October, 20th – November, 3rd 2013 / Kardzhali
November, 11th – December, 1st 2013 / Ruse
“Rodina” means homeland and is the descriptive title of a series of photographs by Irina Ruppert. At the age of seven, Ruppert together with her family emigrated from Kazakhstan to Germany. Decades later, she set off with her camera to Eastern Europe, Russia and Kazakhstan, in search of pictures from her childhood. The resulting photographs are a wonderful approach to one’s roots and the question of identity. The focus of her work is on the subjective perception of the journey and not on its distanced documentation. Irina Ruppert’s pictures are inconceivable, elusive and subjective just like the concept of a homeland. The rolling hills of a lush green landscape, over which one would like to run barefoot; the cakes on the refrigerator, on which a little girl leans; the man with the scythe on the field who looks at us; the granny with her grandson in front of the house, in the background the bloody head of a slaughtered animal. Each of the photographs leaves its individual trace like a puzzle piece in the biography. Irina Ruppert’s photographs are impressions that arise from experiences and encounters and in the eyes of the beholders connect with their own memories.
From October, 20th to November, 3rd, the exhibition will be shown within the frame of Germany Celebrates with Kardzhali. In collaboration with Colored Glasses, workshops and visits of the exhibition will be organized for students. The shown pictures will be a starting point to broach topics such as homeland and identity, but also tolerance and intercultural competence.
From November, 11th to December, 1st, the exhibition can be visited in Ruse. Irina Ruppert will be present at the opening. On November, 12th and 13th, she will offer a photo workshop on the topic Homeland/At home. The photography workshop is primarily aimed at a younger audience and people interested in photography. The artist will lead the workshop and provide inspiration through different project examples. Besides this, all students will have the opportunity to realize their developed ideas practically and present them within in the group. There will be also a theoretical focus on camera techniques and composition of images.
Kardzhali
October, 20th – November, 3rd 2013
House of Culture
Miniorska Str. 1
Opening: October, 20th 4 p.m.
Ruse
November, 11th – December, 1st 2013
Ruse City Gallery
Borisova Str. 39
Working hours: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Opening: November, 11th 5.30 p.m.
Photography workshop
November, 12th – 13th – 3 p.m.
Max number of participants: 10
Please register before November, 4th 2013 on:
irena.markova@eliascanetti.org
The event is realized with the financial support of the Grenzgänger program of the Robert Bosch Foundation and held in cooperation with the German Embassy, Goethe Institute Sofia, Ruse City Gallery and the Colored Glasses.
