This event, a film screening at the History Meeting House, delves into the weaponization and mobilization of memories surrounding Soviet repressions. It features works by artists Julia Simonchuk, Äsel Kadyrkhanova, and Maria Kapajeva, exploring themes of ideology, memorialization, and silenced histories.
The event, 'Weaponizing and Mobilizing Memories of Soviet Repressions,' hosted at the History Meeting House, centers on a film screening that examines how memories of Soviet repressions are utilized and mobilized. The event showcases the artistic perspectives of Julia Simonchuk, Äsel Kadyrkhanova, and Maria Kapajeva, each presenting distinct video works that engage with historical trauma, ideology, and personal narratives.
Julia Simonchuk's works, 'Testimony of CHAIKA-II' and 'Background,' utilize found photographic artifacts and abstract visual responses to explore themes of power, memorialization, and the physical remnants of violence within former KGB sites. Äsel Kadyrkhanova's hand-drawn animation, 'All the Dreams We Dream,' addresses the Kazakh famine of 1930-1933, questioning dominant Soviet narratives and exploring the boundary between human and non-human in the context of silenced histories. Maria Kapajeva's video, 'The enforced memory,' offers a personal reaction to the debates surrounding Soviet monuments in Estonia, using her home town of Narva as a focal point to discuss contested historical symbols and the ongoing impact of conflict.