The Power of Culture

What does the abbreviation VOC stand for? United East India Company or Perish Under Corruption? This is part of a study which Ade Darmawan and Reza Afisina are conducting during their stay at the Utrecht Casco House.

For those hoping to discover contemporary artists and art projects in unexpected locations, a new tool was recently launched: the open network Mediamatic Travel.

Art students from Kirgizia and artists from Dutch Cascoland presented their 'interventions in public space' during Boom-Boom, the fourth International Contemporary Art Exhibition in Bishkek, August 2009.

The JAFF film festival, that took place in Jogjakarta from 4 until 8 August, avoided commercial cinema and focused on social issues.

With simple means young villagers from Rampur -  in the politically insecure Indian state Assam - made a contemporary puppet show.

At the first Bayimba festival, poor attendance and failing sponsors inflicted huge financial losses on the organisation. But it managed to pull itself together and this year, against all expactations, it's back on its feet.

In the Arab region, attention for contemporary dance has rapidly grown in recent years. The time is ripe to set up a network with choreographers and dancers, was the outcome in Beirut in April 2009.