D.R.A.P.E.E.L.
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About Project D.R.A.P.E.E.L.
Project D.R.A.P.E.E.L.'s objective is to challenge the concept of the flag as an object used for identification and redefine its properties based on lived experiences. The project looks to empower members of the Eastern European region by giving them more say in how they are represented by reimagining the flag through a speculative lens. The main objective of the app is to unite the Eastern European community under a collection of flags by sharing their experiences and commonalities regarding their livelihoods alongside a speculative flag.
After the Second World War, Eastern Europe has been impacted at a socioeconomic level due to its complicated history. Most of the countries in the region are now part of the European Union and operate under democratic systems. However, the lingering traumas of communism are still prevalent in Eastern European society. Impacting these nations at a socioeconomic level through the sudden change of political ideology affects the society in question on a generational level. Not having the freedom of expression for so long created a confusing environment for people to practice self-awareness and build an identity for themselves. Despite yearning for freedom all those years, after over 40 years of communism, Eastern Europeans arrived at a pivotal and, at the same time, perplexing point in the early 1990s with the arrival of democracy and foreign influence from countries beyond the fallen iron curtain. Freedom from dictatorial regimes is widely celebrated, but without even knowing it, the region has been put in a peripheral state through corruption and greed, a common denominator for many government members throughout the region. This alienates the people, leaving space for communist nostalgia, far-right movements and general political discourse to grow. Whether you are Hungarian, Polish, Romanian or Ukrainian, the conflicting environment created by history is tied up with the present time, creating an amalgamation of emotions and experiences which make it difficult for an individual to come to terms with how they would like to move forward. Leaving the future of this region up to the imagination of its youngest members of society. Petrică Mogoș wrote in the introduction of Imagined Exchanges “In the context of the three long decades of post-socialist capitalism in Eastern Europe, it seems that imagining alternatives is among the last of resources we may currently have.”
It isn't just borders that set people apart in Eastern Europe. The region showcases a wealth of diverse cultures and customs, which change locally, let alone on a national level. In Eastern Europe, our commonality goes beyond folkloric insignia and dances. The publication Imagined Exchanges showcases the variety of opinions and positions that creatives take on the state of Eastern Europe. Mogoș and Naum curational's approach for the book is a playful yet somewhat painful exercise. Putting together the thoughts and feelings of Eastern European creative practitioners around the region's future. The conversation about the possibilities of the future is even more valuable when the opinions of many, not just an individual, come together in a body of work. With the difficult conversations comes a lot of understanding, despite being thousands of kilometres apart, there are common lived experiences and perspectives which go beyond the flag we live under or the language we speak. Reading the publication made me question the way in which we perceive identity and what are the symbols which are tied to our identity. How could the symbols behind our identity be shaped by our shared experiences?