Hybrid Landscapes: In Review
Hybrid Landscapes was a 12-month programme of residencies focusing on research and artistic processes, exploring Central and Eastern European (CEE) identity in the UK funded by Arts Council England. The programme featured artists Rosamaria Kostić Cisneros, Vlatka Horvat, Karen Babayan, Nela Milic, and Paulina Korobkiewicz.
This series of micro-residencies examined and conceptualised themes such as CEE identity, postcolonial space, racialisation, in-betweenness (see our In-Between Spaces report), and migration in the UK. The artists utilised our space for their creative processes while engaging with audiences and the local community.
The residencies at Centrala spanned a wide range of artistic disciplines, including visual, participatory, performing, and sound arts, alongside photography, architecture, writing, curatorial practice, and art criticism. Each six-week residency incorporated research, workshops with local audiences, and events such as talks and seminars.
Homeland, Paulina Korobkiewicz (October – November 2023)
Paulina Korobkiewicz‘s residency culminated in Homeland, an exhibition developed from the research project Post-Socialist Britain?: Memory, Representation and Political Identity amongst German, Polish and Ukrainian Immigrants in the UK. This large-scale research initiative, conducted in collaboration with the University of Birmingham and Nottingham Trent University, explored the connections between memory and political identity in new national contexts.
The exhibition featured works by Sylwia Ciszewska-Peciak, Yuxi Hou, Ismail Khokon, Marcin Forys, and participants of the Central Eastern European Photography Club. It reflected on the visibility of migrant communities in West Bromwich and Hyson Green, creating a platform to share diverse migration experiences.
During her residency, Korobkiewicz hosted several workshops, including ‘Sequencing and Storytelling’ with James Cunliffe and a zine-making session with Jaskirt Dhaliwal-Boora. Homeland was also curated into a photobook, launched during the Being Human Festival and available for download or purchase via our online shop. In December, the exhibition travelled to the Surface Gallery in Nottingham.
Circular Catalysts and Rosamaria Kostić Cisneros (January – February 2024)
Rosamaria Kostić Cisneros’ residency was accompanied by the Circular Catalysts exhibition at Centrala, presented in collaboration with the Romanian Cultural Institute and the British Council.
Cisneros’ residency included workshops, panel discussions, and film screenings of her earlier projects, such as Urban Village: The Growing Project and Roma-Recycle-Reuse-Reimagine. Highlights included the ‘Little Activists’ Letters to the Planet’ family arts activity and the performance and screening of MAHALA… Going Home – Challenging Power Structures through Dance.
Workshops facilitated during this time included a botanical printing session with exhibiting artist Anoushka Cole and two Craftspace Shelanu collective-led sessions focusing on basket weaving with recycled materials and dreamcatcher-making.
Until the Last of Our Labours Is Done, Vlatka Horvat (March 2024)
Vlatka Horvat’s residency featured a captivating short film, Until the Last of Our Labours Is Done, which explored precarious relationships between bodies, objects, the built environment, and nature. The film reimagined physical, social, and environmental boundaries experienced in everyday life.
Centrala’s ‘Co-Thinking and Co-Creational’ space invited audience members to engage and create small works in response to Horvat’s creative prompts. These interactions informed her work displayed at the 60th Venice Biennale in By the Means at Hand, curated by Antonia Majaca. Horvat’s commitment to sustainability was evident in her use of informal courier networks for transporting artworks, reflecting her dedication to environmental consciousness.
Out of the Ruins, Karen Babayan (April – May 2024)
Karen Babayan’s residency addressed themes of memory, identity, and resilience. Her work juxtaposed colourful paintings and ritualised objects inspired by Christian and pagan iconography with contemporary large-scale photographs depicting war, genocide, and natural disasters.
During her residency, Babayan led Centrala’s first Women’s Empowerment Group, ‘Writing Ourselves in Flowers, Folds and Words’, encouraging participants to explore identity through visual and written narratives. Other highlights included the “Food Stories & Armenian Folk Dance” workshop with Shakeh Major Tchilingirian and a screening of Taniel, a poetic tribute to Armenian poet Taniel Varoujan, followed by a discussion with the creative team.
Exploring Memory, Conflict, and Community, Nela Milic (October – November 2024)
Dr Nela Milic’s residency featured installations, open rehearsals, and panel discussions. Her works, Text Illumination and Wrappery, delved into themes of post-conflict recovery and memory preservation.
The residency included early-stage rehearsals for a performance piece that utilised diverse materials, offering audiences an intimate view of Milic’s creative process. Performer Tina Hofman played a pivotal role, inviting audience interaction to shape the narrative.
Dr Milic also participated in the CEE Us Network panel discussion alongside Olga Drygas from Nowy Theatre, Warsaw, as part of Fierce Festival 2024. Workshops such as “Memory, Trauma, and Healing” and a multimedia session commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall and the EU’s eastern expansion as part of Being Human Festival, rounded off her impactful residency.
The Hybrid Landscapes programme has been an enriching journey, showcasing the depth and diversity of Central and Eastern European identities through art, research, and community engagement. These residencies fostered meaningful dialogue around themes of memory, resilience, and belonging while offering new perspectives on contemporary issues. As Hybrid Landscapes draws to a close, its legacy will continue to inspire audiences and communities, reflecting Centrala’s commitment to supporting creative expression and intercultural exchange.
