Made during the International Summer Academy of Fine Arts in Salzburg; class of Thalia Hoffman and Manar Zuabi


The name of the course "Displaced Artists On Their Way Home”, suggests that we should be looking for a way back home. Even if it is an imaginary home, an idea of a place. It implies a return, a retracing of steps. A forced migration or exile, when we believed we had a place.

But what if home is no longer a fixed point on a map, but instead something we carry with us and reconstruct through our practices?

What was left behind?
What brought us all here?
How do we position ourselves facing disasters?
How to be an artist in this reality?
And what are the answers we are looking for?
Is it art a safe space where we can all coexist?

The body knows what to do. In this room, we have all developed art tactics to find our places, away from home. This demands new lexicons, as if we need a new vocabulary to face this world. All these artists have each developed their own poetics of displacement, transforming absence into methodology, finding their way through cracks and loopholes.

Text by Sylvia Monasteros

Step into a surreal circus of bureaucracy as artist Maja Simišić returns with “Visa Reveal Party 2”. A one-night immersive performance at UBIK, Worm Rotterdam. Blending cabaret, contemporary circus, and performance art, this powerful event turns the anxiety of Visa Reveal into a shared spectacle. From magical illusions and clown makeovers to aerial silk and sound experiments, the night builds to a dramatic live reading of the IND’s decision on Maja’s Dutch residency permit. Witness art that confronts the politics of migration with humor, heartbreak, and/or celebration. The performance wouldn’t be complete without a special guest, Maja’s lawyer - Susanne.

In her performance “Deutschland Mon Amour”, Maja Simišić sings a bittersweet serenade to her complicated situationship and former lover - Germany. Blending cabaret and spoken word with live music, Maja took to the public stage at Theaterplatz in Chemnitz to express what had long been held in her heart and mind. The piece weaves together personal memories, reflections on her connection to Germany, as a country that she turned into a former lover for this piece, and a humoristic take on the "very German" things she misses - and those she definitely doesn't.

What many don’t know is that Maja was born in Germany but was never granted citizenship. Despite speaking fluent German and embodying some very “German” traits, she remained officially excluded. In “Deutschland Mon Amour”, her first piece written and performed entirely in German, she confronts not only the frustrations of an unjust system but also the deep emotional ties to a place that was once her home.

The performance was created during a six-week residency titled Dialogfelder, organized by Klub Solitaer e.V., marking Maja’s first time engaging in an artistic project in Germany, and her first extended stay in the country in over 13 years. Like much of her work, the piece is time and space specific and is to be seen on the documentation video, but never to be performed again.

Pictures and videos by Natalie Bleyl (Radar Studios)
Curated by Ewa Meister
Production by Brit Haßler

In this video artwork “To Be Doggo”, accompanied by an interactive installation. Simišić delves into the daily lives of EU families who've adopted dogs from non-EU countries. While humans navigate a labyrinth of paperwork and prejudice, it seems our four-legged companions have mastered the art of international relocation. "To Be Doggo" is more than just a tale of canine migration. It's a give and take, a process of questioning the absurdities of human society, institutional power dynamics, and the often-frustrating world of migration laws.

As you enter the exhibition, prepare to be treated like the good boy or girl you've never aspired to be. The artist has crafted an immersive installation that puts visitors through their paces, requiring compliance, patience, and perhaps a willingness to submit to arbitrary demands. The journey through the exhibition mirrors the often humiliating and frustrating experiences of navigating bureaucratic systems. You'll jump through hoops, wait patiently, and follow instructions to the letter. And just when you think you've earned your citizenship - or in this case, the right to view the film - you're faced with the ultimate question: Was it all worth it? It's a bit of a scam, really, much like the promises made to those seeking a better life abroad.

The artist is forcing us to confront the nature of our systems and the dehumanizing treatment of those we deem "other." She playfully subverts the concept of adoption, leaving us to wonder whether immigrants might have an easier time if they could be "adopted" like pets. It's a notion so absurd, but just might make sense in the kafkaesqeue chase for loopholes in the system.

Text: Jovana Trifuljesko / Spatial design: Alicia Rottke Fitzpatrick / Photography: Vladimir Vidanovski / Graphic design: Ivana Čavić