29.–31.5. / HAU1, HAU2, HAU4
“Being Alone” addresses solitude and loneliness in various forms: as a voluntarily chosen retreat, as structurally imposed isolation, or as an economically exploitable resource. These conditions do not appear as a purely individual feeling, but as a socially produced and culturally shaped experience which raises questions of belonging, intimacy and privilege.
The three-day focus is dedicated to the multi-layered dimensions of solitude and loneliness, bringing together perspectives from Central and East Asia and their entanglement in global contexts. Through performances, an exhibition, and discursive and digital formats, being alone is negotiated as a social and political phenomenon that is particularly evident in the course of social transformation processes in Asia.
How does being alone change our understanding of self and community? What impulses do the invited artists, thinkers, and curators provide for current social challenges? When does withdrawal become self-empowerment – and when does it become an experience of not belonging?
The focus marks the end of “Solitude: Loneliness & Freedom,” a two-year regional project by the Goethe-Instituts in East and Central Asia in cooperation with HAU Hebbel am Ufer. On display is a curated selection of locally realised projects – from China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, South Korea, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, and Germany. These contribute to the events marking the 75th anniversary of the Goethe-Institut and highlight its international cultural programme work.