The Art of Being Many

The peoples of Europe and the Arabic region have made enormous strides toward regaining democracy in recent years. More and more people are assembling into groups independent of state structures and political organizations in order to advance their interests.
The congress “The Art of Being Many” explored this new concept of democracy and its various forms of assembly. Six months prior to the congress, 49 “delegates” from the democratic basis – student council representatives, members of online gaming communities – joined an online network. Their task was to prepare seven core themes with the support of the initiators of the project, artists and researchers.
For the congress itself, the project constructed an arena for 400 participants which offered various ways of getting involved – prayer mats, office chairs, WLAN and sound-effect microphones. The participants were able to try out the techniques, aesthetics, strategies and theories of group assembly while the delegates offered concrete insights into the dynamics, performance and conflicts of the culture of assembly with re-enactments, interventions, experiments and calls to demonstrate. At each demonstration, the participants decided which method was most suitable, and the results will be compiled into a joint publication.

Artistic director: geheimagentur
Research director: Vassilis Tsianos
Artists: Postgraduate programme „Assemblies and Participation“, Embros Theater Athen (G), Gängeviertel Hamburg, John Jordan (GB), Krööt Juurak (E), Zoe Laughlin (GB), Ligna, Voodoo Chanel and others