BALKAN RADIKAL

Das sagt der/die Veranstalter:in:

Exhibition / Ausstellung

Opening with Performances / Eröffnung mit Performances
FRI / FR, 13 SEP, 19.00 h

19.30 h: Dante Buu, Performance
20.00 h: Artemis Xeniou, Performance
20.30 h: Krista Papista, DJ Set

Panel Talk / Podiumsgespräch
SAT / SA, 14 SEP, 16.00 h

Exhibition: BALKAN RADIKAL

Different generations of people from the Balkans share the experience of migration. The reasons to leave one’s home have been and continue to be many: war and ethnic conflicts, forced resettlement, unemployment – but also the sociopolitical situation for marginalised communities and individuals who live a feminist, queer and/or radical way of life. Historically, these communities have always been under oppression in the Balkans and have often been exposed to prejudices, marginalisation and gender-based violence. For some, “in this atmosphere..., it seems easier to survive in Western Europe”.

Most of the Balkan countries are shaped by religion as well as conservative politics that exclude sexual minorities and even pose a threat to them. Pride parades in the region are a small revolution, while in Western Europe they are common events in the yearly event programme. Berlin, as the proclaimed city for queer life, promises openness and tolerance. Nevertheless, in recent years, hate crimes towards queer and trans communities have increased here as well. Not only that, but Germany’s societal and political climate threatens people who experience structural and everyday racism or other forms of discrimination. 

IF A BOY CANNOT BREAK YOUR HEART
YOUR COUNTRY CERTAINLY WILL
Dante Buu

The country we find ourselves in, and our homelands, constantly break hearts with their politics, right-wing narratives, police violence, and silencing. How do we resist? To politically demand extreme change is seen as being radical. Trying to interrogate and redefine this concept, Balkan Radikal focuses on radicality as a strategy of intimacy, connection, support, and love. Love as an act of resistance, as bell hooks declares, is to resist dominant, oppressive structures and systems. Being radical means standing together and not letting our hearts be broken by violence; it means shaping a life that resists patriarchal norms.

In this exhibition, the artists present works and social practices that confront inequalities of power while celebrating love, connection, and the strength of our communities. Their practices transcend binaries and borders, highlighting the fluidity of life in-between, the power of intimacy, and the intertwining of moving bodies and their stories. 

Artists: Dante Buu, Spyros Rennt, Artemis Xeniou 

Panel Talk: Other Balkan
14 SEP, 16.00 h 

The panel will focus on existing communities from the Balkans and the diaspora that fight for equal rights and freedom. We aim to learn about the initiatives and individuals fostering community and change, asking: What spaces for queer-feminist concepts of life in the Balkans exist? How do they stay safe and support each other? Additionally, we want to get to know the stories of those who left and live in countries like Germany that promise openness and tolerance. How much of this openness is actually experienced? Also, looking at the question of identity and its constant evolution, we want to ask: What does life look like for those who stayed, those who moved, and those who live in-between? 

Speakers: Lejla Kalamujić, Milena Papakoch, Spyros Rennt, Moderation: Maja Bogojević  

The event will be held in English.

Funded by: Come In, migrationsrat berlin, Senatsverwaltung für Arbeit, Soziales, Integration, Vielfalt und Antidiskriminierung, Landesstelle für Gleichbehandlung – gegen Diskriminierung (Fachbereich LSBTI), Initiative „Berlin tritt ein für Selbstbestimmung und Akzeptanz geschlechtlicher und sexueller Vielfalt" (IGSV), Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung