Troubling Time/s

Drawing inspiration from Karen Barad’s discourse on ‘Troubling Time/s and Ecologies of Nothingness,’ this artistic proposal aspires to direct its focus towards the profound reconceptualization of temporality. Through Queer and Post-migrant perspectives, this initiative extends an invitation to artists and participants alike, encouraging them to undertake the task of reconfiguring temporal frameworks. Recognizing that time has already been ‘determined’ by nationalistic and racial undertones, this call is about seeking pathways to dismantle the normalized linear chronology, employing diverse artistic mediums as instruments of subversion.

By its very essence, queerness resides beyond the confines of conventional time, creating its own fluctuations and rhythms. Through the queer lens, time assumes a dynamic, non-linear contour, liberating itself from the yoke of the gender binary and embarking into the realm of queer temporality. In this realm, not only is the gender dichotomy shattered, but also the binary of past and present is compellingly challenged. Similarly, migration encapsulates another realm that navigates beyond linear time. Through the radical shift in one’s life—such as in milieu, social circles, landscapes, languages, and familiarity with the external world—a sense of nostalgia often emerges, causing detachment from the present moment and forming its own temporal frameworks. Fuelled by this intersection, ‘Troubling Times’ embarks on the quest of providing a space for LGBTQI artists with the migration experience, empowering them to channel their creative impulses towards an exploration of temporal politics and an articulation of their personal temporalities. Furthermore, the project’s aim is not only troubling time by destabilizing it but also referring to troubling times we are going through as a consequence of colonial, nationalist, supremacist practices and ecological destruction.

In pursuit of this aspiration, Irem Aydın’s goal is to assemble a collective of artists working with diverse mediums, fostering an environment where mutual support is as vital as individual artistic expression. Within these workshops lead by Aydin, we shall embark on a collaborative journey to unravel our perception of time, delving into theories and methodologies connected to temporality— such as Quantum Theory, super-many-times, queer chronotope, futurism and sci-fi—and scrutinizing their relationship with our narratives and practice. As a result of these workshop and discussion sessions, all artists will have their own artistic works ready for exhibiting, screening, or performing in Zemin Berlin Art Space. Throughout the workshops, we will explore the connection between theory and practice, such as utilizing the concept of superposition theory in Physics, which suggests that the same matter can exist in two different places simultaneously.