neue Gesellschaft
für bildende Kunst

Panel discussion and lecture

16:00–18:00: Racism in russia: Decolonial Perspectives

Panel discussion with Alex Choybsonov (social entrepreneur, LGBTQ+ and refugee rights activist), Lidia Grigoryeva (activist from Sakha Republic), Yeza Yusupova (civil activist from the North Caucasus); moderated by Dankhaiaa Khovalyg
Language: russian with English translation

How does racism work in russia? Before the invasion of Ukraine, russia was mostly perceived as homogenously white and Slavic. But with the increasing visibility of Indigenous resistance in the West, questions about the way racism works arise in russia as well. There is an urgency in the country of exposing the role of racialization and racism in colonial violence towards Indigenous communities. The discussion between five Indigenous activists from different regions within contemporary russian borders will tackle this question, as well as demonstrate strategies of decolonial anti-racist resistance.

18:00–20:00: Contaminating Images

Lecture by Sasha Shestakova
Language: English

How does visual culture support nuclear colonialism? In their lecture, Sasha Shestakova will engage in a dialogue with "Thyroxia," an artwork by Keto Gorgadze and Ptuška, which addresses russian nuclear colonialism. Shestakova will uncover three aspects of colonialism, contamination, and temporalities.

Epistemic inequality: By centering on the bodily experience of russian nuclear colonialism, Keto Gorgadze and Ptuška reveal a structural inequality that enables the gradual destruction of bodies. According to geographer Thom Davies, "epistemic inequality" invalidates the experiences of colonialism and decolonial resistance, thus paving the way for long-term violence. In the soviet context, the images of fake unity produced epistemic inequality. An examination of the visual culture of the "friendship of the people" will expose how russification tried to rob these people, many of whom resisted russian colonialism, of their future.

Clashing temporalities: The extended temporalities of disease and contamination revealed by "Thyroxia" are in direct conflict with the temporalities of progress produced by the Soviet visual culture of the "peaceful atom." Interrogating this temporal clash, Sasha Shestakova will look at how the Soviet visual culture developed the infrastructural visions of progress that sustained the deathworlds of colonial violence.

Resistance: Introducing Belarusian, Ukrainian, and Georgian resistance to the deadly effects of Soviet nuclear colonialism, "Thyroxia" demonstrates the possibility of a future not occupied by russia. Expanding on that, Shestakova will discuss other resistances to russian nuclear colonialism and their versions of the future.

Sasha Shestakova is a decolonial researcher from russia. Their work deals with russian settler colonial histories and presents, combining visual culture and critical infrastructure studies.

Note on accessiblity:

The room is inaccessible to people in a wheelchair. There is an elevator, but access to it is blocked by 4 steps. To get to the toilet you have to overcome about 10 steps on narrow stairs. There are only chairs with a backrest for seating.

We recommend wearing medical masks throughout the event.