Prejudices are dangerous. They mean: someone is biased. You can also say: Someone already has an opinion on something. No matter if it is right or wrong. Prejudices produce hostility. There are many barriers. And because of the hostility, they remain. In our society there are many boxes. Boxes to categorize people into. That means: You see a person for the first time. You don’t know that person. And still you think: I know what that person is like. This kind of thinking excludes people. It hurts people and devalues them. Exclusion happens in many places, in many groups and institutions. We all have prejudices. We learned them. But where, and how, and from whom? Can we unlearn them? And if yes, how?
To discuss these questions, a research group is meeting at the Kunsthalle. The research group studies barriers. Barriers in language. Barriers for the body. Barriers due to gender, race, and class. Together, we want to identify the barriers. We want to unlearn prejudices. We want to acquire a new, accessible way of thinking.
On September 25 and on December 4, the group will be open to the public. That means: everyone can take part. You are invited to think and research along with us. Together we want to develop texts, images, and other materials.
Research team of the Kunsthalle: Janaina Celina Domingos, Sarah Maria Kather, Stephanie Klusekemper and Julia Sassen.