Remapping female culture in Podgorica, Montenegro

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

The Ribnica River of Podgorica has been chosen for the project, for its special importance in the cultural memory of Podgorica. The river has also a significance in creating the city’s cultural identity.

A project highlighting the cultural identity of women and other marginalized and minority populations in the Podgorica, Montenegro, has opened for submissions.

Titled “Penelopolis: Women’s Cultural Map of Euro-Mediterranean Town,” organizers are seeking six female visual artists to participate in the project to shed light on their experiences and create a literal map of the region reflecting these backgrounds. Through their artistic interventions in the form of objects and spatial installations, female artists can make marginalized women’s cultural identities visible. By creating a new town cultural map that – unlike the official town cultural maps that mark only the places of majority cultural identities – recognizes and accepts the significance of minority identities, their influence on the town’s contemporary identity and the importance of marginalized cultural heritage in that context.

The project’s central event is a joint presentation and exhibition where all six female artists will present their installations to the audience at the Ribnica riverside.

The Ribnica River was chosen for its special importance in the cultural memory of Podgorica and its significance in creating the city’s cultural identity. In its past, Podgorica relied on the Ribnica geographically and culturally to a much greater extent than it does today. Although this settlement became known as Podgorica in the 14th century, it came to be known during the following centuries as “the town on the Ribnica,” including during the long period when Podgorica was under Ottoman control (1474 – 1878). During that time, the city was strongly influenced by Islam, an imprint still visible in the town’s contemporary culture today. The Ribnica River represents the very core of old Podgorica’s identity, as a motif and “the town’s heart,” and appears in oral tradition, numerous anecdotes and traditional Podgorican songs that have a distinctive oriental influence.

Female artists interested in participating can download and complete an application form from: http://www.nova-fkc.me/eng/indexn.php?projekti or www.kozavisual.net, and submit it to haticeutkan@gmail.com.