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RE:BORDERS - AN INDICTMENT
From February 23 to March 3, 2024, the debut exhibition of the curatorial Re:Borders Collective took place in the project space of the Kunstquartier Bethanien in Berlin. Under the title "RE:BORDERS - An Indictment," the collective explored the intersections between visual art, political education, and transmedia happenings. The exhibition invited seven artists to position themselves within the context of the pervasive migration discourse.
Through documentary photography, video works, walkable installations, performance, and text-based art, multi-perspective representations were created that illuminated personal stories of flight and border experiences. The works in the group exhibition provided space for anger, pain, and despair, but also for courage, hope, and self-determination. They resolutely opposed silence by telling the invisible and showing the unspeakable.
The participating artists – Parwana Amiri, Salih Basheer, Vincent Haiges, Michél Kekulé, Özlem Sarıyıldız, Abou Bakar Sidibé, and Chiara Wettmann – addressed themes of war, flight, displacement, and human rights, culminating in a collective outcry against the EU's migration policies. A specially written manifesto called on the public to reflect and take action. The collective, artistically led by author Kasia Wojcik and photographer Michél Kekulé, accompanied RE:BORDERS with a social media campaign. They explored the polarizing question of whether politically motivated art should influence future realities or remain limited to representation and commemoration.
A particular focus was on exchange, networking, and community among the participants. In addition to the well-attended opening, the program included panel talks, film screenings, and a book launch that deepened the discussions around the exhibition's themes. Guests at these events included Bundestag member Clara Bünger, author and activist Imad Al Suliman, journalist Christian Jakob, as well as representatives from Sea-Watch, Solidarity With Refugees in Libya, Amnesty International, and many others. Through the diverse artistic expressions and clear political message, the Re:Borders Collective contributed to raising awareness and mobilizing a broad public.
Artistic Direction: Kasia Wojcik and Michél Kekulé
Participating Artists:
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Parwana Amiri
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Salih Basheer
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Vincent Haiges
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Michél Kekulé
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Özlem Sarıyıldız
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Abou Bakar Sidibé
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Chiara Wettmann
Graphic Design: Sebastian Kuban
Editorial: Kajetan Skurski
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