MU Collective• Ө

Video 11 min, zine, drawings, 2023

MU Collective — five artists of Kalmyk* origin based in different countries — presents the periodical, self-organized zine “Ө” with contributions by Kalmyk artists. The local community is scattered. Some artists left Kalmykia after the beginning of the war in Ukraine and the rise of repression in russia, while others stayed. This zine is a much-needed platform for supporting the community and keeping it alive.
“Ө” refers to the Kalmyk word for “flaw” according to the tradition of calling the most precious things names with negative connotations to protect them from evil spirits. This applies to “mu” as well — the word means “bad.” The zine aims to explore Indigenous Kalmyk knowledge and concepts. The first issue explores non-Western concepts of time.
While colonial linear time generates ideas of progress and causality, Kalmyk time, following the Mongol-Buryad tradition, is cyclic (as represented in the mandala circle). This concept blurs the lines between past and present, reflecting, for example, the idea of Kalmyks’ past lying in the future.

*Kalmykia is a republic northwest of the Caspian Sea. The Kalmyk people originated there after their migration from Central Asia and were colonized by the russian empire during the 18th century. They have Mongol origins, speak the Kalmyk language (a form of Oirat — Western dialects of the Mongolian language family) and mainly practice Buddhism. Today, Kalmykia is a non-sovereign republic within the russian borders.

Part of: Өмә ([ome]; Bashqort for “collective self-help practices”)
nGbK work group: FATA collective
A project of nGbK in cooperation with Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien.