Love & Solidarity Workshop

A healing letter-writing practice brought in Berlin by the Open Sourcing Love with the support of the There, there working group aims to express solidarity and ponder the notions of love and its manifestations around us.

The project employs a letter-writing format and the artifact of a letter as a tool for reflection and a symbol of self-love. “We believe that writing love letters is an inspiring action capable of motivating people to engage in positive change, especially amidst the challenging times we are experiencing worldwide. We consider it a powerful means to raise awareness about society’s issues and challenges. Through sharing personal stories, insights, and perspectives in these letters, we aspire to document significant shifts in our shared comprehension of the world, raise awareness, and connect with the vibrant energy of individuals contributing to the change toward a more conscious generation,” – Open Sourcing Love team.

As a form of continuous connective practice, the Open Sourcing Love has facilitated numerous events using various networking devices to bridge people, communities, and places. The project format brought to Miss Read from OSL this year has a two-fold structure. Berlin becomes the second Love & Solidarity workshop. The first site was their home base – Almaty, Kazakhstan. As part of the first phase, some letters from the Love and Solidarity Workshop in Almaty were sent to the Neue Nachbarschaft / Moabit center to the kids from the Ukrainian refugee families in Berlin. The recipients of the other part of the letters were the workshop participants themselves. As part of the same session, Love and Solidarity Workshop facilitated a recording session where some of the stories written on the postcards were depicted in an audio format.
During the Love & Solidarity Workshop in Berlin, supported by There, there team and facilitated by lumbung Radio x Miss Read event at Miss Read / Hopscotch space in Wedding, Open Sourcing Love will expand on the first phase and continue to connect people, stories and locations.

OSL: “We believe that letters written during turbulent times can become valuable historical documents. They provide a personal perspective on events, emotions, and experiences that might not be captured in official records. These letters can serve as primary sources for future generations, helping them understand the impact of these times on individuals and communities. Love & Solidarity Workshop is an emotional journey created to build up a connection with the community where love and solidarity reign.”

PROGRAM:

Introduction part – presentation of the Open Sourcing Love artist collective

Active part – Letter writing as a form of expressing solidarity and support. Writing letters to the Neue Nachbarschaft / Moabit center to the kids from the Ukrainian refugee families in Berlin.

Love stories recording session – recording session of stories about love and hope for Lumbung Radio. We share and create inspiring stories that give hope and faith in a peaceful future.

Letter writing practice as a reflection tool: What love is and how it manifests?

ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE

Open Sourcing Love is an international crowd-sourced movement created by Anna Kin and Aigerim Tumenbay. Its mechanics are based on the alternative use of social networks. Authors use Instagram (@opensourcinglove) to collect submissions of images containing the miraculous, organic, and abstract shape of a heart from worldwide. Anyone can contribute and connect with the community where love and solidarity reign. The heart itself is a self-sufficient statement, and the collective aims to provide space for co-individuation and the manifestation of peace.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Aigerim Tumenbay (b.1994) is an interdisciplinary illustrator, graphic designer, and animator currently living and working in Almaty. In her practices, she is interested in semiotics and romanticism, with a special emphasis on process work.

Anja Kin (b.1999) is an Almaty-based research-driven artist. Currently, she is working in the field of decolonial practices, community building, and mock healing practices.

Published on 09/06/2023