers that I am happy to call friends now.

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Tifenn Gancedo | 22 years old Favorite topics are travel, art and history.

Lena Foligné | 22 years old Favorite topics are Psychology, art and travel

Giovanni Stanislao | 31 years old Favorite topics are cinema, culture and social issues

Roberto Gentile| 26 years old

Guests

Favorite topics are storytelling, culture and art

Maya Inninger

Yusuf Taskiran | 23 years old Favorite topics are history, art and music

Milica Velimirovic | 20 years old Favorite topics are photography, literature and cinema.

Laura De Cesare | 28 years old Favorite topics are music, social issues and literature

Diogo Vilarinho | 25 years old Favorite topics are art, design and photography

General Directors: Editor: Aristodimos Paraschou Giovanni Stanislao Christian Cibba Sara Angioletti Graphic Designer: Anna Maria Diamantidou Find us: www.balkanhotspot.org Usb_ngo.gr

The volunteers responsible for this publication are hosted in Greece in the framework of the European ERASMUS+ Programme, European Voluntary Service. This project has been funded with support from the European Commision. This publication [communication] reflects the views of only of the author, and the Commision can not be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.