Guided Tour and Talk with Artists and Curators

The question of which side one stands on has (once again) gained enormous weight in recent years: right or left, rich or poor, on the side of Israel or Palestine, in front of or behind the border fence. Some positions can be chosen, others cannot – yet in both cases, they can have far-reaching social and existential consequences. National border policies are becoming increasingly restrictive. Those who attempt to cross these borders risk their lives. An unwanted political stance can cost someone their job, reputation, or funding. While those crossing the borders of Fortress Europe demand, with great courage and perseverance, their right to something other than a precarious life, on the other side of the fence, the fear of losing privileges leads to a decline in conviction, solidarity, and empathy. 

The exhibition Where on Earth Are You? calls for more courage to take a stand, to show solidarity, and to practice empathy. It brings together works by contemporary artists who respond to the increasingly precarious and authoritarian conditions of the present in critical, resistant, and at the same time empathetic ways. At its centre are lines of conflict shaped by the geopolitical reconfigurations that followed the Second World War. The title is taken from the essay of the same name by British author Frances Stonor Saunders, which examines the technologies and deadly consequences of today’s border regimes.