GLUB, 2004
Fluidity and fragmentation mark migratory culture in the cityscape
By Shahram Entekhabi & Mieke Bal
video: 30 mins, colour, multi-lingual with English subtitles
Written, directed and edited by Shahram Entekhabi
Project assistant Noa Roe
GLUB is Arabic for "hearts" and "seeds." In Berlin, the shells of seeds testify to migrant cultures within contemporary European urban centres. These traces of passing gestures are "low" icons of migratory aesthetics.
They help constitute an aesthetic because they mark the look of the city that, through these shells and the sociability of the people who left them, has donned a visible aspect of diversity.
One migrant said they eat them to pass the endless time of unemployment. It became a habit, then a tradition, literally incorporating a sense of family and community. The habit has now become characteristic of young migrants in European cities. The sight even became more pervasive when European youngsters began to imitate the cool-looking habit. Identity transforms itself, while contact is established within the "look" of culture.
GLUB (Hearts) has appeared at the following:
- Weltenbewegend. Migration macht Geschichten, Weltkulturen Museum, Frankfurt/ Main, 2019/2020
- Rome, Royal Dutch Institute Rome, Interculturality Week, 2015
- Kunsthaus Graz, Graz, Austria, 2010
- Exhibition "The Last Frontier / La última frontera""
- Exhibition "Towards the Other," Peter & Paul Fortress, St Petersburg, Russia, 2011
- Townsend Centre, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA, 2008
- "Cultural Circulations: The Movement of People, Goods, Ideas" conference, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 2005
- "Migratory Aesthetics" workshop, university theatre of the Universiteit van Amsterdam, 2005
- "Las formas de la Nada: Imágenes de la ausencia en el mundo contemporáneo" conference, CENDEAC, Murcia, Spain, 2004
- "The Aesthetics of Everyday Life" seminar, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, 2004
- "The Aesthetics of Everyday Life" seminar, Concordia University, Montreal, August, 2004
Special thanks to the following institutions:
ASCA, University of Amsterdam
Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities Case Western Reserve University Ohio
de ateliers, Amsterdam
Hamburger Bahnhof Museum für Gegenwart
Hartnackschule für Fremdsprache
Haus der Kulturen der Welt,
n. b. k. Neuer Berliner Kunstverein
NEXT interkulturelle Projekte
PLAY_ gallery for still and motion pictures
For equipment lent
Werkleitz Gesellschaft e.V.
Additional images contributed by
Arne Hector, Lena Michaels, Gary Ward
Special thank for their valuable contributions:
with valuable contribution of: Maria Theresa Alves, Claudia Abugosh, Kathrin Becker, Manuela Bilir, Pat Binder, Sarda Cesür, Davoud Changizi, Reza Davudi, Jimmy Durhamy, Katerina Dyogot, Philipp Entekhabi, Jérome Gauliard, Mark Gisbourne, Dianna Glienke, Wolfgang Griltsche, Allen Hebilovic, Katarina Herzen, Leiko Ikemura, Berra Ilkan and class, Djamila Jahn, Karl Edward Johnson, Hicran Kutal, Kwang Sai-Lim, Maryam Mameghanian-Prenzlow, Shaheen Merali, Boris Mikhailov, Lise Nellemann, Ghazi Omayrat, Serkan Osman, Merve Öz, Bojana Pejic, Angelika Richter, Niko Samini, Jasmin Schmidt, Anna Rose Steinberg, Michael Steinberg, Alexander Tolnay, Leila Topic, Serdar Weitzmann, Jan Winkelmann, Sabine Winkler, Magnus Wisig, Bülant Yozgat, Ersa Yucel ...
