Borderline Offensive
Laughing in the Face of Fear 2017–2021*
Borderline Offensive is a transnational + transdisciplinary artistic platform, exploring how art & humour contribute to intercultural dialogue, social integration, and peace within and beyond Europe.
We employ art, participation, and playful attitudes as tools for non-violent activism and creative transgression, in the fight against fear, populism, and existential anxiety.
We open situations of dialogue between natives, oldtimers, newcomers and outsiders, starting from the shared absurdities and obscenities of life that make us laugh (together).
We are people from Syria to Sweden, we laugh in the face of fear, and we want YOU to join us in celebrating the joys of life without becoming bitter and broken.
We employ art, participation, and playful attitudes as tools for non-violent activism and creative transgression, in the fight against fear, populism, and existential anxiety.
We open situations of dialogue between natives, oldtimers, newcomers and outsiders, starting from the shared absurdities and obscenities of life that make us laugh (together).
We are people from Syria to Sweden, we laugh in the face of fear, and we want YOU to join us in celebrating the joys of life without becoming bitter and broken.
Military Tactics:
Laughing so we don't cry ;P
2017 Building the #BorderlineOffensive community and its (in progress) Art Manifesto.
2018 Transnational artistic residencies for artists from Europe, Turkey and the Middle East, incl. participatory actions with migrants and natives.
2019 Transnational tour with #BorderlineOffensive commissioned artworks, incl. participatory actions with migrants and natives.
2020 Tactical retreat and pandemic-proof cyberwafare preparations
2021 #BorderlineOffensive Festival, outreach & dissemination, opening up to the future.
Laughing so we don't cry ;P
2017 Building the #BorderlineOffensive community and its (in progress) Art Manifesto.
2018 Transnational artistic residencies for artists from Europe, Turkey and the Middle East, incl. participatory actions with migrants and natives.
2019 Transnational tour with #BorderlineOffensive commissioned artworks, incl. participatory actions with migrants and natives.
2020 Tactical retreat and pandemic-proof cyberwafare preparations
2021 #BorderlineOffensive Festival, outreach & dissemination, opening up to the future.
Borderline Offensive Festival
Don't save the date - save yourself!
But join us on:
15–17 June 2020
16-18 November 2020
24-26 May 2021
in Göteborg, Sweden
But join us on:
in Göteborg, Sweden
Three days of dialogue, exchange and co-creation about humor, art, migration and intercultural dialogue – in an (un?)safe space.
All activities are available digitally and for free. Links to the different activities will be sent to registered participants.
17:30-18:00: Vernissage of the Digital Gallery for #CreativeEuropeAtHome original works
With Museum of Corruption, Khaled Jarrar, Nadir Sönmez, Darinka Pop-Mitic, Škart and guests
24 May 2021, online @ Zoom
With Museum of Corruption, Khaled Jarrar, Nadir Sönmez, Darinka Pop-Mitic, Škart and guests
24 May 2021, online @ Zoom
18:00-19:00: Jokes and reflections about how humour helps us deal with hard, uncertain times.
With Karsten Blomvik, Selam Mengistu for No Direction Home, Heidi Hakkarainen & guests.
24 May 2021, online @ Zoom
With Karsten Blomvik, Selam Mengistu for No Direction Home, Heidi Hakkarainen & guests.
24 May 2021, online @ Zoom
9:00-15:00: Presentation of case studies & discussion with researchers, artists, and experts
15:30-16.30 Open debates with the Borderline Offensive Community
25 May 2021, online and from Göteborgs Litteraturhus
15:30-16.30 Open debates with the Borderline Offensive Community
25 May 2021, online and from Göteborgs Litteraturhus
17:00-17.45: Keynote by Andrea Spehar from Gothenburg University, about "Experiences of Refugee Integration: Sweden and the European scene".
25 May 2021, online @ Facebook Live and from Göteborgs Litteraturhus
25 May 2021, online @ Facebook Live and from Göteborgs Litteraturhus
21:00-late: Late night special with online premiere of "New Releases" by Nadir Sönmez & "I Hate Theatre, I Love Pornography" by Zoukak Theatre Group.
25 May 2021, online @ it's a secret
25 May 2021, online @ it's a secret
10:00-15:00: safe space and idea pitching sessions, concluded with the Borderline Offensive community assembly.
26 May 2021, online @ Zoom
26 May 2021, online @ Zoom
Check the Borderline Offensive Portfolio!
A growing arsenal of artworks available for your cultural space or festival
Museum of Real History
2019, Ivana Satekova, Zoukak Theatre Group and Abduljabbar Alsuhili
Mixed media exhibition and lecture-performance presenting the ridiculous conspiracy theories by racists and populists as if they were the absolute truth. “An insult to society's collective intelligence", quoting the terrorist-refugee-artist curator and his accomplices (you included).
Paper Puppet Poetry
2019, SKART collective
A collective story-making experience for young audiences, to create and perform their own stories of migration by crafting paper puppets. DIY improvisation, done whenever and wherever, the experience can expand into animation documentary, self-publishing, artivism and stage magic ;)
The Long Heavy Road
2019, Darinka Pop-Mitic and Nalan Yırtmac
The laugh-out-loud, laugh-not-to-cry, ironically-sad (or just sad) anecdotes from the road told by migrants, with migrants and for migrants. Through collectively-made low-fi street fanzines, stencil and alternative e-publishing, these stories are shared with the European readership in a publication continuing the great Western tradition of street newspapers. Each issue made by a different, ever-changing, editorial team.
Three Migrants in a Boat
(To Say Nothing of the Smuggler)
2019, Petko Dourmana
Video installation, role-playing, and investigative performance that paraphrases scenes from the comic classic “Three Men in a Boat" by Jerome K Jerome, but now concerning three migrants being smuggled across a border river in a pitch dark night. Only observable with night-vision devices used by border patrol guards.
Gaming in the Face of Fear
2020, Salam Al Hassan and Isaak Kraft van Ermel
Video game prototypes co-designed and co-created in an intercultural process. Single- and multiplayer, focusing on strategy, role-play, and social deduction, you will be asked to deconstruct stereotypes and make hard choices as an unaccompanied minor, a smuggler, or a European migrant fleeing to the Middle East.