The video “My apple tree behind bars” artwork captures and heals the shared experiences of many Belarusians living in exile today. Produced as an animated documentary, the video work is a collaboration between Belarusian artists and musicians living in exile. It is designed to preserve a legacy of Belarusian art and culture of today for future generations. When the curator Ludmila Christeseva from Sweden approached Liliya Busarova in Poland with an idea of baking an apple pie by the recipe of Belarusian prisoners, Liliya Busarova intertwined her own pain and transformed it into a powerful animated biography. Symbolically enough, that other Belarusian creators – a Belarusian theatre in Gdansk joined the project and come up with the music and sound. Moreover, the Ukrainian refugee found their own loss in the narration – where is their apple tree? their roots today in the context of increasing armed conflict in Ukraine? When women from around the world have joined our project with their recipes, we now view this project as an ongoing collectable legacy of Belarusian national identity and we are proud to support other cultures and civilians. Join us with your recipes and your story.
APple tree for democracy
Lack of freedom of expression in Belarus severely restricts artistic endeavors. This year, Belarusian female artists collaborated on a book they cannot publish due to the risk of any public presentation being deemed illegal, particularly those involving feminist themes. Recent incidents, such as authorities scrutinizing an art presentation at a café resulting in a 15-day detention, underscore the dangers artists face. In response, these artists symbolically planted an apple tree on June 1, 2024, considered a public art installation symbolizing hope for improved creative conditions in the future.
The location of the art installation remains undisclosed for safety reasons. The uncertain timeline underscores the challenges, yet this collective act invites the global community of artists, curators, and art enthusiasts to monitor its development. They are encouraged to plan a visit to Belarus in the distant future, where the growth of the apple tree signifies the time required for blooming and meaningful change.
Manifest: Homemade apple pie
The story of Belarus today can be unpacked through the act of baking an apple pie without its main ingredient. The apples are not from my garden and my tree, so it will never taste the same. And I have no one to share it with—my friends are in jail. My country, once abundant in culture and outstanding souls, is now under siege. My home, filled with family narratives, has been taken away. Such emptiness is impossible to fill.
I stand here under the shadows of apple tree, longing for my Belarus—a land stripped of its native language, with people who have no roots and no place to return to. I try to enjoy the apple pie. I swallow. The taste is hollow, not the same. The experience is incomplete. It embodies the pain and loss we endure as we wait for the day when the apple tree I planted with my grandparents will once again bear fruit, and the essence of Belarus will be restored for each of us. Until then, I hold onto sharing my story, my heritage, and my dream of a homeland through my art projects. This manifest symbolizes our resilience and hope for a future where creative freedom and cultural richness can flourish once more.
Open Call: Send a Recipe for Apple Pie
Join us by sharing your recipe for homemade apple pie along with a story about your family and culture. This culinary exchange will be part of Äppelfest på Kungliga Djurgården in Stockholm from September 25-29, 2024. The project aims to unite, strengthen, and heal the shared experiences of people from many displaced nations. We hope you will be inspired to share your story, as your contribution is vital in transforming loss and uncertainty into connection and hope.
Please send your contribution before September 1, 2024. If you are an artist and would like to contribute an illustration or thematic pattern to our project, we would be delighted to include it in our important collection.
