What type of strategies have artists developed in cities like Istanbul, Damascus and Teheran in order to continue producing art despite the authoritarian regimes of Erdogan, Assad and Khamenei. How can artistic practices be a tool for distributing knowledge about what is happening in these cities? What’s the value, but also the danger and the price, of such activities?

In times of war and repression, all citizens and particularly activists, intellectuals and artists engaged in anti-regime narratives are victims of political measures. In Syria, Turkey and Iran for example, many of them have been arrested, prosecuted or forced to remain silent. But artists are also very good at developing strategies and tactics to counteract, often providing creative ways for overcoming state security apparatuses when organizing protests, or other strategies for dissent. Taking Syria, Turkey and Iran as a starting point, this seminar aims to share with the audience the knowledge acquired by artists in such contexts, particularly in terms of insurgent practices, forms of protest and their organization.

This seminar originated from the desire to bring attention to the online project ‘The Creative Memory of the Syrian Revolution’. This online platform, initiated by curator Sana Yazigi, aims to make visible the art created in Syria during the current revolution. Some of the artworks will also be on display during the seminar as a one day exhibition. More

information: https://creativememory.org/

Programme

10:00 - 10:15 Introduction by Pascal Gielen & Sara Vanhee
10:15 - 11:00 Sana Yazigi: Artists as "citizens", dangers and challenges
11:00 - 11:20 Roschanack Shaery-Yazdi: Resistance in Syria past and present. Memory as a Political Project
11:20 - 12:00 Q&A
12:00 - 13:00 Lunch
13:00 - 13:45 Hakan Topal: A Stage for Resistence: The Cultural Scene in Turkey
13:45 - 14:30 Gurur Ertem: Radical Politics, The Arts, and Social Hope
14:30 - 15:00 Q&A
15:00 - 15:45 Liselotte Sels: New music in the Islamic Republic of Iran
15:45 - 17:00 Q&A and debate

In collaboration with the Centre for Political History, University of Antwerp, Kunsthal Extra City, Culture Commons Quest Office and Co.Labs Antwerp.

Taal Engels