NOZZE IN HUMANITY 2016
In January 2016 Ciska together with Dutch Actor Kees Coolen hosted the life performance Nozze in Humanity in Humanity House The Hague in which an overview of her life, work and art was presented via excerpts of Splinter, the book Ciska simultanously wrote during the buildingproces of the artwork Splinter.
The live performance in Humanity House inspired her to create Nozze in Humanity a 30 minute video film, in which her personal story is intertwined with footage of the history of people´s sleeping habits throughout time.
SPLINTER REVISITED 2016
In a In Memoriam videofilm Ciska filmed and edited a Tribute to her mother who sadly passed away during the construction of the renewed version of her artwork Splinter Revisited in January 2016. In the film Ciska explains why the realisation of this artwork at the time of her mother´s death on January 15, 2016, is in the same time a way of consolation to her, for this deeply felt loss. She also explains the many symbols embodied in this colossal wooden canopy bed artwork.
THANDEKE ZULU 2016
The film Thandeka Zulu shows the touching story of Thandeka, AIDS infected mother of four children, who lives in appalling poor conditions, but nonetheless finds her strength and comfort in her believe in the Lord and Jesus Christ. A woman who, like Ciska herself who interviews her, has dedicated her life to creating awareness in her community about the dangers of living with HIV/AIDS and who actively believes that abstinence from sex before marriage is the only way to stop the further spread of the virus. Ciska and Thandeka meet in her ramshackle slum dwelling were Thandeka's also entrusts Ciska that her children are fortunately HIV negative thanks to the project of the Red Cross Children's hospital Ciska has helped starting back in 1995. In the long interview Ciska deliberately has left room for Thandeka to take her time and tell her about her living conditions, thus establishing an intimate portrait of this young, unfortunate and yet courageous woman. When leaving her poor dwelling Ciska asked Thandeka, "May I put my arms around you?" And so they stood there silently for a while as silent sculptures in a united fight against AIDS. This question for Ciska has become the slogan for all her projects.
GREEN LIFE STYLE FILM FESTIVAL CALIFORNIA 2010
During the Green Lifestyle Filmfestival in Los Angeles in 2010 Ciska presented a triptych of three films she created as an overview of her work as humanitarian worker, AIDS activist and artist, Please Hug Me, Thandeka Zulu and Arms Around You.
Arms Around You Trailer at Green Life Style Filmfestival Los Angeles 2010
ARMS AROUND YOU 2004 - 2012
Having worked as a volunteer in the AIDS project Ciska helped establishing in 1995 with the Red Cross Children's Hospital in Cape Town Ciska wanted to immortalize her experiences by creating monuments for all AIDS victims. Back in The Netherlands 'art-activist' Ciska started to create gigantic 8 meter high sculptures, inspired on her memories of these poor dying children with their huge heads onto emaciated bodies, dying from the virus. The sculptures were interactively created with hundreds of children and volunteers on numerous festivals between 2004 - 2012. The created sculptures were annually exhibited in the The Hague City Hall. This initiative initiated the Love Life Festival in The Hague, sponsored and endorst by The Mayor and City Councel of The Hague, NCDO, Hivos, Fonds 1818 and other NGO's, aswell as dozens of business enterprises.
Video Library Selection:
Arms Around You 2010 (English)
Arms Around You The Hague Jazz 2008 (English)
Arms Around You Youth Internet Competition 2008 (English)
Arms Around You World Aids Day 2008 (English)
Arms Around You 2007 Part #1, Part #2, Part #3 (English)
Arms Around You Television Broadcast 2004
Arms Around You Compilation 2004-2011
DOCUMENTARY PLEASE HUG ME
Please Hug Me, is a 12 minute documentary by Ciska about the pioneering beginning of the successful AIDS project of the Red Cross Children's Hospital in Cape Town South Africa Ciska helped establishing through Dutch funding in 1995. The documentary shows the magnitude of the horrors of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Southern Africa, which has affected many young women and their newly born children. The films gives a poignant image of the tremendous suffering of newly born children who have been infected with the HIV/AIDS virus and the courageous efforts of the medical staff of the Red Cross Children's Hospital to prevent more pregnant HIV infected women from transmitting the HIV virus unto their unborn children.
Ciska de Hartogh