UNMASC! thrived on artistic reciprocity. Through short-term residencies, artists embedded themselves within partner communities, fusing methodologies and creating a shared artistic language.
Vienna Through a Kosovar Lens
Kosovar director Zana Hoxha brought her feminist practice to Vienna, co-facilitating a powerful workshop on gender justice and mental health. It honestly confronted a core dilemma: how to safely include heteronormative men without compromising the safer space for FLINTA* voices. The residency was also a strategic mission, weaving UNMASC! into the fabric of Vienna’s cultural institutions through countless meetings and networking events.
“The residency highlighted our shared values, feeling like the beginning of a long-term partnership”, Zana Hoxha.
Prishtina’s Stage for Dialogue
For Serbian artist Attila Antal, a residency at Prishtina’s FemArt Festival was a deep immersion. Co-facilitating a workshop with participants from Kosova, Serbia, and the Roma community, he explored peacebuilding through storytelling. The festival provided a vibrant backdrop for forging future cross-border collaborations.
“As part of the workshop, we learned how to take space, an essential aspect of gender equality. Attila and Shpëtim introduced us to unique ways of discussing peace, gender, and art, outside of conventional concepts. This approach opened new questions and topics for me. The experience was freeing and different from traditional workshop formats”, said Tamara Milanovic from Serbia, participant in the workshop.
Novi Sad’s Collective Creation
Viennese artist Danilo Jovanović brought his “Open Soul” method to Novi Sad, seamlessly collaborating with local director Uroš Isak Mladenović. Their workshops fused movement, music, and personal narrative, empowering participants to become true co-authors of the work and fostering a profound sense of community and ownership.
“Feedback on the sessions we did together was very positive and the exploration of my Open Soul method turned out to be a very valuable source of knowledge for the workshop participants”, Danilo Jovanović.
