Resynthesising the Traditional Finale
Talk by Anuar Duisenbinov
16:00
Roundtable with Resynthesising the Traditional artistic lab
17:00
daadgalerieFree entry
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The poet and curator Anuar Duisenbinov will open with a talk titled »Desacralise to preserve. Falling in love with traditional culture as a guide to the future.« By weaving examples of Barsakelmes, a project that re-examines myths around a former island in the now-vanished Aral Sea through the perspective of the ancient Central Asian legend of Nurtole; the ui kuii project, and interviews with Kazakhstani musicians and researchers, Duisenbinov examines the tension between preserving and breaking open past knowledge. Who is allowed to talk about tradition today? Do some practitioners have more authority to engage with it than others? Can traditions change, and how? On the contrary, how are traditions preserved, and who preserves them? These questions can provoke many doubts, which Duisenbinov will address through a story braiding several testimonies of love.
Following the talk, fellows from the Resynthesising the Traditional artistic lab – Bint Mbareh, Dorothy Carlos, Maarja Nuut, Marina Tantanozi, Miłosz Kędra, Saba Alizadeh,* and Varoujan Chetirian – will activate a roundtable discussion with the public, hosted by lab co-hosts Yara Mekawei and Stas Shärifullá. They will share some of the ideas, questions, tensions, and resonances encountered during their week of working with ideas, aesthetics, and practice around engaging with the traditional in contemporary ways.
Update 21.1.2026: Please note that Saba Alizadeh is unable to attend the lab and wishes to share the following statement: »In light of the recent devastating events in Iran and the personal loss of a family member, I regret that I do not presently have the emotional or physical capacity to join CTM’s wonderful community. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.«
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