OFFENER DISKURS: IN-VISIBLE - Ein Tanztheaterprojekt im Schatten des Krieges

In the organizer's words:

XXTanzTheater: INVISIBLE - a cliché of historiography

A dance theater project in the shadow of war

For an open discourse in the arts

The international dance theater project "INVISIBLE" by XXTanzTheater/Bibiana Jiménez and Annabelle Dvir/WOMEN OF SOUND from Israel used dance as a medium to talk about emotions, pain and trauma; it offered us the opportunity to reflect openly on our experiences as resistant women - on the legacy of our mothers and grandmothers, but also on stories yet to be written. Women's resistance in history has shaped our lives, yet it often remains invisible in historiography.

This project, which was planned in September 2023 after two years of conceptual collaboration, was given a new dimension by the events of October 7, 2023 and the resulting current geopolitical situation in the Middle East. With its brutality and polarizing power, the war has overshadowed the open artistic dialogue. What does it mean to create art in times of war?

"What have you learned, Germany?" asked Nan Goldin at the opening of her exhibition at the National Gallery Berlin. We are asking the same question, but in the opposite direction. Why should we polarize in artistic discourse? Every voice deserves to be heard, the dialog must be maintained and the freedom to express oneself must continue to be guaranteed.

Artistic discourse should reflect the diversity of opinions. Should we be afraid of political discourse? Why speak one-sidedly or take sides? Recently, anti-Semitic tendencies have been on the rise in artistic discourse. Art stands for freedom and the opportunity to come to terms with one's own past without fear of exclusion or condemnation.

On 07.12.2024, we invite you to a multifaceted evening full of emotions and discussions; as part of our dance theater project "INVISIBLE", we bring together dance, art and social reflection and address the invisible effects of war on artistic work. How can we continue to work together in these times of polarization, continue to be artistically active together? And what is the role of art in political discourse?