The geographical area called the „Balkan“ which comprises many different linguistic as well as religious and cultural ethnical groups, states and state like formations in South-East Europe, is the discoursive product of a century old struggle for political influence and power and the acrimonious conflicts of World religions and ideologies.

Discourses are functioning as double agents, they are structuring the thinking process and the Subconscious. Cultural appreciations are outlasting generations and the particular political systems, they are generating moral concepts and beliefs. The “Balkan” is primarily a western invention full of prejudices, resentments, political and cultural projections. Since a while many female and male authors from the Balkan region are opposing this western “Balkan”-Image with their own personal political and cultural definitions.

The Symposium „The Reinvention of the Balkans“ is trying to challenge this western view in a most critical way and to deconstruct the “Balkan”-representations. By naming the western motives and interests and releasing the “Balkan”-Images from resentment and romanticism, the manifold political and cultural relations between West- and South-East Europe can be redefined. It is about time for a new discourse between equal dialog partners.

Participants a.o.: Marina Abramović, Sokol Beqiri, Markus Bickel, Boris Buden, Calin Dan, Melih Fereli, Sanja Iveković, Hito Steyerl, Vesna Kesić, Marina Grzinić, Želimir Žilnik.

Conception: Marius Babias, Bojana Pejić

In cooperation with ifa, Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen, Stuttgart.