Brno, a city with a dynamic multicultural scene, is where people from all corners of the world come together every day. The diversity it brings often sparks fresh ideas, yet it can also create feelings of alienation and uncertainty – especially for those who have come here in search of a better life and are trying to find their place in a new society. The "Mapping Brno" project offers an innovative way to overcome these feelings and share personal experiences through art.
Led by visual artist Eva Vaňová, who has long focused on working with marginalized communities, this project draws on her years of experience in Slovakia, where she mapped the movement and perception of urban spaces in areas like Luník IX and Jazero in Košice. Eva now turns her attention to Brno. Her approach to art is unconventional and deeply human – offering not only a platform for expression but also seeking to connect various communities and their stories with the broader public. The project's main goal is to help young people from diverse backgrounds find their "own space" in Brno – both physically and emotionally. Eva's work highlights the presence of these communities on the outskirts of urban environments, creating a dialogue on the issue of a divided society and healing the effects of segregation.
Mapping Brno Project in Collaboration with Co.Labs
The first phase of the project took place in collaboration with the creative space Co.Labs, where students from the Multicultural Center Brusinka and Kyiv's Green Apple Lyceum participated in a workshop, creating their own maps of the city. This workshop allowed them to explore Brno through the eyes of young people, documenting their favorite routes and places in the urban space.
Participants took a walk through the city center, creating their own maps along the way. This process allowed them to discover Brno as a place they could make their own and integrate into their lives. Many of the young people involved were foreigners or members of minorities, and by becoming cartographers of their own stories, they uncovered places that might have otherwise remained hidden. Drawing their maps allowed them to understand and experience Brno not as an anonymous space but as a place that could offer them a new home.
Shared Journey Through the City
In the next phase of the project, participants visualized places that symbolized safety and home for them. In these drawings, they sought paths that brought them closer to feelings of peace and stability – whether through memories of childhood, familiar faces, or favorite places from their former homes. This creative process helps them process feelings of dislocation and anxiety associated with adapting to a new life. It shows that carrying home into a new reality is challenging, but art can ease this task and strengthen the shared experience.
A Voice for All: Language and Sound as Connection
The final phase of the project introduces a unique sound composition. Participants record words and phrases in their native languages that symbolize home, love, or closeness to them. This sound track serves as a sonic map of their journey, illustrating linguistic diversity while highlighting the language barrier many foreigners in Brno face. Listeners can experience the feelings of those who struggle to communicate easily. This part of the project awakens empathy and understanding for what it’s like to live in an environment where every step may feel like an obstacle.
Eva Vaňová: Artist Bridging Communities
Eva Vaňová, the project’s creator, is known for her ability to merge folk and academic art. She has previously worked with excluded communities in Slovakia, mapping their movement and perception of urban space. Through art, she seeks to offer these communities a chance to share their everyday lives and the environments in which they live. In Brno, she focuses on highlighting various minority groups and amplifying their voices.
Brno as an Open City "Mapping Brno" demonstrates that art is not just a means of self-expression, but also a tool for overcoming barriers. This project allows young people from diverse backgrounds to share their feelings, experiences, and memories, opening space for mutual understanding. Brno becomes a city where even those searching for a new identity and a sense of home can find a place.
This project not only maps Brno but also transforms it – giving room for new perspectives, stories, and experiences that enrich the entire city. Mapping Brno is not just an artistic activity; it is an invitation for the public to engage with the different views and emotions that Brno, as an open city, has to offer.
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