A book about the Different Voices project, by Lasanaa and alternative art space and Women Down the Pub About Different Voices By Lasanaa and Women Down the Pub   Different Voices is a platform for production and dissemination of gender-debating artworks in public spaces. Various voices of people working with ideas surrounding gender politics are represented. The project took place in Kathmandu and was initiated in 2007 by Lasanaa (NP) - an alternative art space and Women Down the Pub (DK) - a feminist artist network working with art in public spaces and gender debating art works. The project Different Voices ended in the beginning of 2009. The political climate in Nepal in 2007 was tense due to the upcoming elections after the 2006 peace deal with the Maoists that forced Nepal's king Gyanendra to cede power. Discussions often took off in relation to politics and new gender roles. Ashmina Ranjit, artist and founder of the alternative art space Lasanaa, met Women down the Pub (WdtP), when she took part in an artist in residency program in Copenhagen. We had different backgrounds, geographically, nationally, culturally etc, but we had several mutual interests and aspirations. Both Lasanaa and Women Down the Pub had, in different parts of the world, organized ourselves against patriarchal power structures and sexism. Furthermore we had similar experiences with taking our own situation as artists and feminists, as the starting point for our projects. As Nynne Haugaard and Nikolaj Kilsmark from Women down the pub, already were based in Kathmandu, where Lasanaa is also based, the idea to make a long term collaboration in Nepal emerged. Together we initiated Different Voices, a project with a gender debating, intersectional and transnational perspective. The compelling challenge was to analyze our similarities and differences and to raise questions on fundamental problems of our societies. We have employed feminism as an analytical tool to critique and to infiltrate hegemonic forms of representation. Our aim has been to establish an awareness of the politics of representation and how to situate ourselves within a local, global and historical context. The Different Voices project concerned questions like: How is gender structures expressed and materialized in different parts of the world, socially, economically, politically, culturally and legally? How can we critique and reflect on political situations through art? How can we intervene in commercial culture and in public space through the medium of art? People with various professions participated and provided their expertice to the activities that constituted the Different Voices project. The one year long program has included workshops, art in public space, installation works, performances, public discussions, co-laborative writing and artist talks. Collaboration has been an essential working method in all project activities. We are proud of the collective achievements, some of these you can see in this publication and more can be seen at www.differentvoices.org. We look forward to see how all these collective efforts will continue and further develop in the future. Different Voices is driven by a will to listen and learn from each other. We cooperate across professions, gender, national borders and boundaries of class/caste and race. The Different Voices project is founded on the belief that art should intervene and reach beyond the world of art and mere representation. Lasanaa and WdtP are experimenting on how art can be a method when addressing complex issues. One often gets stuck in opposing positions when discussing politics; these positions can be questioned within the multi-faceted languages of art. We believe that art, by being witty, radically critical, un-didactic, analytical and self-critical, has a capacity to challenge deeply rooted perceptions and biases and to raise questions on complicated matters. Thanks to everyone who contributed in the Different Voices Project! Lasanaa/Ashmina Ranjit and Women down the Pub/Andrea Creutz, Nynne Haugard, Nikolaj Kilsmark and Lisa Strömbeck