Heimatphantasien

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In the face of global migration movements and crises in a world that is above all economically globalized, the terms »heimat« (homeland) and »nation« are currently experiencing a discursive and political renaissance. »Heimat« expresses a yearning for an idealized space promising childlike comfort and security while »nation« refers to the idea of a homogenous community composed of supposedly similar people. Both terms share a function as spaces of political projection. What happens when »Heimat« is revived as a principle of national and territorial origin? What does it mean when the two concepts of »heimat« and »nation« come together in the German Federal Interior Ministry’s recent expansion into a Heimat Ministry? How are these concepts discussed in other regional contexts? Where are they fragile and where are the alternatives?

The HEIMATPHANTASIEN (homeland fantasies) conference critically examines the terms »nation« and »heimat«: Over two days, the concepts’ implicit projections, attractiveness, contradictions and historical development are discussed. It examines the potential of understanding migration as an interruption of the national narrative and gets to the root of the traditional entanglement between nationalist ideology and patriarchal rule, explores the historical contemporaneity of colonialism and nation-building – and discusses contemporary attempts to create transor post-national communities beyond national identities.

Program

saturday, 18.08. 15:00 Homeland fantasies*

Introduction and welcome by Margarita Tsomou, the curator of the conference, dramaturge, moderator and pop-feminist Missy Magazinepublisher.

15:15 – 16:45 From Nation To Homeland?

Talk with Diederich Diederichsen und Naika Foroutan* Naika Foroutan and Diedrich Diederichsen discuss the construction and dangers of current »homeland fantasies« in the German-speaking realm.

17:00 – 18:30 migration Background - Interruption Of The Nation?

Discussion with Karen Taylor, Mark Terkessidis and Angela Melitopoulos, moderated by Soraya Hassoun* A conversation about the role of migration and the place of people of colour within homeland-national narratives. With Bundestag human-rights advisor and spokesperson for EOTO (community and empowerment project for black people in Germany) Karen Taylor, migration researcher Mark Terkessidis and the video artist and professor at the School of Media Arts at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, Angela Melitopoulos.

Sunday, 19.08.

12:00 – 13:30 nation Building And Colonialism In Southeast Asia

Talk with Hyunjin Kim and Ho Tzu Nyen [in English] Visual artist Ho Tzu Nyen, who explores the construction of national identities in Southeast Asia in his work, speaks with curator and writer Hyunjin Kim from Seoul about the historical connections between colonialism and nation-building in Southeast Asia and about his artistic attempt at creating a post-national dictionary from which the festival is presenting four works. More about national statehood within the context of Southeast Asia in the production QUEEN ZOMIA by Royce Ng (Kampnagel Season Opening 2018/2019).

13:45 – 14:45 To liberate those with a place called home: Deliberations on migration, nation and gender

Lecture by Nikita Dhawan and María do Mar Castro Varela [in German and English, with simultaneous translation into English] Nikita Dhawan (Professor of Political Science, University of Innsbruck and from 2009 - 2016 Director of the Frankfurt Research Center for Postcolonial Studies, Goethe University, Frankfurt a. M.) and María do Mar Castro Varela (Alice Salomon University Berlin and author of, among others, »Ist Integration nötig?« (Is Integration Necessary?)) talk about the interlocking of nation and longings for homeland with questions of migration and gender.

15:45 – 17:15 Homeland fantasies = maile fantasies: the male nation? Talk with Gabriele Kämper and Klaus Theweleit, moderated by Elahe Haschemi Yekani* The head of the Berlin Senate’s Office for Equality and author of »Die männliche Nation. Politische Rhetorik der neuen intellektuellen Rechten« (The male nation. Political rhetorics of the new right-wing intellectuals) Gabriele Kämper and theorist and author of the famous volume »Männerphantasien« (Male Fantasies) Klaus Theweleit explore the question of why maleness was traditionally connected to ethnic nationalism and how this is now being rearticulated as right-wing extremist anti-feminism.

17:30 – 19:00 Beyond The Nation? Transnational Feminist Protest In Latin America, Municipalism In Spain And Rojava's Stateless Democracy

Discussion with Havin Guneser, Thais Guisasola and Raul Zelik [in English] Journalist and leading Kurdish women’s rights activist Havin Guneser speaks with writer Raul Zelik and Brazilian filmmaker and activist Thais Guisasola about forms of transnational feminist protests in Latin America and local municipality organization in Spain and the Kurdish territories, where communities define themselves outside of national frames. ​

The previously announced speakers Isolde Charim and Mely Kiyak had to cancel their participation due to very understandable reasons.

* In German with simultaneous translation into English (if possible, please bring your own headphones and a smartphone / tablet). Pleaes download the free app »Sennheiser MobileConnect« from the Apple App Store or Google Android Store before your visit. The MobileConnect system was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Media Hamburg.

HEIMATPHANTASIEN conference leaflet (PDF download)