This the map for the
“Misplaced Women? Marking the City”
series of delegated performances by Tanja Ostojic.

Performed by: Pavana Reid, Mahlet Ogbe Habte, Gillian Carson, Kwestan Jamal Bawan and Karen Kipphoff, on November 2, 2011 on five different locations in Bergen that are particularly significant for migrants in the city:
1- Main Train Station
2- Police Station
3- BIKS, Bergen International Art Center
4-Western Union Bank
5-Language School for Foreigners

Produced by Stiftelsen 3,14.

Misplaced Women?
Performed by Tanja Ostojic

On Tuesday November 8 form 13:40 I performed my “Misplaced Women?” at arrivals & departures terminal of Bergen international airport. In approximately 30 minutes time I took out the entire contents of my two suitcases, out of my handbag as well as out of my cosmetics and make-up bags. I took out each single item one by one, turning them in side out, and placing them all on the floor of the terminal on red SAS blanket that I have borrowed form the airplane few minutes ago.

Bergen airport security guy let me finish my performance after he asked if I needed help. Well, I said NO.
- “So, what are you doing here?” – he asked.
- “I´m looking for something that I need for my performance on the University on Thursday. Hope I did not forgot it.”- Was my answer – while taking out every single item from my cosmetic bag that I turned inside out, as well as all my tights, socks, underwear, pullovers…

I landed to the Bergen´s mist and fog well, after connected flight from Berlin over Copenhagen. The purpose of my visit here was to take part in MIGRATION, GLOBALIZATION AND NEW SOCIAL FORMATIONS – IMER – International Migration and Ethnic Relations Research Unit Bergen conference:

http://org.uib.no/imer/seminars/IMER%20Bergen%2015%20year%20conference_9-11%20November%202011.html

Photo: Jannicke Olsen

Organized by Stiftelsen 3,14
www.stiftelsen314.com/Stiftelsen314/Performa

“Misplaced Women? Marking the City”
Performed by Karen Kipphoff

in front of the Public Language School for Foreigners in Bergen, on November 2, 2011 at 13:10.

Karen Kipphoff and a man from Bergen in front of the school for foreigners, holding up signs spelling the Norwegian word for “you” and “me” in both High Norwegian Bokmål and the local dialect. This was very confusing to learn as they all are essentially the same but the phonetic difference is enormous. There was big insecurity around which would be the correct form to use meg (me), meg (me), jeg (I), eg (I), deg (you), deg (you). Every person who helped got to pick their favorite version of the me, myself and I signs.

Karen Kipphoff is a media and performance artist of German origin who teaches at Kunsthøgskolen in Bergen, Norway.

http://videomedeja.org/en/karen-kipphoff

Photo: Karen Kipphoff

Organized by Stiftelsen 3,14
www.stiftelsen314.com/Stiftelsen314/Performance.htm

“Misplaced Women? Marking the City”
Performed by Kwestan Jamal Bawan

at Western Union, on November 2, 2011 at 12:55.

Western Union offer Consumer-to-Consumer Money-Transfer Services. They work to help people move money quickly, reliably and more efficiently across borders and around the globe. At Western Union, they support migrants in their journey toward greater economic opportunity.

Kwestan Jamal Bawan is a Kurdish artist who lives and works in Norway. She is educated at Sulaimania College of Arts in Kurdistan, in northern Iraq. She has had her works exhibited in Canada, Germany and Japan with the addition to Norway and Kurdistan. She came to Norway in 1998 as a UN refugee.
www.kwestan-jamal.com

Photo: Mariel Lødum

Organized by Stiftelsen 3,14
www.stiftelsen314.com/Stiftelsen314/Performance.htm

“Misplaced Women? Marking the City”
Performed by Pavana Reid

at Bergen Main Train station, on November 2, 2011 at 12:05.

The train station was selected as a strategic place in regards to mapping a city in relation to migration. It holds a significant importance in Bergen in regards to mobility.

Pavana Reid is originally from Thailand,but has lived in Nord-Irland since 1988. Comutes now between Belfast and Bergen. She is a member of Bbeyond, performance-organization in Belfast.

The question of ones identity both as an individual and as a part of a community is always a lot more complicated than we can imagine. If an identity is what describes who we truly are, then it has to change with us, not just conform to a certain type, or group. As an individual, my way of life; the way I live and what I believe determine who I am not the idea of what I or other people think of me.

www.flickr.com/people/greenpapaya/

Photo: Mariel Lødum

Organized by Stiftelsen 3,14
www.stiftelsen314.com/Stiftelsen314/Performance.htm

“Misplaced Women? Marking the City”
Performed by Mahlet Ogbe Habte
outside the Police station, on November 2, 2011 at 12:20.

Bergen Police Station, department for foreign affairs is the office all immigrants must report and process their papers.

Mahlet Ogbe Habte, born and raised in Eritrea, presently living in Norway working as an artist.
www.mahlet.no

Photo: Mariel Lødum

Organized by Stiftelsen 3,14
www.stiftelsen314.com/Stiftelsen314/Performance.htm

“Misplaced Women? Marking the City”
Performed by Gillian Carson
at Bergen International Culture Center, BIKS, on November 2, 2011 at 12:35.

BIKS, Bergen International Art Center is vital place in the city in regards to presenting international cultural events. BIKS´ goal is also to offer local citizens with different ethnic background an arena for their own multicultural activity.

Gillian Carson is a Scottish artist living and working in Bergen.

www.cs55.no/gilliancarson

Photo: Mariel Lødum

Organized by Stiftelsen 3,14
www.stiftelsen314.com/Stiftelsen314/Performance.htm

Misplaced Women?
Performed by Tanja Ostojic

On Saturday November 21, 5 p.m., I gave a talk Integration Impossible? at the Woodstock of Political Thinking in Haus der Kunst, Munich Germany. While the same day, at 5 p.m. New York time, Valentina Medda was performing my delegated performance Misplaced Women? at Performa, White Box, New York City.

Simultaneously with her NY performance, at 11 p.m. Berlin time, I was naturally performing Misplaced Women? on the TXL airport in Berlin, on my way back from the conference.

Photo credits: DNK

Misplaced Women?

Performed by Valentina Medda

I started 45 minutes long performance Misplaced Women? from the White Box Gallery, from where I went to the near by park, and returned back to the gallery. It was important to me that the point of departure and arrival were the same place, while changes were occurring to my identity. Once you’ve left, it’s impossible to ever “come back home” even if you go to that place you still call home. But you never come back, and it’s not home anymore.

I wanted my woman to be beautiful and feminine in order not to be confused with other inhabitants of the street: tourists, citizens, homeless… I wanted her to be “something else”, someone who can’t be immediately defined. I wanted to preserve her dignity, that we all as immigrants are often forced to loose while getting accepted by a foreign country. I wanted my woman to get slowly undressed in her process of packing and unpacking. Gently and slowly, the clothes she was wearing became part of the luggage she’s been caring around, as a metaphor of what she’s loosing on the way, but she’s been keeping in her memory, somewhere. Something hidden that could come out any time…

www.valentinamedda.com

Misplaced Women?
Performed by Mare Tralla

T.O.: I met Mare who just arrived to Vienna inside of the exhibition room, on the 7th floor of MUMOK, within her installation box that she came to organize for the up coming Gender Check exhibition opening. I asked her to allow me to photograph her for my Misplaced Women? project. Afterwords I e-mailed her asking to send a short note to accompany the pictures.

M.T.: Your project and the pictures you have online, reminds me the countless times, when I had to struggle re-packing my suitcase at some airport. And the day I left Estonia with just two too heavy bags of belongings and no place to go back to as I had to sell everything to afford to study in London.. And then I just kept moving from one place to another in London with my stupid bags, containing as strange things as a sack of garlic from my mums garden and all sorts of herbs to cure possible illnesses . I was prepared…