5.–9.6.2013

Den eigenen Blick unbewohnbar machen

Krisen und Aufbrüche im Nahen Osten

Etel Adnan (*1925), the “grande dame of Middle Eastern literature,” is one of the great political artists of our time. Her work is pervaded with the past and present of colonialism, the destructive force of which can be seen in the Middle East to this day.

The uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt have been dubbed the Arab Spring by western media, and have entered our consciousness as so-called Facebook revolutions. There was interest – for a brief period – mostly in young people. But the best-agers from Tahrir Square and in the innumerable assemblies, action groups, and commissions remained largely unmentioned. 

What does it mean to live in the Arab world? Why have millions risen up? Why does the silent majority have its doubts? Starting from Etel Adnan’s works, the program sees itself as a transtemporal glance at the Arab world, searching for lines of connection between the political events of recent decades. It asks what long-term developments led to the current unrest, and what meaning it has for Arab artists and intellectuals.