Wanderausstellung „Trotz allem! – Postmigrantische Jugend bewegt den Osten“ (EN)

Youth speaks

Anosh had to flee his home country in 2015 – for several weeks. On foot, by car, by boat. However, his arrival in Germany meant that he had arrived with nothing. „I had my own company in Afghanistan,“ says the office management graduate. However, his documents were not recognized by the German universities.

It was a tip from a friend that turned out to be the golden key for him: Anosh found out about a program that mediated between students from abroad and German universities. Through this channel, his bachelor’s degree was actually recognized after about three years. Shortly afterwards, he moved to Rostock for his master’s degree. At the time, Anosh had no idea that his decision would also become a golden key for many other people.

In 2019, he founded the „Youth Speaks“ initiative together with other international students. An information event on training and studying became a monthly meeting where people from Afghanistan, Palestine, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Somalia and Yemen came together. A spontaneous impulse that has now become firmly established in urban society and beyond.

„Art in the midst of war“ is an exhibition that he realized together with his sister and „Youth speaks“. Hafiza Qasimi is an activist, artist and gallery owner. Until recently, she lived in Kabul. Since the outbreak of the Taliban’s reign of terror in August 2021, the 23-year-old has feared for her life.

Anosh explains how she finds the strength to artistically document the reality of life in Afghanistan: „Everyone dreams of freedom. These women have been fighting for it with their lives for years.“ It is like an inner urge to resist. The message that emanates from the project: „We want to show the world that Afghan society needs solidarity. We are setting an example so that these people are not forgotten.“

„We want to give tips on how newcomers can go their own way,“ explains Anosh. The initiative’s credo: „We have something to say. We want to tell our story!“

Athletic Sonneberg

„I said for a long time that I just wanted to get out of here. And sometimes I thought that because I come from the Sonnenberg, I have nothing interesting to tell or have to hide my story. Fortunately, that’s completely different now.“

Today, Christian focuses his camera on the neighborhood. He captures the stories and faces of the people in the streets. His short film will focus on the lives of various immigrants and their children.

„I want to make (post-)migrant perspectives visible and give a voice to all those who perhaps think like I used to.“ Who have the feeling that their existence is irrelevant in this society. „I want to show what dreams, wishes and ideas they have.“ And what they have actually already achieved. After all, many good impulses are now coming from the neighborhood. One that has had a noticeable impact comes from Christian himself. Or rather his club: Athletic Sonnenberg.

The new football club is a project close to the hearts of friends who played together on the pitch around the corner when they were children. „At some point, the idea came up to simply get started, set up independently and do everything ourselves from scratch.“ Cornelius is now part of the board and also works as a social worker. A job that also permeates his private passion.

Athletic Sonnenberg is not just about physical performance. It’s about combining social and cultural commitment into one big picture through access to sport: „We want to actively help shape the neighborhood,“ says Cornelius, explaining the club’s motto „More than a football club“. When they take a bird’s eye view of everything they have achieved so far, there is only one conclusion: „It’s going well. We are proud of what we have achieved in a short space of time,“ say Musti and Cornelius. There is only one thing that is not quite right yet: We lack our own training ground. Athletic Sonnenberg has to be granted this by the city, „and the mills grind very slowly.“ A pitch in the Sonnenberg district – that’s what the footballers dream of. In the middle of the streets that they call „home“ and where they have long since made history together.

„We don’t think in these pigeonholes. We are committed to values such as anti-racism and anti-discrimination, but for us these are not political categories, but principles of being human.“

DecolonizeZoo

Kalsoumy and Caro are not very welcome at Leipzig Zoo, even if it’s just for a photo shoot in the parking garage on the opposite side of the street. Two women with cardboard signs may seem harmless at first glance. But their demands shake the very foundations of the zoo concept. Both belong to the „DecolonizeZoo Leipzig“ alliance.

„The fact that Leipzig Zoo could be founded at all is closely linked to the income from so-called ethnological shows,“ explains Caro. She also only found out what this actually meant a few years ago. The horror of it made her take action. Kalsoumy felt the same way: „Many people are hearing about it for the first time. We also noticed that at our demos.“ What’s more, the same principles work today as they did in the 19th century: Events such as „Hakuna Matata – Experience Africa Live“ are offered on a regular basis. A white audience, the young woman denounces, is whisked away into a „foreign world“ by marveling at black and indigenous people and their supposedly typical rituals in exchange for money. „That’s exactly what happens in so-called ethnic shows. Only on a different level.“

With their alliance DecolonizeZoo Leipzig, Caro and Kalsoumy are campaigning for the Bi_PoC community to have a say in the future design of the zoo: What could an ethical zoo look like – and is that even possible? How can commemoration succeed? „It wouldn’t be helpful if the zoo were to simply close overnight. Too much would be left open. Zoo enthusiasts would be angry and disappointed, Bi_PoCs would become a target. People should be involved in the process and understand it.“  

„We are protesting against the ‚distancing from racism‘ of a zoo director who has obviously not understood how racism works. Instead of a clichéd ‚distancing‘, we need a real confrontation with racist structures and narratives!“

narratif Magazin

„In between.“ A word like a casual glance through a keyhole. Behind it, a world of individual stories, emotions and identity ruptures that people who identify as Black, Jewish or (post-)migrant are experiencing is unexpectedly revealed. They now share their painful experiences in a new magazine. The title: „narratif“. „I think as a (post-)migrant person or a person in the (post-)diaspora, this feeling is always there. Being in-between and fluid, not fully belonging to any position,“ says Gonca Sağlam. When she reflects on the editorial work of the last few weeks with Sicilia Shehata and Sam Gurwitt, one feeling stands out above all others: Overwhelm.

„This applies to the many letters we have received from authors and the touching tone of their contributions,“ explains Sam and Gonca adds: „People share with us very personally how they have come to terms with their own or their family’s migration, their experiences as a queer person in Germany or their experiences of racism. This is extremely emotionally demanding and at the same time very powerful.“

„We still live in a white-dominated society – and the literary and art industries are no exception,“ emphasizes Gonca. „The understanding of knowledge in Germany is white, academic and very exclusive.“ „With ’narratif‘, we want to create a place where Bi_PoC can find unfiltered presence and expression. A place where their experiences can be collectivized and, above all, archived.“

The idea for „narratif“ began in 2021, in the middle of Leipzig’s Grünau prefabricated housing estate. This is where the district project „Perspectives“ is based. The initiative offers creative activities aimed at young people who identify as migrant, black or Jewish – or are marked as migrant. Project manager Yasemin Said conducted a survey in 2021 to find out what services people in the neighborhood would like to see. One of the results: a magazine as a mouthpiece. Yasemin is also part of the „narratif“ editorial team and Sicilia is the editor-in-chief. The 24-year-old was not surprised by the desire for a print publication. „Our main motivation was to print our own texts, analyses, essays, poems and photo series. I think this community idea has attracted many other people because they can express themselves here.“

„With ’narratif‘, we want to create a place where Bi_PoC can find unfiltered presence and expression. A place where their experiences are collectivized and, above all, archived.“

Safe Harbour

When history becomes tangible while walking: With the audio walk „Safe Harbour“, the theater group Reclaim enables an interactive encounter with Wismar’s city history. Participants follow in the footsteps of migration through the streets – and into bizarre situations.

Marius Zoschke, Wanda Drabon and Marie Pooth from the Reclaim theater group call it „research-based, interactive documentary theater in public space“ when they take people on their „Safe Harbour“ city walk through Wismar. However, this audio walk is not the usual „tourist program“ that guests get to hear: The Reclaim team has rummaged through 80 years of migration history and opens up a perspective on the city as a port that is as unusual as it is burningly topical. „This city here has always been characterized by migration,“ explains Marius. „We want to make that clear.“

And so the participants are sent on a journey: To the time of the thousands and thousands of refugees during the Second World War, the accommodation of guest workers, the arrival of Jewish „contingent refugees“ in the 1990s and the smooth reception of Syrians in 2015. The narrative always remains concrete, because it is a human being reporting. „We wanted to find out: Is Wismar a safe haven,“ says Marius.

In preparation, this meant intensive discussions with migrants: the group spent 30 hours recording. „We approached voluntary agencies and asked for contacts.“ Wanda and Marius were deeply moved by the openness and courage of the storytellers. „For many of them, it was a struggle to speak German for the recording,“ explains Marius. But in the end, everyone left their shame and insecurity behind. „Everyone was incredibly proud and excited to hear themselves,“ he says.

With their audio walk, Reclaim mark places as sights that make up Wismar and yet are not printed on any postcards: The Haffburg refugee shelter, Ms. Nguyen’s clothing store, the colourful graffiti walls on the other side of the railroad tracks. And they introduce people who shape the city as inconspicuous celebrities: Melake, Alaa, Ingrid, Zahra, René, Maryana. „Reclaim means to demand back, to conquer back. That’s what we’re doing: We turn public space into a stage for the people who live in it,“ says Marius.

„Reclaim means to demand back, to conquer back. That’s what we’re doing: We turn public space into a stage for the people who live in it,“ says Marius.