I Utter Other (2014–)

In their lecture-performance I Utter Other (2014–), Slavs and Tatars explore—from Poles in the service of the Tsar to Persian Presbyterians—a curiosity they describe as “Slavic Orientalism” in the context of the Russian Empire and the early years of the USSR.

According to the artist duo, Slavic Orientalism represents a decisive counterpoint, if not a precursor, to the prevailing doctrine of Said’s Orientalism. Despite the abrupt transition from tsarism to Bolshevism, the exploration of the East within the East complicates notions of identity politics and knowledge in the service of power. It had already provided a compelling postcolonial critique some 60 years earlier.

In this new edition of their work, Slavs and Tatars deepen their examination of German Orientalism and the propaganda apparatus directed against the Muslim tirailleurs who were imprisoned during World War I in the prisoner-of-war camp in Wünsdorf, Brandenburg.

The performance-lecture examines forms of othering and racist representations of the tirailleurs in this context. It also traces ideological remnants that continue to shape discriminatory discourses on migration and belonging to this day.

IN ENGLISH