Kickstarter

Hi there, thanks for checking out my project!  My name is Katie Zazenski and I'm an artist who will be heading to a small village in Haukijarvi, Finland for two months this summer.  I am going there for an artist residency at Arteles Creative Center where I will make art about people, and how culture influences our communities and ways of being.  

I started this work while living in Beijing, China this past fall.  I lived in a small village called Fei Jia Cun, on the outskirts of the city, where I became hyper-aware of just how many factors affect how we are, who we are, how we relate to one another, and how we understand this world.  This is what my work is about.  It is about people, life, our organizing principles, and how we create a sense of place.

When I begin one of these projects I spend many hours walking through and observing where I am, taking pictures, making recordings, as well as keep a daily journal of my time.  Once I start to have a sense for the place, I then develop a specific way to approach the people within the community and create work from there.  For example, in my Good Luck Series I asked strangers on the street in Mongolia, China, and Korea to make stitches on a cloth (http://cargocollective.com/kathrynzazenski#1120703/Good-Luck-Series)in an effort to instigate a connection to people that would normally just pass by.  It creates an opportunity to share an exchange even when we can't communicate with language.  I will be continuing this series in Finland.

Currently I am working in Anacostia, a section of Washington, DC as a resident artist at Honfleur Gallery. Here I am planning walks and creating opportunities for people to come together and share stories.  With this I want to tap into understanding the myriad ways in which people interpret the same place.

I always create specific projects that are unique to place, but also continue with others that are made everywhere I go.  An example is my Memory Maps Series: (http://cargocollective.com/kathrynzazenski#1120494/Memory-Maps-FeiJiaCun) where I would make a unique map every day based on a sentient experience I had during a daily walk.  The pieces are based on sounds, physically navigating a space, memory of route, people and places that have become significant to me, etc.  This project is also being continued in Anacostia and soon to be in Finland(!).

With your help, I will make it to Finland without prematurely greying or loosing my hair all together.  Your contributions will pay for my flights (Philadelphia to London, London to Tampere) housing accommodations at Arteles, and my working materials (mainly consisting of paper and cloth).  My flight is booked for May 30, your contribution will help to make this day blindingly bright.  I believe in this work, I believe in this world!

Please feel free to email me with any questions, I am excited to share this work and am happy to talk about it whenever possible.

Thanks a million!!!!!!!