Description
Fierce Togetherness – Kinship, Gender and Photography is a three-day conference at Utrecht’s Centraal Museum, running from 1-3 November 2024 organised by FUTURES x FOTODOK.
Curated by Delphine Bedel and Daria Tuminas, this conference focuses on kinship, exploring possible forms of interconnectedness between actors in the local cultural scene. In their work, many of the guest participants strive to transform oppressive social structures, searching for ways to reclaim space for those who identify as women, trans, non-binary or gender-nonconforming. The programme introduces various strategies of this essential reclamation, from celebration and sharing food to protest and challenging institutions.
The conference’s title refers to the writings of adrienne maree brown. In Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good, brown states:
“I love being of women who transform the brutal conditions we survive, who are upending rape culture, knowing we are inferior to no one, weaving our suffering into a fierce togetherness, into homes, chosen families, radical sisterhood, and Tomorrows.”
In the spirit of this statement, it is our hope that the conference generates lasting ties between participants, unveiling the potential of the power we collectively hold.
At a time when right wing rhetoric has been normalised – becoming mainstream in the Netherlands – our togetherness has to be fierce. We must be fierce in resistance. Fierce in our persistent research, and fierce in joy. We need to support one another, developing kinship between members of different communities to stand together against a dominant patriarchal culture of violence and discrimination.
Guest participants include, among others: researcher Nancy Jouwe; writer Umayya Abu-Hanna; Valeria Posada Villada; curator at Wereldmuseum; SKINSHIP collective, Paweł Duduś and melanie bonajo; artist Bete van Meeuwen; journalist Hasna El Maroudi; curator at Nederlands Fotomuseum, Guinevere Ras; curator of contemporary art at Frans Hals Museum, Manique Hendricks; curator Miki Gebrelul; artists Nadine Stijns and Batya Brown; collector and gallerist Narda van ‘t Veer; the Cooking Something Up project team of Carla Arcos Mathon, Yusser al Obaidi and Julia Wilhelm; and moderators Mounir Samuel, Rubiah Balsem, Nadine Ridder, Vivian Cintra, and Wan Ing Que. Participants will also have the chance to engage with the programme, at the Centraal Museum, featuring an artist tour by Anna Aagaard Jensen through her new exhibition, Welkom thuis, lieverd.
LOCATIONS:
Day Programme: 1-3 November: Centraal Museum, Tuinzaal – Nicolaasdwarsstraat 14, 3512 XA Utrecht
Evening Exhibition Tours: 1-2 November: FOTODOK, Lange Nieuwstraat 7, 3512 PA Utrecht
TICKETS:
Day ticket regular: € 10,-
Day ticket student: € 5,-
3-day ticket regular: €25,-
3-day ticket student: €12,50
