In her artistic research in Büchsenhausen entitled In Ruins/“In Search of Identity”, Tatiana Fiodorova-Lefter explores the complexity and diversity of her identity through decolonial discourse and writing. As an artist from the region of Moldova, born and raised in South-Eastern Europe/Bessarabia/Soviet Union, she faces many questions about her identity and belonging, given by historical contexts like the influence of various empires on cultural traditions, as well as the ideological factors that have shaped public consciousness in this region.

In the framework of the Büchsenhausen Focus Weeks 2024, Tatiana has invited two guests to reflect on these issues: the Romanian philosopher and writer on critical social theory and decolonial thought Ovidiu Ţichindeleanu and the queer curator, researcher, and writer Sasha Baydal will relate to her work in two public events, including her interest in the corn and nettle plants, which according to her build and represent a link between people, land, and traditions of the Bessarabian region, serving also as a connection with the ancestors.

 

Politics of Corn. Cultivating Crops—Planting Identities

Talk and discussion with Sasha Baydal

THIS IS A HYBRID EVENT. You can either participate in the event on site at Künstler:innenhaus Büchsenhausen or follow the event online, via Zoom and Facebook. You will receive the Zoom link after registering via Eventbrite.

In response to Tatiana Fiodorova-Lefter’s research In Ruins/“In Search of Identity”, Sasha Baydal will question the relationship between identity construction and colonial expansion, focusing specifically on cultural and agri-cultural politics, the production of their visual representations, and their integration into everyday life. As cultural and economic colonialism go hand in hand, they alter existing relationships and practices, establishing a specific form of relations that Martinique environmental engineer and political scientist Malcolm Ferdinand refers to as “colonial habitation”. This perspective can be applied to all aspects of life, including cultural practices and land cultivation. By examining specific cases and crops in former “post-socialist” countries in Europe and Central Asia and their movements, and linking them to a broader postcolonial framework, the talk aims to uncover the multi-layered, changing, and contradictory identities within these regions, as well as the connections between colonial projects across geographies.

As an introduction, Tatiana Fiodorova-Lefter will provide an overview of her project, emphasizing its focus on cultural identity, particularly through the reinterpretation of her Moldavian-Ukrainian roots in the historical context of the Bessarabian region. Having grown up in the urban Soviet environment of Chişinău, she will discuss her recent immersion in rural life and agriculture, including the cultivation of corn – a tradition she had inherited from her parents and ancestors but forgotten and now revived.

Sasha Baydal (they/he) identifies as an interdependent art worker and Eastern European queer. Their practice as a curator, researcher, and writer is centered around experiences of displacement, a certain cultural memory of the socialist past and memory loss, and their family’s history shaped by different forms of forced mobility. Their work is influenced by postcolonial and queer theory, along with decolonial approaches, and involves daily exercises in recollection, remembrance, and decolonization. They have collaborated with Centre Pompidou in Paris, HISK in Ghent, Mudam Luxembourg, Triangle-Astérides in Marseille, Capc Museum in Bordeaux, Lviv Municipal Art Center, and Pickle Bar by Slavs and Tatars in Berlin, and others around exhibitions, discursive programs, performances, workshops, and texts.