Contribution Barbara Rapp
artwork: "wer hat angst vorm tschuschenweib?"

      

“Who’s afraid of the tschusch woman?”

Ironic reflection of the problems facing the Slovenian ethnic group in Carinthia who seek the right to freedom of

thought and self-determination. The art work shows a cosmopolitan Slovenian woman wearing traditional

costume (typical bonnet). She arrives in Carinthia with a friendly intent, above the controversial “Fürstenstein”

(Prince’s stone) over the legendary “Lindwurm”, a winged dragon which is the symbol of Klagenfurt. Her arms

emerge from her open mind (her head) and try to find a balance that is acceptable to all.

The Carinthian has a hat which is far too big in order to contain his tolerance. Rightly or wrongly he feels

himself endangered. The lambent lion (part of the Carinthian emblem) in the Slovenian hand seems not to be

well-disposed towards him. The apprehensive Carinthian is caught up and feels threatened with his own

misplaced patriotism.

(“Tschusch” is a pejorative term applied by Austrian to Carinthian Slovenes)

"wer hat angst vorm tschuschenweib?"
Eine ironische Betrachtung des zweifelhaften Umganges mit der slowenischen Volksgruppe in Kärnten. Bezug zum Recht auf Gedankenfreiheit und zum Selbstbestimmungsrecht als Persönlichkeitsrecht. "Tschusch“ ist ein umgangssprachliches Schimpfwort für den Kärntner Slowenen.

Das Werk zeigt eine weltoffene Slowenin mit typischer Trachtenhaube, die sich in freundlicher Absicht nach Kärnten „hereinschwingt“, über den umstrittenen „Fürstenstein“ und den Lindwurm, das Klagenfurter Wahrzeichen, hinweg. Ihre Arme kommen aus dem offenen Geiste (dem Kopf) heraus und versuchen, eine Balance zu finden, die für alle tragbar ist. Der Kärntner mit seinem viel zu großen Kärntner Hut (als Eingrenzung seiner Toleranz) sieht sich in Gefahr, fälschlicherweise oder zu Recht? Der züngelnde Löwe (Teil des Kärntner Landeswappens) an der Hand der Slowenin scheint ihm nicht wohlgestimmt zu sein. Der ängstliche Kärntner wird praktisch von seinem missinterpretierten Patriotismus bedroht und eingeholt.

THE CONCEPT

On 10th December 1948 , the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was proclaimed: for the first
time in the history of humanity, a document concerning all the people of the world was
drawn up. Everyone of us, only due to the fact that he was born, enjoys the rights endorsed by
the Declaration. Everyone of us, regardless of the place where he was born and where he lives,
enjoys these rights. Everyone of us has civil, political, social, economical and cultural rights.
Everyone of us is equal to the others.
Is it always so?

In HUMAN RIGHTS? artists speak about human rights. The title, simple and direct, without
roundabout expressions, expresses the main idea which must go with everybody’s life.
In this event, uncomfortable, complex and denunciation subjects are dealt with, in order to sting
the conscience of all those who, enjoying their own rights, don’t think about all people whose
rights are violated every day.
The logic of HUMAN RIGHTS? is based on the fundamental concept of art as a universal
expressive form, understandable by everybody regardless of his language and culture,
regardless of his gender, of the subject and of the languages used.
Languages vary depending on the artists’ experience and mastery, and they create new
relationships with the audience, who approaches art feeling immediately involved and directly
concerned. Discomfort images, violated rights images, images about everyday stories which should
not exist, but even images which are able to deal with a delicate and difficult subject with wisdom
and, why not, irony.
The exhibition will highlight different ways to see the matter, since the event is open to artists from
all over the world. It becomes so particularly interesting to discover in which way the perception of
the concept of “respect of the rights” is experienced and expressed.
The event aims to shake consciences: it deeply wants to avoid common places brought by word
abuse: to speak about human rights has become so common that the words “human rights
violation” are deprived of all meaning and by now they touch us only at a distance when we hear
them, without getting them into our heads.
The most immediate way to retrieve that conscience, essential to be really part of a system which
respects everybody’s rights, is to see with one’s eyes all that artists have to say. Images insert
themselves in one’s memory in such an immediate and strong way that all those who visit it will
leave it more conscious and emotionally involved.
To speak about human rights, according to artists, means to “pull out” many ideas which can’t
find the space fit for the purpose in other events.
HUMAN RIGHTS? wants to be a strong signal to all the artists and to all those who will visit it.

 

THE LOCATION

The mighty bell Maria Dolens, the largest outside Russia and East Asia, and the largest sounding
bell in the world. Maria Dolens ("the grieving Virgin Mary") was built under the inspiration of a
local priest, between 1918 and 1925, to commemorate the fallen in all wars, and to this day it
sounds for the dead every day. Originally a patriotic rather than pacifist idea, it is today regarded
as a shrine to peace.

   

Fondazione Opera Campana dei Caduti - Colle di Miravalle

38068 Rovereto – Trento – ITALY

To reach Campana dei Caduti set the navigation system with the following coordinates

LATITUDE: 45.87427  |  LONGITUDE: 11.04094

   

THE ORGANIZATION

The event is managed with Fondazione Opera Campana dei Caduti in Rovereto, a foundation
with a philosophy and an story full of meanings about human rights and peace.
There will be the opening on 18th September 2010.
During the vernissage on Friday 18th September there will take place artistic performances.
Further events can take place during all the weekend and all the next weekends, even during the
Saturday morning dedicated to children and school boys.
During the event there will take place some conferences about the issues of human rights, with a
careful view of the projects of Fondazione Campana dei Caduti.
Spazio-Tempo will animate all the month of the exhibition thanks to international artists’
performances, action paintings, meetings with artists who will be available to speak about their works.
During the exhibition Spazio-Tempo will organize guided tours for groups of visitors and school groups.

     www.fondazioneoperacampana.it
www.humanrightsart.com

ORGANIZATION

ART DIRECTOR	Roberto Ronca
PROJECT	Roberto Ronca e Debora Salardi
IDEA	Roberto Ronca e Debora Salardi
COMMUNICATION	Debora Salardi
MUSIC BY	Fausto Degada
WEBDESIGN	Romano Nannini
LOCATION	Fondazione Opera Campana dei Caduti Rovereto (Trento)
PRESS OFFICE	Spazio-Tempo
LOCATION MANAGER	Morena Berti
PUBBLIC RELATIONS	Ketty Tomio
DIRECTOR’S ASSISTANT	Annalisa Ferraro
PARTNERSHIP	EUROPEAN LOCAL DEMOCRACY WEEK 2010