Artists’ Identities at Risk

4. October | 19.00

How do artists rethink their identities during wartime? How is it possible to find ethical grounds and keep working in the arts when the times call for heroes and warriors? Which kinds of artworks are more pronounced in the running crisis — adapted for gallery exhibitions or created for streets and bomb shelters?

The initiator of the topic, Oleksandra Nenko is a sociologist and arts researcher who focuses on these challenging questions in her ongoing research. 

A statement from Oleksandra regarding her research topic:

“The current topic is important to me, first of all, as a Ukrainian: I try to reflect upon and make sense out of the catastrophe that Ukraine is undergoing now. Secondly, with the escalation of the war I could not think of anything else, so as a professional sociologist I decided to dedicate my time to study the destinies of Ukrainian artists and the changes Ukrainian arts are going through. I found personal relief in talking to artists, watching their artworks and reading their commentaries on the arts they do. Reflecting upon Ukrainian arts, I thought of universal tendencies in how artists rethink their identities in view of the civic emergency and how the art addresses trauma and shapes collective memory.”

We invite you to discuss this challenging topic and share your thoughts — in the format of our evenings of kitchen sociology. The particular value of these evenings is in a vivid discussion between all participants. It won’t be a lecture, monologue or public talk.

Participants of the discussion:

• Oleksandra Nenko — a sociologist, arts researcher

• Denis Esakov — a multimedia artist and writer

• Grace Euna Kim — an arts researcher, director of performances

• and each of you who will join the evening, so feel free to bring your questions and concerns about the topic

Moderated by Oleg Pachenkov — a sociologist and urbanist, guest researcher at the Georg-Simmel Center for Metropolitan Studies of the Humboldt University Berlin, expert at CISR e.V.

The language of the event: English

Location: dvor — Ahlbecker Str. 3, 10437 Berlin

Registration: https://kitchen-sociology-0410.eventbrite.com

since the space is quite small, the entrance will be possible for registered participants only

The event is organized within the “Stadt mal anders” project and funded by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany.

The evenings of kitchen sociology are public discussions that CISR e.V. has been holding since 2017. In a homely atmosphere over a glass of wine, we talk about complex and sensitive topics — as honestly as we do in our kitchens with close friends. We often discuss provocative questions and debate complex societal phenomena. In the previous years, we have already discussed equal rights and hypocrisy on March 8, civil society survival practices, the experience of deportation in the USSR, the changing politics in Georgia, the environmental consequences of war, and many others. 

After the beginning of the war in Ukraine, even more challenging and alarming issues have emerged that we are eager to reflect on. We believe that sharing our concerns, thoughts and opinions can be the remedy in troubled times.