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Programme

Kommunalka-Community 


The public programme of Survival Kit 11 took place both as a series of events at the festival, and outside of it, as a series of broadcasts on Radio Naba. 

The programme’s title, Kommunalka-Community, points to the questions and problems we in Latvia face in developing an inclusive society. In our reluctance to accept people belonging to ethnic, racial, or sexual minority groups—it is as if some of us still feel that living together is once again being forced upon us, as it was in the kommunalka or communal flat, where very different people found themselves sharing living space during the Soviet era. At the same time, the English word community seems to invite us to think about forms of shared life based on positive and inclusive interactions. What is and what could be the model of Latvian society? In this space, we tried to explore problems, encourage discussions and seek solutions for developing a more inclusive future society.

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PICNIC WITH LIGA SPUNDE


A picnic with the artist Līga Spunde provided an opportunity to get acquainted with the artist's work No Blessing Will Come from Evil, its creation and one of its motifs - the unusual life story of David Vetter (The Bubble Boy). David Vetter was born on September 21, 1971 in the United States. Since birth, the boy suffered from severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome (SCID), which made his chances of surviving outside a sterile environment impossible. With David's birth, his parents decided to place him in a specially designed isolator until a solution for immunity could be found. Instead of the predicted few months, David spent 12 years, or his entire life, in an absolutely sterile and isolated room. Although David was provided with the necessary conditions for survival, life in the isolator strongly influenced his perception and relationships with the outside world. During the picnic, visitors were able to watch film fragments together with the artist's narration.


"No Blessing Will Come from Evil" was a multimedia installation that reflected on relationships, sense of security, an overly strong desire to protect, and a belief in the supernatural as a defense strategy.