Taking place inside the exhibition 'Apartment No. 8' at Kunstenlab, artist Daria Khozhai invites participants to explore the hidden relationship between memory, trauma and the spaces we inhabit. The afternoon will start with a short conversation about how she incorporates her personal experiences into her artistic practice. After that, you will work on your own scale model of a space that holds weight for you. The talk and workshop will be held in English.

Conversation
Beginning with an informal conversation in her current exhibition, artist Daria Khozhai will share how personal experiences of displacement, domestic violence and war gradually evolved into an artistic practice exploring memory through architecture and installation. She will present two key projects and discuss how making and experiencing spatial art can become a way of understanding trauma, navigating grief, and rebuilding a sense of agency during periods of profound change.

Workshop
The second part becomes hands-on. Using simple model-making materials (paper, cardboard), collage and found objects, participants will create small spatial compositions inspired by their own memories. Through making, you will explore how thoughts and experiences can be externalised, observed from a distance, transformed and, if desired, shared with others.

No artistic experience is needed - only curiosity.

Please bring one object
Daria Khozhai asks you to bring one small object that carries a memory for you. It can be almost anything: a ticket, a CD, a photograph, a letter, a piece of fabric, a key, a toy, a shell, a stone, an empty cigarette pack, a receipt etc. The object does not need to be valuable. In fact, it is better if it isn't. During the workshop it may become part of your model or collage, so please avoid bringing irreplaceable family heirlooms or precious jewelry. For example, Daria will bring a box of tea. It reminds her of the last cup she drank before learning that the full-scale war had begun in het country. She describes how she can still remember its taste - the final ordinary moment before life changed forever.

Sometimes the smallest objects hold the biggest stories.

Tickets
Participation is free but spots are limited so we ask you to reserve a ticket here.

Prior to the conversation and workshop with Daria Khozhai art historian Anja Novak will give a lecture about her research 'Holding Grief: Engaging Trauma Through Contemporary Art' from 14.00-15.00 uur. The lecture will be held in Dutch.

For questions about the workshop please contact info@kunstenlab.nl