The Practice of Democracy / The adversaries

What is the link between the current crisis of democracy and the fact that Western societies are banning conflict and discussion from the public sphere? How can we make our different opinions visible and debate them? And how do we make sure it won’t end in polarization?

The Adversaries is a participatory performance installation. Two small groups are brought into conflict with each other in a playful manner. A third group, the witnesses, follows the discussion and shares its perspective on the conflict. This allows the participants to think about conflict as a vital part of democracy. Following different instructions, they explore and negotiate an existing conflict in ways that play up the possibilities and limitations of conflict. Together they try to create a new, third space based on a synthesis of the different points of view.