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Discussion Series Art in Conflict
Gessnerallee Zurich

Wednesday, 10. June 2026, 17.30 – 19.00 CEST
Stall 6, Gessnerallee 6, Zurich & Zoom 
Live broadcast to the media library of the Academy of Art and Design Basel, Freilager-Platz 1, Münchenstein, 8th floor

Belonging, Loss, and the Language of Art

with Vida Rucli (Architect, Cultural Practitioner, Robida Collective), joining online, and Fazil On Yu (Dancer, Choreographer, Activist, and Performance Artist), joining on site

What can art achieve in regions affected by crisis? How do artists engage in fostering human connections and peaceful conflict transformation, and what are the indispensable conditions for this? The Art in Conflict series explores fundamental questions of international peacebuilding through dialogues with practitioners and scholars from diverse disciplines and backgrounds.
In the format of roundtable conversations, with two guests at a time, the series addresses specific topics in this field, drawing on both practical experiences and theoretical reflections. The discussions are moderated by the team of artasfoundation, the Swiss foundation for art in conflict regions, which has been initiating and organising art projects since 2012.

Vida Rucli is a member of the interdisciplinary Robida Collective, which belongs to the Slovenian minority in Italy and is active in the border village of Topolò/Topolove. She and Fazil On Yu, a performance artist born in Uganda and now based in Switzerland, engage in a conversation on belonging, loss, and history. It's not only about dialogue between people but also about engaging with places, landscapes, and memories. In a world shaped by migration, multilingualism, and colonial legacies, how can open conversations be fostered? And what role can the art play in creating new spaces for listening and understanding?

Spontaneous participation on site is always possible. Online participation is possible with prior registration. Free entry. The event will be held in English. 

For the event on 10. June 2026, please register here!

This event is part of a monthly series that is organised by the CAP, a joint initiative of artasfoundation and the ZHdK in cooperation with Theater Gessnerallee. Here you can subscribe to the current programme of Art in Conflict and stay up to date. 

Next round of dates will be announced here in June 2026. 

Art in Conflict – Practice #3

Making Invisible Stories Visible
The Cinematic Work of Nicole Vögele 

Wednesday, 20. May 2026, Screening at 17.30 CEST, followed by a discussion with independent filmmaker and journalist Nicole Vögele at 20.15 CEST. 

Art in Conflict – Practice is a spin-off of the Art in Conflict discussion series, translating its reflections into practice. 

THE LANDSCAPE AND THE FURY (Switzerland 2024, 138 min) was filmed in Ravnice in northwestern Bosnia, where landmines from the Bosnian War remain and a European external border runs through the area. Amid this landscape daily life continues and a strong sense of solidarity exists among residents. But how can the absurd history of the 932-kilometre EU external border between Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina be told? How does one depict images for a form of violence that expresses itself through its invisibility along what seems like an endlessly green border? Nicole Vögele describes her approach as searching for a “kaleidoscope of pain in the rustling leaves” in order to “cinematically explore this patch of earth, this patch of the world’s soul.”

Nicole Vögele, The Landscape and the Fury, Switzerland 2024, 138 min, languages: Bosnian, Dari, Farsi, Kurdish, Sorani, Punjabi; subtitles: English

Spontaneous participation on site is always possible. Online participation is possible with prior registration. Free entry. The event will be held in English.

For the event on 20. May, please register here!
 

Art in Conflict – Practice #4

PASSAR IL CUNFIN – GRENZ/ÜBERTRITT

Walking Workshop 11.–12. June 2026
with Vida Rucli in Val Müstair

Art in Conflict – Practice is a spin-off of the Art in Conflict discussion series, translating its reflections into practice. 

Along selected paths, we will exchange stories and concepts about borders – from visible topographical lines to tree lines and fog lines, to linguistic, personal, and nearly invisible lines that run through the valley. Vida Rucli will take the Art in Conflict conversation (10. June, Gessnerallee Zurich) into practice. 

Join us for a walking workshop in the border region of Val Müstair, where walking, listening, and storytelling become methods of collaborative exploration. Participants are invited to share their own concepts, ideas, and perspectives. The hike will be leisurely with numerous stops, but it will go beyond the tree line and may therefore include steep sections of trail. 

Languages: German, English, Italian, and Romansh

Thu, 11. June, 19.00h 
First gathering around the fire (Val Müstair; exact location to be announced)
Fr, 12. June, 09.30–18.00h 
Hike 

Prices: 
• 0–50 CHF – for people with limited financial means
• 70 CHF – standard fee
• 140 CHF – support contribution (enables others to participate)

Register till 31. May 2026