Keynote "Softness Within Struggle" - Joseph Awuah-Darko

Softness Within Struggle

In this intimate kitchen conversation, Ghanaian interdisciplinary artist Joseph Awuah-Darko reflects on the transformative journey behind The Last Supper Project, using it as a lens to explore migration, belonging, and the quiet courage required to remain vulnerable in an increasingly divided world. Framed by the question, "What is something you are afraid to tell your own shadow?", the session invites audiences to consider fear not as weakness, but as a deeply human condition. Set against the backdrop of Chemnitz, where public artworks such as Fürchtet Euch Nicht ("Fear Not") provoke reflection on fear and solidarity; the discussion examines how softness can become an act of resistance.

Blending conversation with live poetry, Awuah-Darko traces The Last Supper Project from its origins as an exploration of the immigrant experience to its broader engagement with political fear, collective memory, and human connection. Hosted in the warm, communal setting of Safran Persian Restaurant alongside Masoud Hashemi, this evening gathering moves beyond the traditional panel format, creating space for shared stories, reflection, and dialogue. The session concludes with a poetry reading, leaving audiences with an invitation to embrace empathy as a powerful response to uncertainty.