MANIFESTO
KNVNT is an artist collective that promises to offer a positive space for FLINTA (female, lesbian, intersex, non-binary, trans, agender) audiences whereby they can tap into their multiple experiences of othering. through exhibitions, panels, workshops and dance events, they have the chance to transform the personal memories of each, and turn it into a rich source of power, opening limitless possibilities for identification, expression, and the creation of collaborative counter futures at the intersection of class/ethnicities/religious and spiritual identities/corporealities and gender. we are especially committed to make our events safe for our BIPOC allies.
since the pandemic had multiplied the violence against women and non-binary persons (based on official German statistics alone, every fourth women has been physically abused, which number multiplies in the case of trans and bipoc persons), KONVENT hopes to wave the threads of solidarity through art and music, in order to nurture Berlins diverse FLINTA audiences and to foster FLINTA talents.
_formation_:
if we hope to dismantle the all too binary distinctions embedded in our social architecture and against which feminism must battle, should a contemporary space of communion be built along the axis of gender?
this is one of the ontological questions that concerned our queered discourse and one we had to confront with utmost honesty and tackle at its core, if we are to legitimize the creation of FLINTA-only events. however, the current status quo of Berlin`s club culture with the systematic erasure of truly gender inclusive and safe-spaces, coupled with the reality of women who have shared their deep desire and enthusiasm for the creation of such events and enriched our narrative with their personal stories, made the raison d`étre of KONVENT increasingly self-evident. the more we looked around, the clearer it became that flinta persons have less and less safe~spaces to claim on the dancefloors, mirroring the patriarchal gender seclusion of our daily life that systematically robs our community of spaces for essential encounters, where they can negotiate powers, and freedom. moreover, in light of the #MeToo campaign and the increasing awareness on the war on women, and with numbers seldom resurfacing to highlight the imminent danger of this centuries old phenomena, we feel obliged to provide FLINTA persons the possibility to explore their corporalities in all their expressions, and to be free to do so without the fear of any sort of implicit or explicit pressure, intimidation or violence. as W. McNeil, historian suggests, the rhythmic movement of bodies, as one shared sensation, arouses the emotions of euphoric fellow-feelings or “muscular bonding” which endows groups with the capacity for enhanced cooperation and thus increases their chances of survival. therefore, here is the synthesized manifesto of the shared ethos our events are meant to encompass, for those seeking to forge new forms of embodied resistance and solidarity. through uncompromising openness, we hope our flinstars of electronic soundscapes will come together and share, in the spirit of collective action and love, to heal and to be healed.
+ we are a FLINTA (female, lesbian, inter, non-binary, trans, agender) collective who is passionate about offering a technodome that will terraform our gender imbalanced, hetero/homopatriarchal rave sphere through quarterly events that center on the explosion of solidarity, body positivity and the fostering of flinta talents.
+ through our events, which will be welcoming to people with special needs, we pledge to create spaces where FLINTA persons and all who identify as such, feel safe to express their inner-most desires in a dance of cataclysmic communion. KONVENT is a term derived from latin conventus, of the verb convenio, that is to convene, to come together without the fear of being exposed to triggers tied to unhealed wounds. in order to achieve this, our team will be on sight with the specific task of maintaining safety and security throughout the events.
+ KONVENT is much more than a rave or the collective that stands behind it. It is a movement of marginalised bodies, waiting to re//emerge as a multiplicity from the shadows LGBTQIA+ spaces have as yet failed to illuminate. it will constantly reinvestigate and elevate the discourse on contemporary feminism through site specific art interventions, highlighting the work and contribution of flinta artists. Our events, including exhibitions, performances and somatic workshops, will offer the chance to critically examine the biopolitics that govern our bodies and their situatedness in society. this will occur under a protective umbrella that fosters rare intimacies and uncompromising freedoms.
+ as a feminist collective, we believe a just, societal transition can only be achieved through the inclusion of all segments of society, when and if the occasion is appropriate. although access to our events will be reserved to FLINTA audiences only, we are open to collaborate on specific artistic interventions with male artists, without their explicit presence on the dancefloor or during our workshops. one of the key criterias for the selection of male artists is their awareness and sensitivity of our cause, and the readiness to engage in dialogue on the delicate topics that will be covered during our events.
+ KONVENT will be geared towards sustainability, and reduce waste wherever possible. our long-term goal is to be zero-waste by working in close collaboration with the venues hosting our events, and by the sourcing of our exhibition and workshop materials, staying true to the rule of 3R “Reduce/Reuse/Recycle”.