Arts Lab 7.0: Eva Below | Month V

Dear journal, as we are speaking, we are preparing for our trip to Bucharest. We leave in the night. 

But before talking about that, let us rewind and think about the events of the past three weeks. During the week from the 12th to the 18th of January, alongside the Rroma residency with Oliwia in the Ion Creanga school, I was involved in the rehearsals of “Shadows”, the performance we created for Jemom. Indeed, on the 18th, we brought the Jemom exhibition to the House of Culture in Târgu Frumos. For this occasion, we performed again. The next week started with two more days of Rroma residency. At the same time and for the whole week and the next, I continued working on the scenography of the Rroma museum. My days consisted of frequent trips to the future space of the exhibition, to the crafters shop and of research. I tried to find images of Rroma art created by Rroma artists. The exhibition brings together these two kinds of artistic voices. Placed side by side, these artworks do not tell a single story. Instead, they open a dialogue about who speaks, who looks, and how culture travels. Moving through the themes of History, Family, Music, Beliefs, and Freedom, the exhibition invites visitors to question familiar images and stereotypes, and to notice differences between self-representation and outside interpretation. Some works speak from lived experience; others reflect fascination, influence, or distance. Rather than offering clear answers, the exhibition asks visitors to move carefully, to compare, and to reflect. It is an invitation to listen, to question power and representation, and to understand Rroma culture as diverse, contemporary, and alive. The project was co-created with young people from Târgu Frumos, who participated as artists and exhibition designers. Their involvement reminds us that culture is not only inherited, but also questioned, reimagined, and passed on. Most of the audience who attended the exhibition were the young people studying in Ion Creangă and the adults surrounding them, including the Rromani teacher and his students. 

In the week from the 2nd to the 6th of February, we facilitated a workshop on emotions as part of the Cucuteni residency. Mohamed and I created a role play adventure for a group of around 8 visually impaired middle schoolers in the Moldova school. On the first day, they created a character out of saltdough. Then, every day, their character would evolve according to their journey with emotions : meeting emotions, reacting to them, dialoguing with them, dealing with them. On the second day, an older student, Bogdan, came to translate and co-facilitate. From the third day and on, local volunteers from Asirys came to help. On Friday the 6th, Beyza organised an AMAZING Turkish night. She really is an exceptional host. Tonight, we are leaving for Bucharest as we will have a 3 day training there.

Reflecting on these past weeks fills me with a deep sense of fulfillment mixed with exhaustion, the kind that comes from pouring yourself into meaningful work. The Rroma residency and "Shadows" rehearsals stirred pride in me, especially seeing the feedback we received after the JEMOM exhibition at the House of Culture. It felt like we were weaving invisible threads of connection across the community. Yet, working on the Rroma museum scenography left me drained at times, a quiet frustration bubbling up when sourcing authentic Rroma-created art proved challenging amid limited resources. The Cucuteni emotions workshop with Mohamed was pure joy. Bogdan's unexpected help warmed my heart, turning potential overwhelm into shared energy. Beyza's Turkish night capped it all with exuberant gratitude. Her hospitality made me feel truly at home in this whirlwind.

I have learned that true cultural dialogue thrives in tension. Juxtaposing Rroma self-representation with external gazes in the museum exhibition does not resolve stereotypes but invites visitors to sit with discomfort, fostering deeper empathy. Having young people, especially Rroma teenagers, interact with and go around the Rroma exhibition challenges the idea of culture as static heritage. In the emotions workshop, I discovered how tactile, embodied activities like salt dough sculpting unlock vulnerability for visually impaired youth. Their characters evolving through meeting and dialoguing with feelings revealed emotions as navigable landscapes, not abstract concepts. Collaboration amplifies everything. Bogdan's translation bridged gaps I had not anticipated. As a visually impaired person himself, his involvement proved once again that disabilities can be opportunities. In fact, his way of engaging the younger students taught me to focus on hand placement and voice positioning, skills he employs naturally. I believe this experience allowed him to consider facilitation as a potential responsibility he could take in the future. Beyza's hosting showed me the power of cultural exchange through heartfelt gatherings. Overall, these experiences underscore that representation is not just about visibility, it is about who holds the mic and shapes the narrative.

As we head to Bucharest tonight for the three-day training, I am excited to absorb new tools in facilitation to refine my workshops here. By spring, I aim to finalize the museum scenography, ensuring artists' voices lead the themes of History, Family, Music, Beliefs, and Freedom. Longer-term, this fuels my plans for a "Shadows" tour. I will carry forward the lesson of careful listening, using it to facilitate workshops and keep reimagining culture as a living dialogue.

This monthly report was written by Eva Below, our French volunteer taking part in a seven-month Arts Lab 7.0 mobility, co-funded by the European Union under the European Solidarity Corps.