From individual to community, together we can surely achieve something

In Central Europe, we are collectively shifting toward the far right and patriotic struggles for power. The political key has become state sovereignty with the aim of defending and preserving traditions that are threatened by Western ideology, Anglicisms that are swallowing up contemporary culture and public space, but also rhetoric against queer bodies, whose presence here is claimed to be "unprecedented."

In my artistic research, I observe how the meaning of words changes and how words are stolen from the Anti-Fascist Dictionary and misused by the far right. I also examine how this changes their narrative and mood. Where does the gap that is forming in the younger generation come from, and where does the era of insels who harbor hatred toward women and "other" bodies come from? Who do we consider to be our enemy, and why do we refuse to engage with them in discussion? Who raised the nationalists who hate "other" bodies? How can we support those who are slowly falling into this group, and how can we encourage each other to move away from hatred and towards understanding, discussion and care?

In my work, I experiment not only with words but also with structure. This can help us to open up space for error or glitch, and break down the boundaries of our comfort zones. Through performativity, I create paths for changing dynamics and give a voice to those who rarely get to speak.
For the conference, I will present parts of my dissertation, which poetically tells the story of how our queer bodies change in public spaces during the rise of the far right. It also explores how we reclaim the vocabulary of anti-fascism and strengthen ourselves in our daily struggles. It would be prepared primarily in English, incorporating poetry written in Czech and Slovak queer language, which is gradually finding its way into our conversations and resisting the language of national patriots.