Košice A.I.R.: Moldova through the eyes of Michal Holy

Michal Holy is in Chisinau since September 9, 2011, where he takes part in KIOSK artist in residency program. During this period he has established a relation with Chisinau urban space, crossing it on the bicycle and by feet, looking for common for his native city of Kosice features.
The communist past that Republic of Moldova went through and soviet urbanist plans developed for major cities made him search and explore subjects related to the socialist past of Slovakia. On the other hand the process of globalization that determines the way Kosice is being developed is equally important as the effects of transition that Chisinau is facing today.
During his residency Michal Holy has been documenting with the means of photography the streets of Chisinau, places overloaded with outdoor publicity, structures and supports for billboards along with the pedestals supporting monuments that were erected in different historical periods. His attention was also captured by the way people communicate in Chisinau, using both, romanian and russian languages in various contexts, starting with the street and finishing with TV programs.
The perspective over Chisinau that the artist is offering in his final exhibition at the end of his residency, is of a free city with a self-regulated public life, according to its inhabitants’ needs.
Vladimir Us
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Michal Holy graduated at secondary technical school of applied arts Kosice, Slovakia (http://suvke.sk/nov), recently studying New Media at Technical University Kosice (http://www.fu.tuke.sk) creating installations, interactive art, video art, photo collages.
Michal recently documents the local street art scene in which he is personally active since ’98, preparing magazine about underground art in Kosice, helping organizing SACFEST (http://sacfest.org/en/news), occasionally doing VJing.
KIOSK artist in residency program
Unlike ready-made exhibitions and projects that circulate worldwide, the KIOSK AIR program encourages creation of new work in relation to the local context and reality. It offers the opportunity to explore various issues that relate to Moldova’s situation in general and to analyze the processes that shape Chisinau’s public space today. More about the program: http://chiosc.oberliht.com/air
The residency of Michal Holy is organized in partnership with Kosice 2013 – European Capital of Culture (http://www.kosice2013.sk/en) that is also hosting in a similar residency program (K.A.I.R) a Moldovan artist – Alexandru Raevschi, and is supported by Slovak Ministry of Culture (http://www.culture.gov.sk/en).

Vladimir US

CHIOSC | curator

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Proiectul CHIOSC este realizat cu suportul financiar al Fundatiei Culturale Europene http://www.eurocult.org

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Moldova Young Artists Association “Oberliht”
http://oberliht.com