DokfestForum takes place in cooperation with the Fridericianum and directs its focus on the intersection of film, documentary, and visual art.
On two consecutive evenings, selected works by Nina Könnemann and Yalda Afsah will be presented and, following the screenings, the cinematic strategies as well as the relationship to the respective work will be discussed in conversation with the artists.
DokfestForum 2026
MI. 18.11. | 18:30 – 20:00
Nina Könnemann
At the
core of Nina Könnemann’s artistic practice are observations of public space,
everyday behaviors, and subcultural dynamics. Her often documentary video works focus on
marginal spaces and transitional zones of social events—for instance, the
peripheries of large-scale public events as well as service and infrastructure
facilities. In doing so, she examines unspoken rules and social mechanisms as
they emerge in incidental situations and micro-interactions. In her most recent
series, BLOCKEN (2023–), Könnemann extends her engagement with public space
into live video performances, in which several filmmakers work together,
remotely and in real time, to develop a documentary narrative.
The screening of excerpts from BLOCKEN and a selection of other film works will
be followed by a conversation with Könnemann about her live video performances
and the media structures and attention economies at play in them.
Introduction: Luise von Nobbe (Curator), Fridericianum
Screening: Excerpts
from the series BLOCKEN (2023–)
and a selection of other film works
Subsequently: Artist Talk (in German)
Do. 19.11. | 18:30 – 20:00
Yalda Afsah
What role do rituals play in a secularized society today? How do they foster a sense of belonging and
shape cultural identity – and what forms of social control and violence are
embedded within them?
In her films, German-Iranian artist Yalda Afsah explores, among other
things, questions of care, domestication, tradition, and masculinity. Her work
combines documentary observation with artistic composition. In her most recent
series, she examines rituals as social and embodied
choreographies: PAN explores a meditative Paneurythmy procession in
Bulgaria’s Rila Mountains, while HEAT focuses on an ecstatic ceremony
of Taiwan’s Handan Festival, in which fireworks play a central role. Both works
take ritual as a point of departure for a cinematic exploration of community,
the individual, and social structures.
The screening will be followed by a conversation with Yalda Afsah, offering insights into her artistic practice as well as the specific conditions and possibilities of presenting film within an exhibition context.
Introduction: Jasmin Meinold (Curator), Fridericianum
Screening:
HEAT, 2026 (HD
video, color, stereo sound, duration: 20 min.)
PAN, 2026 (HD video, color, stereo
sound, duration: 20 min.)
Subsequently: Artist Talk (in German)
