Moldova
Oberliht / Chişinău
Founded in 2000 and based on rather long working experience as an independent cultural actor, Oberliht aims to interconnect dispersed artistic scenes and build an artistic community making use of public spaces. The association aims to provide support to emerging artists and contribute to their professional development. It develops and maintains interdisciplinary platforms and projects aiming to connect the local and international contemporary art and culture initiatives, and advocates for a strong and independent cultural sector in Moldova and in the region.
Issues related to built environment and city development are often present in the projects due to the role which urban planning and architecture have in projecting public space, and thus fostering or diminishing social cohesion or increasing/decreasing opportunities and representation for most of the people. Main interest is to discuss what forces and processes are shaping the public space today, if the inhabitants take part in this process and how this process evolved during the last three decades.
Since 2009 Oberliht is running the KIOSK AIR artist-in-residency program that encourages the creation of new work in relation to local contexts and realities. It offers the opportunity to explore various issues that relate to Moldova’s situation in general and to analyze the processes that shape Chisinau’s public space today.
The program is structured in a collaborative manner in which Oberliht plays the role of local host for invited artists, curators, architects and other professionals, while the city as a whole, substituting for the studio, serves as place of research, for producing and exhibiting (chiosc.oberliht.org/air/).
Aiming to educate a new generation of cultural workers the projects always develop non-formal educational activities through public presentations, seminars and workshops, and international and local volunteers are actively involved to contribute to the aims of the association.
The activity of Oberliht follows the principles of self-organization and non-profit activity.
