Guided Tour of Speaking Back + Lecture by Asia Bazdyrieva

On the 16th of August, a complex collaboration will unfold at Kunsthaus Hamburg as part of the “The Gathering Place” project. Running until the 1st of October 2023, Kunsthaus Hamburg is hosting the exhibition SPEAKING BACK – “an art and research project that reflects upon colonialism in Europe’s North and its past and present entanglements with Germany.” Through sculptures, video installations, textile art, photography, and drawings, the exhibition critically examines the colonial gaze, looting, eviction, and commodification of nature within a Nordic context.

We believe that «The Gathering Place» is a platform for addressing crucial issues, and SPEAKING BACK has profoundly inspired us to broaden the discussion “geographically” and shed light on the matters of Russian colonialism in Ukraine, with a focus on resource appropriation.

To facilitate this discourse, we have designed an event that begins with a guided tour of the SPEAKING BACK exhibition, led by one of its curators, Katja Schroeder. Following the tour, art historian Asia Bazdyrieva will contribute with a lecture based on the article “No Milk, No Love”, published in issue #127 of e-flux Journal. The article thoughtfully explores the complexities of Ukraine-Germany relations and sheds light on the resourcification of Ukraine, providing an entry point to discuss the current state of Russian imperialism.