From 12.05. - 28.05.23 a former car dealershipin at Moritzplatz in Berlin-Kreuzberg became a place of encounter. Here the intercultural art festival „Berlin Bishkek Art Weeks‘‘ took place, which was initiated by young creatives from Berlin and Bishkek, the capital of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. With a diverse framework program, dialogue, exchange and transnational solidarity were used to counter the European migration debate - but above all with art and culture.

„We want to make a statement against the current shift to the right in Europe,“ says founder of the project and photographer Louise Amelie. The Art Festival was thus actively committed to global civil rights and against nationalist tendencies. The aim was to create a platform that encourages visitors to actively participate in the discussion. A wide variety of artistic and multimedia perspectives invited visitors to take an in-depth look at the topic of migration. These included classical painting, installations and sculptures, performance art, video art, animations, and photography.

In addition to the social and political relevance, a young, up-and-coming, and nearly unknown art scene presented itself. „The focus on Central Asia, a region that from a Western perspective still represents a blind spot on the world map, is intended to help broaden the Eurocentric view on the topic of migration and to learn from each other,“ says Andreas Bauer, curator of the Berlin Bishkek Art Weeks. „A fireworks display of art and culture, dialogue, exchange, and celebratory encounters is intended to cast the topic in a positive light, encourage a rethink and provide possible solutions - or at least fantastic conversation material“, the curator adds.

The intercultural and interdisciplinary art exhibition, which deals with the topic of transnational migration seriously and critically, but also in a young and uncomplicated way, was only one part of a large project for the exchange between two cultural regions. Especially the two countries Kyrgyzstan and Germany.

The starting point of this project was a research and documentation trip through Kyrgyzstan in the summer of 2021 co-funded by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation. The two project founders Louise Amelie and the social worker Darja Nesterowa traveled through the country with a focus on labor migration and encountered a thriving young art scene in its capital Bishkek. Back in Berlin, they joined forces with the creative studio KOA and created the vision of a collaborative art project.

„Every new beginning starts mainly from young people, it‘s about common ground in the struggle for a global future,“ said Darja Nesterowa.

All photos are outtakes from the „Missing Member“ publication by Louise Amelie.