Urban activism against authoritarian structures in the societies of Eastern Europe

11 Jul 2014 | 18:00

Several different waves of protest have brought upheaval to the public sphere in Eastern Europe. This is illustrated by the recent protests in Ukraine, lasting several months – the most radical example of a struggle between society and those in power, who view the country as their own private property. In Russia, the repressive measures imposed by the government on protestors, opposition groups and civil society organizations can be interpreted as defensive manoeuvres on the part of that regime. The citizens of other countries in the region are also dissatisfied with their political representation, they have been expressing their displeasure in creative protests and events in public spaces.

The various forms of protest find verbal expression and take their – often highly imaginative – form in the context of spontaneous interaction among a great many action artists in urban public spaces. How are urban spaces being shaped creatively and put to use for the public, what forms of protest have proven effective and how do the various positions within the spectrum of urban activism influence one another?

“Protest. Culture. Politics. 2014” will be a presentation of projects and works relating to urban political activism from Eastern Europe. It will bring professionals and creative individuals from several different fields together and allow them to share their visions and knowledge with one another, present their projects and make new contacts for future projects.

Several activists and urban studies professionals from Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Russia and Ukraine will be presenting their work: performances, street art, videos and films.

Programm

6.00 pm Exhibition of projects and works curated by Yevgenia Belorusets, German/English with simultaneous translation

Music by Klangboot Radio

10.15 pm Film screening: Euromaidan. A rough cut (Ukrainian & Russian with English subtitles, with German simultaneous translation). Introduction by Roman Bondarchuk, director of the film.

With