Witnessing the societal downfall in Serbia after the socialist period, it is impossible not to connect it with the general closeout of public goods and commons as a necessary step towards privatization and restoration of capitalism. A mode of production that has reshaped the entire social structure keeps on insatiably eating away and eroding the already devastated soil that we stand on. Inequality and exploitation that are penetrating the porous grounds are sustaining one another and thus establishing a principle that offers no room for an alternative. These deeply rooted paradigms are continuously pushing different aspects of our lives in a state of crisis by dividing our common ground along the lines of private interests. We are consequently looking at not only a violent delamination of societies into new classes, but a decomposition of communities and their elementary bonds, an extinction of basic ideas of common values and principles and a new arrival of nationalist and fascist movements. Many of these processes are directly and intrinsically connected and further strengthened by the principle of ruthless extraction and violence towards nature, people and other inhabitants of our planet, and in our case towards the resources that were once built in Yugoslavia by and through collective means and were meant to serve common good. These changes are manifested through various forms of neo-colonialism that are pushing society and along with its natural and other types of resources into a state of modern-day enslavement, dependence, and colonial subjugation, forming a complex system of relations, even more so when confronted with questions of gender issues. In the times of neo-colonial hegemony, we are witnessing phenomena such as privatization of water supplies and soil, crumbling of domestic economies, ecological catastrophes brought upon by mining, taking away of food sovereignties, domestic labor legislations becoming ineffective within foreign companies, and ultimately compromising our collective futures by subjugating to the interests of the capital and foreign investors, drawing whole countries, communities and individuals into debt slavery that is justified in the purposes of “economic growth”.
How do we keep on making art and dancing?
By affirming the legacy of the Non-Aligned Movement, as well as the collaborations realized through two important networks, both for Station as well as our independent dance scene – the regional network Nomad Dance Academy and the European network apap – Feminist Futures, this year’s Kondenz presents works of artists who have shared our concerns and questions about today’s purpose of art and bring new perspectives on the phenomena of neo-colonialism to the table, along with ideas on how the art of dance and choreography can highlight and reaffirm the body as a source of togetherness. The body taking center stage has not only proven to be effective when practicing and collectivizing resistance towards repressive policies, it is also a necessary implication in a time when neo-colonialism is relativizing questions of bodily autonomy, freedom of movement and basic rights to air, water, and other commodified goods. The question is, therefore, which perspectives and alternatives are opened through a body in motion, through a body that encounters other bodies and speaks with other embodied experiences and contexts.
The programme that follows is a result of a two-year long collaborative work between the curators of two sister-festivals, the Reykjavik Dance Festival (Iceland) and the Meteor Festival in Bergen (Norway), partners of the apap – Feminist Futures project. Through exchange, travels, talks and shared concerns for our world crumbling underneath the weight of capitalist brutality, we mapped out how artistic works respond to the given crisis, connected by the liminal line of Europe. Our trip to Rio de Janeiro and visit to the Maré favela was a defining and inspirational experience for us, and what we were able to take from it will stay with us throughout the festivals in Belgrade and Reykjavik.
As always, while organizing the festival we were faced with the lack of spaces dedicated to dance in Belgrade, a topic Station has been dealing with ever since it was founded in 2005. Kondenz is usually the time of year when we speak about it louder and clearer. Given the cultural policies of the city of Belgrade and Serbia that do not engage in a dialogue with or support the independent culture, the topic has been relevant for the last 18 years. That is why we especially value the solidarity shown by the Center for Cultural Decontamination, whose entire space was offered to accommodate this year’s Kondenz – a solidarity gesture in support of the independent dance scene which the Ministry of Culture continuously chooses to ignore. .
This, along with other forms of support that Stanica, Kondenz and the independent dance scene receive, are the reasons why we choose to believe that feminist futures are possible and attainable.
