Nationless

This project connects Macedonian, Serbian and Greek artists (with participation of individual artists from Kosovo and Albania) with a group of theorists that have already worked on the themes of nation and radical subversion of nationalism in the context of the Balkans. It aims to open a space for artistic intervention and thinking and re-thinking the particular issue of nationalism and its social reproductive power with a specific focus on the broken communication and a virtually complete lack of collaboration especially between Macedonian and Greek artists and intellectuals. However, it does not seek to overcome the mere problem of lack of communication but rather, through an artistic undertaking, to challenge competing nationalisms in the different countries through artistic-political and theoretical explorations of the idea of "nation". The political status of "nationality" is the main pillar of all other political and social categories and processes in these three countries.  It determines the cultural capital of nationhood and national origin which further influences the economic processes and possibilities of social mobilization and solidarity. Therefore, this project seeks to problematize national(ist) identity politics that are ‘inclusive’ for some, and always ‘exclusive’ for the others and paralyzing of all politics that debunk the sanctity of the ethnic principle of social mobilization. The project represents a counterweight to the current political tendencies by engaging grassroots actors to tackle the social consequences of the mainstreamed nationalism. The activities of the project cover: (a) Preparatory phase during which artist and theorists work together on the preparation of the conceptual frame and content of the project; (b) artistic and discursive events in Skopje, Belgrade and Thessaloniki; (c) a publication with theoretical and curatorial texts and documentation of the process and exhibitions and production of a web platform with published texts and documented activities created specifically for this collaboration.