Festival Day 2

The two-day festival “Horizontal - Practices and Politics of Lying Down” that takes part on the 12 and 13 September, is dedicated to the multiple dimensions of lying down. Through performances, workshops, talks, and conversations, international artists, activists, and scholars open up perspectives on horizontality in its cultural, historical, and bodily dimensions.

What forms of perception, action, and coexistence can emerge when bodies withdraw from the imperatives of productivity and performance—often symbolised by the upright posture—and critically interrogate them?

In connection with the exhibition “Horizontal – Politics and Poetics oft he Sickbed”, the festival expands the exhibition space through performative, participatory, and discursive formats. It opens a shared space in which horizontality can be experienced as a collective practice.

Featuring contributions by Black Power Naps Raquel Meseguer Zafe, Ania Nowak, Harold Offeh, Anajara Amarante, Pia Achternkamp, and others.

Programme

10:30 a.m. | Lecture Hall Ruin
Arrival & Attunement

11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Lecture Hall Ruin
Anajara Laisa Amarante – Horizontal Bodies
Workshop (English, German)
Maximum 25 participants
Registration at: museum@charite.de

11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Museum Foyer
“Horizontal – The Sickbed and the World from a Reclining Position”
Guided tour of the exhibition in German with Monika Ankele (museum director and curator)
Maximum 25 participants
Registration in the museum foyer

12:30–2:30 p.m. | Break
The Quiet Room and the special exhibition "Horizontal" remain open during the break.

2:30–3:00 p.m. | Lecture Hall Ruin
Monika Ankele and Nicole Schuchardt, Welcome & Introduction (English, German)

3:00–5:00 p.m. | Public Space (MuseumsMeileMitte)
Raquel Meseguer Zafe – If We Could Rest Awhile
Collective action (English)
Registration at: museum@charite.de

5:00–5:30 p.m. | Break
The Quiet Room and the special exhibition "Horizontal" remain open during the break.

5:30–7:00 p.m. | Lecture Hall Ruin

Thinking and Creating from the Sickbed
Conversation in English with Anajara Amarante (artist), Katharina Ludwig (author, poet and artist) and further panellists. Moderated by Nora Heidorn (curator and researcher)

8:00–9:00 p.m. | Lecture Hall Ruin
Black Power Naps (Navild Acosta and Shadow Fannie Sosa with guest performer Yocheved Zenaida-Cohen) – Bedside Manner
Performance (English)

Museum and Quiet Room Opening Hours: 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.

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Contributors

Monika Ankele, Curator
Nicole Schuchardt, Curator

Isabel Coleman, Production manager
Catalina Fernandez, Technical director

Wanda Dubrau & Thomas Diafas, Access manager

Nwakoso Edozien, An Klepel, Yulei Yang, Pegah Zamaninematsara (Stage Design Class of the Universität der Künste Berlin, lead: Janina Audick and Meika Dresenkamp), Scenography of the lecture hall ruin

The festival is funded through a Science × Media Tandem programme of Stiftung Charité and supported by the British Council.