by Joanne Richardson

I left Bucharest when I was 9. My parents were political refugees of the Ceausescu regime. I came back to Romania after 20 years to discover a “postcommunnist” atmosphere that sings praises to the market and condemns any critique of global capitalism as “Stalinist.” Concepts like the commons, the collective, and activism are dismissed because of the disrepute of their communist past. When activism becomes outlawed on the level of thought, passivity is legitimated as an everyday reality.

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Download of the day – the HACK.Fem.EAST.Zine!
If you didn’t catch this in the Tagesspiegel /Taz last week, here it is as a fresh little pdf.

HACK.Fem.EAST.Zine (german)

A handful of the exhibitors and participants at HACK.Fem.EAST have contributed with some great texts:

Joanne Richardson – Video als Intervention
Marina Grzinic – Das Hacken der Geschlechtsdifferenz
Jasmina Tesanovic – Computer und Empfängnisverhütung
Mare Tralla – Faces – Ein weiterer lokaler Ort
Humourworks.org – Humour Works
Valie Djordjevic – Old Girls Network – Elektronische Mailinglisten und Frauennetzwerke

Here are some HACK.Fem.EAST Opening Night Impressions from Kunstraum Kreuzberg.

All over Berlin, these stickers are becoming more and more prevalent, inviting you to call 030-2000-9039 for Miss Information. From the project page:

“Miss Information” presents herself as an Information Service, affixing stickers out of context to other media, posters, signs, walls, anywhere where information may be sought, creating the impression in callers that if they call her, she will inform them about the item of their interest.

(…) when the next callers call Miss Information, they are connected directly to the last callers, and then are called themselves when the following callers call, and so on. The information, naturally, being transformed as it passes from person to person.

At HACK.Fem.EAST you can visit the Miss, pick up a bunch of stickers, and listen to the confusion and connections that arise. Here’s a taste:

And don’t be shy, call right now, the number is a local Berlin number, no other costs apply.

030 – 2000 9039 (+49-30-20009039 from abroad)

More about Miss Information and her Telekommunisten

Janez Jansa has put up a nice slideshow of his presentation of SS-XXX – Die Frau Helga – The Borghild Project Reconstruction from saturday at HACK.Fem.EAST. Be sure to pump up the volume – but maybe not if you’re at work…

To the slidehow

10 May – 22 June 2008
HACK.Fem.EAST
Women, Technology and Networks in Eastern Europe

We are really happy to announce the starting of HACK.Fem.EAST!
Our website will be an up-to-date and open presentation of the projects and will show the development of the network that we are collectively building up for this occasion – and after (we hope).

The participants of HACK.Fem.EAST will have the possibility to add posts on the blog during and after the opening to keep the network alive!
And of course…remember to come to the opening of our exhibition!

Opening night of HACK.Fem.EAST
Friday, 9. May 2008
19.00 – Welcome: Sigrid Klebba, City Mayor for Education and Culture of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg
Performances:
19.30 – Dobrodošli / Welcome / Willkommen (Performance)
Leila Cmajcanin (BA). Humour Works
19.30 – Down to Earth (Performance)
Jana Prepeluh (SI), Humour Works
20.00 – Karasssuite (Performance)
Ana Filip (RO/SK) und Barbara Huber (AT/SK)
21.00 – From Tea Lady Into a Sexfly (Electro / Spoken Word Performance)
Lady Gaby (RO/DE)

Dj Sets:
22.00 – DJ Spoma (HR/DE)
23.00 – Lil Bustard & Freak (Performance & DJ Set)
Hairstyling in electro tech house rythm (PL)

See you @ Kunstraum Kreuzberg /Bethanien!!!

Tatiana Bazzichelli & Gaia Novati