Les Anonymes / The anonymous / Die Anonymen / Sine nomine / Ανώνυμος - Keynote

As if it were a Greek symposium

“What civilization has done to women’s bodies is no different than what it’s done to the earth, to children, to the sick, to the proletariat; in short, to everything that isn’t supposed to “talk,” and in general to whatever the knowledge-powers of government and management don’t want to hear, which is thus relegated to exclusion from all recognized activity, relegated to the role of a witness.” 
*Tiqqun, Preliminary Materials for a Theory of the Young Girl 

On February 2 and 3, internationally renowned artists and curators Mustafa Emin Büyükcoşkun, Hou Hanru, Ruth Noack, and Slavs and Tatars will gather for reflecting on diverse forms, notions, and references of ‘anonymity’. 

A symposium was a social gathering in ancient Greece where people would come together to eat, drink, and engage in circles of academy, parliament, and friendship since the exchange of ideas and engagement in lively debate were crucial roles for a citizen. Sharing food and drink in this setting was seen as a way to foster a sense of camaraderie and cultivate a convivial atmosphere that encouraged open discussion and debate. Departing from an existing piece by Sarkis, shown as part of his current exhibition 7 Tage, 7 Nächte at Kunsthalle Baden-Baden, and borrowing its title, we propose to exercise ideas, thoughts, and conversations around this term: "Anonymous" refers to something unknown or unnamed. When used to describe a person, it means that the individual's identity is not revealed or made public. In online contexts, it often refers to someone who contributes content without revealing their real name or personal details. Anonymous contributions are common in online forums, message boards, and websites where people can share information or express their opinions without disclosing their identities.

Introduced by Misal Adnan Yildiz, who conceived this weekend as a dedication to Sarkis´ multilayered practice, this invitation attempts to reflect on the contemporary role of institutions in a highly polarized public sphere, where anonymity is seen as a resistance to digital control, border politics and techniques of criminalization, rather than as a right of collective existence and defining authorship otherwise. To trigger further conversations, all the speakers received a quotation from Tiqqun, a collective from Paris, who produced philosophical journals in two issues from 1999 to 2001 as an invitation. After a keynote speech by Ruth Noack, one of the artistic directors of documenta 12, three sessions with extended conversations will unfold that focus on relevant specific projects, including references to the Istanbul Biennial, Saturday Mothers, among others.

The symposium will continue on Saturday, February 3, from 2 to 5 pm, with Emin Büyükcoşkun, Hou Hanru and Slavs and Tatars.