Trust us – Toast us!

Time: November 18, 2023, at 3-7 PM including performance

I TRUST YOU is a documentary performance piece that takes you on a journey into a milieu of Russian artists and activists who oppose the war in Ukraine and the regime in Russia. Through SMS correspondences, audio recordings, and letter exchanges with friends of imprisoned artists, the crisis of trust – the situation where people no longer trust or count on each other – is explored as something both deeply personal and urgently political.

On November 18, in conjunction with the performance, Den Frie Centre for Contemporary invites you to a symposium, where the considerations behind the performance are unpacked, and the underlying themes taken up for discussion. The symposium provides a platform to explore the courage needed to criticize the Russian government when the repercussions are daunting. What gives the strength to continue, and who can be trusted?

Among the speakers, we are pleased to present Karin Hilmer Pedersen, an Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science at Aarhus University, whose research focuses on state development, corruption, and legal regulation, with particular emphasis on Russia. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to hear from Ilia Goldfarb, who served as a member of a district election committee in Moscow from 2013 to 2018, witnessing and fighting against corruption firsthand, bringing a unique perspective to the discussion. Furthermore, you will have the chance to meet the talented team behind the I TRUST YOU.

Program
15:00 Welcome by Miriam Frandsen and Nikola Nedeljkovic Gøttsche
15:10 Lecture by Karin Hilmer Pedersen
15:30 Lecture by Ilia Goldfarb
15:50 Open discussion with panel and audience
16:45 Break
17.00 Performance
18.30 Artist talk with Daniel Norback and Seimi Nørgaard

The symposium will be conducted in English and moderated by Nikola Nedeljkovic Gøttsche. Participation in the symposium is free, but registration is necessary.

For the performance, tickets are required and can be purchased here

Join us on November 18, 2023, for a thought-provoking and immersive experience that explores the intersection of art, activism, and trust in the face of adversity.