Winter 2009. For our first project we looked to a region where
much of the world’s products and services are outsourced, yet many fundamental
needs are unmet: India. "Infinite Earth" teamed up with Dr. Prabhavati
Dwabha, the director of a rural development project in northern India. Dr.
Dwabha’s decades of experience in establishing and running clinics, primary
schools and vocational programs in below-poverty-line villages served as an
invaluable resource and our collaboration continues with several current and
future projects.
In the pursuit of our goal to create self-sustaining facilities for communities
in need, "Infinite Earth" sought to improve the conditions of a
hand-looming center in the north Indian village of Chamba in Uttaranchal,
India. For this project, an edition of 30 prints were produced collaboratively
by two of "Infinite Earth"’s founding members, Alona Harpaz and
Mika Rottenberg. Titled, Infinite #1, the edition was named after the organization
and its mission. Infinite #1 is the first in an infinite series of artistic
gestures in the interest of our mission. Funded through the sale of Infinite
#1, a new building was constructed and two existing dilapidated looms were
replaced with twenty new looms. Inaugurated in 2008, the new hand-looming
facility has drastically improved the working conditions for the local women.
The center is owned and operated by a local women’s initiative in the village
and overseen by a local manager appointed by Dr. Dwabha and "Infinite
Earth".
The women of the Chamba looming center are developing a skill set that will
enable them to become increasingly self-sufficient. The women have taken the
initiative to organize a class to teach young women how to properly use the
looming machines and they are working together to promote their own methods
of production. The center supports their independent projects and proceeds
go towards improving the living conditions of the women and their children.
The center is currently producing Angora scarves made of 100% natural products
and fabricated in a process that is human and animal safe and environmentally
responsible.
"Infinite Earth" seeks to create links between the communities involved
in our projects and in keeping with that vision, existing projects will help
to fund future projects. The Angora scarves made in the Chamba looming center
serve as examples of a successful project and we hope they will inspire support
to fund "Infinite Earth"’s next project: a scholarship program for
young women and children.
Project #2
When art Meets Social Work
Spring 2010. "Infinite Earth", a non-profit organization founded
by major artists Mika Rottenberg and Alona Harpaz and others, will be involved
in a joint project with the Wadzeck Foundation, an organization for Berlin's
socially disadvantaged children. Alona Harpaz, an Israeli painter, and Peter
Bolmer, a Berlin musician, will promote the childrens' creativity and expression
through art and music. Works produced will be presented to the public at a
fundraising event with a stage show in May 2011. Artists will join the children
to create collaborative works that will be contributed to the project on behalf
of the Wadzeck Foundation.
The project is valuable for all involved as it establishes and encourages
social interaction between groups that normally have no point of contact.
Educationally, socially and culturally, a synergy takes place as the project
demonstrates best practices for corporate social responsibility through empowerment
and participation of those concerned.
We anticipate great success for the project through the experience of "Infinite
Earth"'s international project experience and the support of a professional
team including Hannah Munger, who brings her experience from New York working
with public art projects, Sheila Deutinger, who has successfully organized
major multidisciplinary events and the educational team of the Wadzeck Foundation.
You can support the work of the participating partners currently working on
the project through monetary donations via keywords "Berlin support"
http://www.wadzeck-stiftung.de
Project #3
Winter 2010-11. Art house is a unique community center established by in Tiruvannamalai,
south India. On day times, the center is a workshop, for simple handicrafts,
such as sewing. Local women attend the center to learn and to work – they
get professional training, and then they are employed to work. The head of
the orphanage "Wide Children" who is a tailor, trains the women.
In addition, "Infinite Earth" is buying 5 sewing machines to the
center. During evening times, the center functions as a culture house, while
it serves also the westerns, art shows take place there, culture meetings
– music nights, leisure and fun.
In addition, is working on a collaboration with the orphanage "Wide Children"
in Tiruvannamalai, runs by a local couple. Some of the income from selling
Infinite #2 will be allocated to this project.
Project #4, recent
Winter 2012. is collaborating with "Projekt Kaokoland", "e.V"
in Namibia, Africa. The goal is to improve basic life quality of the local
villagers. Some of the income from selling Infinite #2 will be allocated to
the local orphanage and to the development of educational programs for the
local children.
Future projects
Spring 2012. "Infinite Earth" will be collaborating with "Bait
Cham" center (="warm house"), in Petach - Tikva, Israel, in
a new project. "Bait Cham" center is a day center, where 13-15 YO
girls meet on a daily basis after school hours. The project will include 20
enriching weekly meetings – in the fields of art and body, with professional
instructors and educators (such as: educational sessions at the Petach – Tikva
Museum of Art, creative sessions, sessions with professional instructors,
like: fashion photographer, yoga instructor, theater actors, and more). To
close the project, a festive event and exhibition will take place in the Petach
– Tikva Museum of Art, in which the products that the girls have created during
the project will be presented, and in addition, the documentation of the sessions.
The goal of this project is to give these girls special treatment, to enrich
their worlds in the disciplines of arts and body, to allow them to discover
their own creativity, and to intensify their self esteem.
So far, "Infinite Earth" has accomplished the following:
- Buying school desks to the orphanage "Ramana’s Gardens" in Jula
Rishikesh Laxman , india (2009)
- Buying carpets and drinking tanks to a local elementary school in a mountainous
distant village in Hoonkhal , Tehri, India (2008)
- Buying school books and uniform to the same schhol in Hoonkhal , Tehri,
India (2009)
- Donating 1000€ to fund the travel of two women from Orissa, India to attend
a course in Germany on Ecovillage Design and Development for Urban and Rural
Settlements through Gaia Education, a programme of the Global Ecovillage Network
infinite
earth 2010 | Creative
Commons-Lizenz
