Agentur für künstlerische Gastarbeit is a young production company focused on film, visual arts, and film education. With an international network in Belgrade and Berlin, it operates at the intersection of contemporary, conceptual, and film art. The project portfolio includes feature documentaries, multi-channel video works, and workshops on storytelling, engaged cinematography, stop-motion technique, etc. The „Agency“ is fully equipped with professional cameras, lenses, lighting, and sound technology and have a bright network of international institution and film professionals.
The Agentür für geistige Gastarbeit was a concept developed by Swiss curator Harald Szeemann after his departure from the Kunsthalle Bern in 1969. It served as a metaphorical „agency“ through which Szeemann operated independently, allowing him to collaborate freely with artists and institutions worldwide. However, he could not officially register it, as Swiss bureaucracy considered the word Agentür too close to Soviet terminology and Gastarbeiter carried negative connotations.
Agentur für künstlerische Gastarbeit refers to Szeemann’s „agency“ and represents artists forced to migrate or work abroad due to a lack of funding in culture or right-wing politics.
#politicsofmemory #newwave #yugoslavkino