Mine, yours, ours: Utopian heritage of Socialism (2.-5.10.2013.)

The past two editions of Mine, yours, ours Festival have been exploring utopias and after a series of utopian programmes that looked to the future, this year’s edition is turned to the past, specifically to utopian visions of socialism. What utopias has socialism left us? We will try to offer some answers through lectures, round tables, films and an exhibition on Yugoslavian youth press.

We use the term utopia in the sense more relevant to the standpoint from which we view the social system and its structural transformation and from which we analyze and imagine new forms of community. So, it primarily refers to social organization and a possible transformation. The focus of our research is not what utopias negate rather utopian proposals for the organization of an alternative world. Despite the growing dissatisfaction with the social structure of late capitalism (or maybe this is just the beginning?), which has been elaborated in a number of theoretical and artistic works, it seems insufficient consideration is given to alternatives, to new models of organizing social structures. We believe that the current situation and the existing system can be reformulated in both practical and fantastical ways.

Socialism was based on a utopian vision of a better world and in that sense it left space for various forms of social organization – some successful and some not. It seems as though the interest for the accomplishments of socialism and its visions of a better world no matter how we call it disappeared with socialism. This year’s festival programme aims to affirm the interest for utopian visions of socialism, which could make today’s society better even without socialism itself.

PROGRAM:

Wednesday, 02.10.

19:00 – Les Soviets Plus L’électricité / Nicolas Rey, 2001. / 175min

– introduction Dragan Rubeša

Art-kino Croatia, Krešimirova 2, Rijeka

Thursday, 03.10.

18:00 – Aerograd / Oleksandr Dovzhenko 1935. / 82min

Art-kino Croatia, Krešimirova 2, Rijeka

20:00 – A road to paradise / Yurii Belianskii 1991. / 87min

Art-kino Croatia, Krešimirova 2, Rijeka

20:00 – Yugoslavian youth press as underground press: 1968-1972 (Zagreb, Belgrade, Ljubljana)

– Exhibition opening