inVESTIR is an innovative multidisciplinary project that joins net art, art in the public space and performance. It was developed in 2010 for Manifesta 8 Biennial, whose motto was Europe in dialogue with North Africa. Between July and October Valeria Schwarz and Betiana Bellofatto virtually chatted with 40 people of North Africa, who were randomly selected. Each week a question was published on the wall of the Facebook account. Furthermore, the artists chatted every day with those people that were online at the moment. The focus was on identity, currently politics, the image of Europe, future perspectives, gender issues, among others. The countries included are: Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria and Morocco.
From these dialogues the most relevant statements (critics, wishes, comments) were selected and printed on 140 ecological and fair trade T-shirts. Volunteers from Murcia were scouted to wear these T-shirts during the inaugural week of Manifesta 8 Biennial, taking advantage of the great influx of international people from the art scene. They were asked to register through video and photography their trajectory with the T-shirt.
The blog and the Facebook account have been constantly actualised with documentation, so people in North Africa could follow the project and give a feedback in every moment. The blog offers fragments of the dialogues where the statements came from, as well as the opportunity to use it as a discussion forum between all acteurs of the project. European pedestrians received a visit card with the address of the blog and the Facebook account. They were also encouraged by the volunteers to join the forum.
The presentation of the T-shirts with the printed statements was parallel to Manifesta 8 inauguration at La Conserva art centre in October 2010, and it had great impact.
inVESTIR es un proyecto especialmente desarrollado por Valeria Schwarz con la colaboración de Betiana Bellofatto para el programa Paralelos de Manifesta 8. Durante tres meses, las artistas han dialogado a través de plataformas virtuales con personas del norte de Africa, las cuales han sido elegidas de manera azarosa. De estos diálogos se extrajeron las frases más significativas, que fueron impresas en camisetas ecológicas y de comercio justo.
El proyecto entra ahora en su segunda etapa. Las camisetas serán llevadas por europeos, integrando de esta forma la voz de las personas africanas en el día a día de Murcia. Esta segunda parte se realizará entre el 7 y el 13 de octubre de 2010.
