Graphic by Alevtina Kakhidze with a quote from Timothy Snyder
The Ukrainian artist duo Lia Dostlieva and Andrii Dostliev invite you to a workshop and pop-up exhibition on decolonial discourses with a focus on the power relationship between Russia and Ukraine.
Lia Dostlieva and Andrii Dostliev summarize the current situation in Germany and Western Europe as follows: “The exclusive right to produce knowledge about subdued territories has always been one of the tools of the empire used to exercise power over these territories. In the case of Western empires, this right has been challenged and questioned, but it has not been the same in the case of Russia. Furthermore, the decolonial discourse is hijacked and instrumentalized by the same people who used to be beneficiaries of centuries-long colonial violence and producers of knowledge about the region for the sake of the empire. Attempts to give the region a new, less colonial name are made, some of the most evident imperial crimes are briefly acknowledged — just to quickly change the topic, an illusionary portion of agency is given to chosen indigenous voices — but still, the key to producing this knowledge is securely kept in the heart of the empire. No attempt is made to take responsibility and move closer to bringing justice to the victims. Several recent exhibitions in Berlin are just one of the recurring examples of this disturbing non-change.”
In the “Blind Spots and Dead Pixels” format, in which workshops have already been held and a critical reader created, the artist duo, together with cultural workers Alevtina Kakhidze, Botakoz Kassymbekova and Tereza Hendl, will open up a playful and interactive space for joint exchange on colonial structures, power relations and representation in the Schinkel Pavillon. Participants will be able to accompany difficult decisions made by cultural workers with Alevtina Kakhidze, take part in a joint discussion on the decolonial approach to knowledge production with Botakoz Kassymbekova and Tereza Hendl and see Lia Dostlieva and Andrii Dostliev’s pop-up exhibition, which can be supplemented by their own contributions. The fresco that the artist Kateryna Lisovenko produced for the exhibition in the Schinkel Pavilion and withdrew due to a disagreement will now be shown again on this occasion. All participants will receive a free copy of the decolonial reader Blind Spots Dead Pixels vol II by Lia Dostlieva and Andrii Dostliev.
Tereza Hendl is a philosopher and bioethicist, currently working as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Augsburg and Research Associate at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. She investigates concerns of vulnerability, refusal, justice and solidarity, and the ethics and epistemology of health technologies and interventions.
Alevtina Kakhidze is a multidisciplinary Ukrainian artist. In her practice, she critically examines socio-political changes and issues such as consumer behaviour, ecology, feminism and life in war zones. Since 2014, Russia’s war against Ukraine has been the main focus of her work. She remained in Ukraine after the full-scale invasion in 2022 and now describes the everyday impact of war to people who live in peace.
Botakoz Kassymbekova is a Lecturer & Assistant Professor in Modern History at the University in Basel with a specialization in Soviet history, Stalinism, post-Stalinism and Russian imperial history. She holds a Ph. D. from the Humboldt Universität Berlin, an M.A. from the University of Essex and a B.A. from the American University of Central Asia.
Lia Dostlieva and Andrii Dostliev are Ukrainian artists, essayists, and curators, working primarily with the topics of memory, collective trauma, and decolonial practices in Eastern Europe. Participants of the National Pavilion of Ukraine at the 60th Venice Biennale.
This event takes place in Schinkelpavillon. Admission is free.
Due to the limited number of participants, please register at: germany@ui.org.ua
Organized by the Ukrainian Institute in Germany in cooperation with Schinkel Pavillon and Brücke-Museum.