1997-199?, 1997, Performance-Action-Instalation, Hochschule der Künste HdK, Berlin, Globalodromia FILOART in collaboration with Berlin Students,   Photography: Miriam Mutzke

1997-199?

The performance staged by the  Globalodromia FILOART in collaboration with Berlin students within the halls of the Hochschule der Künste stands as a poignant artistic response to the 1997 closure of Prishtina University to Kosova Albanian students by the Serbian regime. Rooted in symbolism and protest, this intervention exemplifies the power of art as a medium of resistance against political oppression and as a steadfast assertion of the right to education.
At the center of the performance stands a cube, designed as a library, its interior filled with books—a potent symbol of knowledge and intellectual pursuit. Geometrically rigid, the cube conveys both stability and containment, serving as the focal point of a dramatic unfolding within its confines. Surrounding the cube are black boards, symbolizing walls—barriers that enclose and restrict access to knowledge, mirroring the imposed limitations on education and intellectual freedom.
Against these dark structures, students were mummified in white bandages and bound with black ribbons to black columns, rendering them powerless. Immobilized and silenced, they embody the suffocating impact of political repression on academic freedom. The stark contrast between the white bandages and the surrounding darkness intensifies the performance’s visual impact, emphasizing themes of erasure, vulnerability, and control. The act of mummification, a process historically associated with both preservation and death, heightens the performance’s commentary on the devastating consequences of censorship and the suppression of intellectual discourse.
Despite their physical restraint, the students' eyes remain uncovered—fixed upon the red digital clocks before them. This striking juxtaposition of stillness and movement, captivity and the relentless passage of time, underscores the tension between authoritarian stagnation and the inevitability of change.
As the audience bears witness to this haunting scene, they are confronted with the stark realities of political repression and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Through their collective silence and unwavering gaze, the mummified students transcend their physical captivity, emerging as symbols of defiance and resistance against tyranny.
In this convergence of art and activism, the performance at the Hochschule der Künste stands as a powerful testament to the enduring capacity of artistic expression to challenge injustice, provoke reflection, and incite change. As the mummified students continue to watch time slip away, their silent vigil serves as a call to action—urging spectators to engage with the injustices of the past and to fight for a future shaped by freedom, equality, and enlightenment.