Studio Residency: Jonathan Berger, a Day of Conversation

Jonathan Berger’s residency in the Marie-Josée and Henry Kravis Studio culminates with a day of conversations and presentations with collaborators, artists, scholars, and activists. Throughout his residency Berger and a community of craftspeople will construct a scale model of Kaunas, Lithuania, circa 1941, before the city came under Nazi occupation. Berger pairs this model, based on the drawings and research of Kaunas-based amateur cartographer Marija Oniščik, with archival materials from the writer and activist Melanie Kaye/Kantorwitz, who is known for her notion of “radical diasporism,” a non-nationalist form of Jewish identity.

A morning session begins with presentations by a diverse group of participants who will discuss their own concepts of radical diasporism. A conversation between Marija Oniščik and Erica Heilman follows; taking the form of a radio episode, the two discuss Oniščik’s research and process in making maps of Kaunas from the 1940s. An afternoon session brings together artist Susanne Sachsse and Social Center Emma, a queer and anarchist community space in contemporary Kaunas. This will be followed by a conversation with Jonathan Berger and curator Thomas Lax, who will discuss the project’s ongoing development and its continuation beyond the residency.

Capacity is limited and advance registration is required. Tickets will be made available at the end of July.