12 interviews with artists and activists dealing with Ohnmacht
The Archive for Ohnmacht brings together voices of activists and artists from a wide range of contexts and places. We ask them: Are you familiar with the sense of “Ohnmacht“? Have you experienced moments in which you felt overwhelmed by it? How did you deal with it—and how did you keep going? 11 interviews can be listened to: those with Seyda Kurt, Mirko Messner, Livinus Nwoha, Csilla, Milo Rau (in German), and Dóra Denerak Galyas, Nina Khyzhna and Tariq (in English)
Drawings: Ivana Bugarinovic
The Ars Electronica Festival calls for hope, while choi deals with the flipside of the coin, as did the Forum Stadtpark last year with NO HOPE NO FEAR. The Archiv for Ohnmacht was part of this exhibition in Graz and is now being contributed to the CHURCH OF IGNORANCE by our partner institution Forum Stadtpark.
Acts of helplessness can be observed everywhere: Cynicism and fatalism spread, people retreat into protected spaces, stick themselves to streets or works of art, the desire to “at least not do much damage” becomes a life goal – the air has become heavy with Ohnmacht.
Where does Ohnmacht as a public feeling come from, what does it look like? Can anything positive grow from it?
The Archive for Ohnmacht brings together conversations with activists and engaged artists from a wide range of contexts and places. They address an issue that is familiar to almost everyone, but which in activist contexts, is often taboo: the sense of powerlessness and helplessness in light of facts and circumstances that seemingly cannot be changed.
The questions have been asked: Have you encountered a sense of Ohnmacht in your activist work? Have you experienced moments in which you feel overwhelmed by such feelings? And if so, how do you deal with them – and how did you keep going?
Accompanied by drawings by Ivana Bugarinović, a selection of 12 interviews can be listened to in the DH5 Salon.
Credits
Interviews with Doro Blancke, Dóra Denerak Galyas, Djif Djimeli, Nina Khyzhna, Seyda Kurt, Daria Kinga Majewski, Sónia Melo, Mirko Messner, Livinus Nwoha, Andreas Peham, Maike Plath, Norbert Prinz, Leon Ranz, Milo Rau, Rúbia Salgado, Ipek Yüksek, Csilla, Eylem, Tariq und Zeyn.
Interviews and editing: Markus Gönitzer, Robin Klengel and Miriam Schmid
Drawings: Ivana Bugarinović
Mastering: Thomas Grassegger
Technical setup: Leonie Bramberger
