“Roma Women Weaving Europe” Exhibition Opening – ERIAC and RKI

On the occasion of the celebration of the International Roma Day (8 April), the European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC) and the Rumänisches Kulturinstitut Berlin (RKI) join forces to honor Romani women – as leaders and survivors, guardians and re-inventors of culture, revolutionaries and change-makers. In a joint exhibition titled, “Roma Women Weaving Europe,” accompanied by several events, both institutions make visible the Roma feminist thought and contemporary art. The exhibition ties together the two spaces, the ERIAC Gallery and RKI Gallery, which are located on the same street in the very heart of Berlin (Reinhardtstrasse). The project features a selection of remarkable contemporary artists from Romania and other European countries, including Poland, Finland, Slovakia, and Great Britain. The exhibition includes phenomenal artistic creations realized in a variety of media, ranging in diverse forms such as painting, installation art, video-art, textile art, and sculpture.

The plethora of issues related to gender inequality have become a major focus of contemporary debates in recent years. The approximately 6 million Roma women within Europe know all too well about the impact of gender inequality. They face multiple and intersectional discriminations – as women, members of a stigmatized ethnic minority, being at higher risk of social exclusion and poverty – which has pushed them to creatively challenge patriarchal and racialized oppression.

The every-day struggle of Roma women has become a focal foundation for the gradual emergence of Roma feminism as a movement against injustice. The voices of Romani women – tales of resistance and survival, as well as solidarity and pride – become a source of inspiration and a point for reflection for contemporary debates in Europe. In this way, Romnia (Romani women) become the fore-front of a new revolution – drawing power from their own communities and their transnational solidarity networks, they imagine a new social fabric, weaving together threads of minority and majority struggles and achievements.

The exhibition opening will take place on 21 March at 6 pm at ERIAC (Reinhardtstrasse 41-43) and at 7 pm at RKI Berlin (Reinhardtstrasse 14), followed by a performance by Mihaela Drăgan and Ioanida Costache.

Participating Artists:
Ionela Mihaela Cîmpeanu (RO) │ Ioanida Costache (RO) │ Mihaela Drăgan (RO) │ Ana Maria Gheorghe (RO) │ Delaine Le Bas (UK) │ Kiba Lumberg (FI) │ Małgorzata Mirga-Tas (PL) │ Emília Rigová (SK) │ Selma Selman (BiH) │ Alina Șerban (RO) │ George Vasilescu (RO) │ urban_roma (RO)

Visiting Programme:
21.03.2019 – 03.05.2019 │ RKI, Reinhardtstrasse 14, 10117 Berlin │ Tue-Fr. 14-18 21.03.2019 – 30.07.2019 │ ERIAC, Reinhardtstrasse 41-43, 10117 Berlin │ Mon-Fr. 9-17

Program of Related Events:
08 April 2019: On the International Roma Day, a guided tour will take place at RKI and ERIAC, followed by an artistic performance by Alina Șerban. 20 May 2019: On the occasion of celebrating the Romani Resistance Day, ERIAC and RKI will organise a panel discussion