About

Rationale:
The National Identity Project explores how national identity affects people’s lives. The project toured the South West in the form of the Camper Obscura, a campervan that acted as the space for taking portraits and collecting stories. Artist Monika Fischbein’s practice explores the many forms of identity and narrative constructions with research investigating the lyrical self in image making, incorporating national identity and its manifestation within the medium. After embarking on this journey 3 years ago by initially exploring her own sense of belonging, she has expanded her project in association with Fotonow CIC with the desire to discover stories and faces by creating an authentic dialogue with communities around this topic. The project is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

What this project is:
The project involves people in a discussion, which addresses how people’s national identity affects their lives and impacts on their overall identity? The dialogue responds to the particular needs of the changing face of modern society. It poses the question and challenges the notion of the importance of this matter.

This website is dedicated to the community outreach of the pilot project originated from Monika Fischbein’s creative endeavours. “I’ve been living in the UK since I was 19 years of age. Primarily, I started with the personal standpoint of the original research question, which explored how an émigré artist’s national identity impacts on the creative work produced.” Her lack of sense of belonging (to original as well as host countries) drove her to explore this subject matter theoretically and visually.

After tying a bow around her own self-analysis, she further challenges the idea of the “nation-state” and national identity itself within the next stage of the project, titled National Identity Project. Involving the community in this new phase of the project, which also contained questions around the concepts of home, belongingness, memory and reflexive self-identification. The survey’s questions were intentionally worded in an ambiguous way, so they could have been interpreted as holistically or politically as the participants wished. This project intends to be a rich account and evidence of current modes of thinking and a celebration of diversity, understanding and togetherness.

What this project isn’t:
The project’s authors and supporters are aware of the use of the word “national” was always going to be controversial. This was perhaps an unorthodox attempt to start a conversation around this theme. In today’s society, this word has been hijacked by certain groups of people and has been misappropriated for decades, if not centuries. This project is NOT in any way shape or form a tribute to this misused meaning. This project proposes a discourse for outmoded ideals brought into the 21^st century.

Disclaimer:
This website and the content of the exhibition’s narratives and audio recordings genuinely include all kind of opinions of the people surveyed. These aren’t the opinions of the authors or the supporters, nor have they been edited in a biased manner. Every effort has been made to remain as objective as possible during the compilation of this pilot National Identity Project. The project’s aim is to feature a variety of viewpoints to introduce thoughts and comments from the general public. This website contains only a selection of images and excerpts of the National Identity project’s pilot.

Credentials

My name is Monika Fischbein and I am the Project Manager of this Arts Council England funded project. My photographic theory & practice activities around the theme of National Identity include exhibitions, workshops, artist talks and conference paper presentations.

2017

Current:
“National Identity Project” – Social Research and Image & Narrative Archive project supported by Fotonow CIC and funded by the Arts Council England via public funds.

“Cultivating Identity in New Cultural Settings” ~ Final Thesis, Linköping University, Sweden

“National Still Life” Exhibition ~Prof. Boyan Penev Regional Library, Razgrad, Bulgaria

“National Still Life” interview ~ Cultural Programme, Bulgarian National Radio

“National Identity” Workshop ~ Gallery Synthesis, Sofia Photomonth, Sofia, Bulgaria

“National Still Life” exhibition ~ Balassi Institute, Sofia Photomonth, Sofia, Bulgaria

“National Still Life” exhibition ~ Hungarian Culture Centre, Istanbul, Turkey

2016

“National Still Life” Photographic Exhibition & “National Identity” Workshop.
Photoblock, Photomonth, London

“National Still Life” WomeninPhoto UCA, IG Takeover

Fraction Magazine feature “National Still Life”

“National Still Life” Photographic exhibition, part of the Folk Art Exhibition, Zipernowski Centre for Science and Art, Budapest, Hungary

University College London
Photography in Academic Research / Photography + Context (paper presentation)
“National Identity and Photography”

Contemphoto 2016, Istanbul, Turkey
“National Identity’s Influence on Contemporary Photography”

ErasmusPlus Mobility Programme 2016
ESDA, Zaragoza, Spain (BA level – Cross disciplinary)
“National Identity’s Influence on Contemporary Photography” Presentation
“Identity’s influence on Creativity” Workshop

ErasmusPlus Mobility Programme 2016
Universidad Miquel Hernandez, Altea, Spain (BA, MA level – Cross disciplinary)
“National Still Life” Artist talk
“Identity’s influence on Creativity” Workshop

2015

“National Still Life” as part of the “International Salon” Group Exhibition, Budapest, Hungary

Art Quarter, Artist – in – Residence, Budapest, Hungary (making of “National Still Life”)

Association of Photography in Higher Education Conference 2015
“National Identity’s Influence on Education” Presentation and Workshop

2014

“How does National Identity influence creativity?”
The Psychological Analysis of Visual Culture ~ PhD Proposal, Moholy-Nagy University of Art & Design (MOME) Budapest, Hungary