Jonathan Berger’s residency in the Marie-Josée and Henry Kravis Studio culminates with a day of conversations and presentations with collaborators, artists, scholars, and activists. Throughout his residency Berger and a community of craftspeople will construct a scale model of Kaunas, Lithuania, circa 1941, before the city came under Nazi occupation. Berger pairs this model, based on the drawings and research of Kaunas-based amateur cartographer Marija Oniščik, with archival materials from the writer and activist Melanie Kaye/Kantorwitz, who is known for her notion of “radical diasporism,” a non-nationalist form of Jewish identity.
A morning session begins with presentations by a diverse group of participants who will discuss their own concepts of radical diasporism. A conversation between Marija Oniščik and Erica Heilman follows; taking the form of a radio episode, the two discuss Oniščik’s research and process in making maps of Kaunas from the 1940s. An afternoon session brings together artist Susanne Sachsse and Social Center Emma, a queer and anarchist community space in contemporary Kaunas. This will be followed by a conversation with Jonathan Berger and curator Thomas Lax, who will discuss the project’s ongoing development and its continuation beyond the residency.
Capacity is limited and advance registration is required. Tickets will be made available at the end of July.
PROGRAM
11:00 a.m.
Part 1
“Melanie Kaye/Kantrowitz and Contemporary Frameworks of Radical Diasporism”
Nadia Abu El Haj, scholar
Vaginal Davis, artist
Danièle Fogel, herbalist
Esther Kaplan, writer, editor, and journalist
Lia Leibman, herbalist
Aurora Levins Morales, writer and activist
Lisa Suhair Majaj, poet
Sara Roy, scholar
Marija Oniščik, architectural historian and cartographer based in Kaunas, Lithuania, in conversation with Erica Heilman, radio journalist
1:00–2:15 p.m.
Break
2:15 p.m.
Part 2
Agne Bagdziunaite and Asta Volungė, curators and founders of Social Center Emma, in conversation with artist Susanne Sachsse
Artist Jonathan Berger in conversation with MoMA curator Thomas Lax
Organized by Thomas (T.) Jean Lax, Curator, with May Makki, former Curatorial Assistant, Department of Media and Performance, and Cam McEwen, Studio Museum/MoMA Fellow. Produced by Lizzie Gorfaine, Director, with Aminah Ibrahim, Assistant Performance Coordinator, Performance and Live Art.