SKLAD’s Artist-in-Residence (AiR) Program was initiated by Aron Rossman-Kiss and Asida Butba to offer international artists and researchers a unique opportunity to engage with a region marked by a rich and diverse history.
The first edition of the residency, held in 2017, was dedicated to the theme of Archives. This choice was rooted in the tragic destruction of Abkhazia’s National Archives during the 1992–1993 Georgian-Abkhaz war. In the early days of the conflict, georgian paramilitary forces set fire to the Archive building, immediately erasing centuries of documentation. Much of the National Library and the Academy of Sciences were also deliberately destroyed. Today, only about 10% of the pre-war library collection remains, while the National Archives are nearly impossible to access. Among the invaluable materials lost were records of Abkhazia’s history, population, and cultural diversity — including, for example, complete runs of newspapers once published by the sizeable Greek community. The lack of investigation and international attention to the destruction of the Archives has further isolated Abkhazia and complicated research into its past.
SKLAD aimed to address this history not as an act of tragic commemoration, but as a way to reflect on the value of memory and archival practices through collaborative artistic projects. The theme of the archives was explored not only as a reference to destroyed institutions, but also in a broader sense — through questions of preservation, materialization, and transmission of memory. Taking place in a country where many cultural institutions were erased and countless memories forgotten, the residency sought to symbolically fill this void by engaging with memory and generating new works.
The program brought together Tareq Daoud, Elizabeth Deny, Sam Jury, and Kamila Kuc, who each spent several weeks in Abkhazia. SKLAD_ was deeply involved in their research process, assisting with facilitation and translations. Work on the projects extended over several years, reflecting long-term engagement beyond the residency itself. As the first residency of its kind in Abkhazia, it marked an important step in opening the local context to international artistic collaboration and in building lasting relationships between artists and the region. Their work resulted in the exhibition Deletion Marks, first presented at SKLAD_ and later at Depo in Istanbul. Kamila Kuc created the film What We Shared, which went on to have an active life on the international festival circuit. Sam Jury produced the film This You Must Remember, later developed into a multimedia installation and shown in exhibitions at Depo in Istanbul and KCB in Belgrade. Her collaboration with SKLAD_ continues to this day and has led to the creation of the work Stories of Unexpected Loss.
By bringing international artists and researchers into dialogue with Abkhazia’s complex history, the residency not only produced significant new works but also gave an important impulse to the local cultural field, opening it up to broader conversations and exchanges.
