Realise & Resist

Art has always been highly sensitive to crisis. In recent years, crises have relentlessly engulfed Europe and the planet as whole, deeply impacting the fabric of multiple societies and individual lives. In this context the importance of artists and artistic production—in particular the ability of artists to critically and compellingly reimage given situations—has emerged as a potent and promising capacity. 

The REALISE project raises questions about how contemporary artists are dealing with this shifting and omnipresent phenomenon: What aspects of crisis are addressed? What ideas and alternative models of resistance to crisis are being developed? How can art promote strategies of resilience? Is something emerging that could be described as creative crisis intelligence? 

The first presentation of the REALISE project will take place at the Collegio Armeno Moorat Raphael on the occasion of the preview of the 56th Venice Biennale 2015 from May 6 – 10, 2015. With a comprehensive program comprising an exhibition, a live cinematic performance, workshops and discussions, REALISE invites artists and visitors to gather and discuss the issues at hand and collaboratively develop vital methods of resistance in times of crisis. 

The project spans an extended period from November 2014 – October 2016. Participating institutions from Germany, Slovakia, Greece, Croatia, Austria and Spain are cooperating not only in a joint presentation in Venice but also in various other activities, such as transnational exhibitions and performances, festivals, artist-in-residence programs, workshops and lectures. The XXI. Rohkunstbau “Apokalypse” 2015 in Schloss Roskow near Potsdam is also part of this programme. An interactive virtual exhibition platform will make the results of the project available to a wide European public. 

The REALISE project is an initiative of the ATLANTIS network. Founded by the Heinrich Boell Foundation Brandenburg in 2008, this informal consortium brings together contemporary art and cultural institutions from Europe, including countries such as Armenia, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Moldova, Slovakia and Spain, in the form of cross-border cultural exchange and cooperation. This approach has been reflected in the implementation of projects such as Atlantis – Hidden Histories—New Identities. European Art 20 Years after the Iron Curtain (2008–9), HEICO – Heritage, Identity and Communication in European Contemporary Art Practices (2010–12) and currently REALISE_The Resilience of Art in Liquid Crises (2014–16). 

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