Opening of the exhibition In Conversation”: Experience diversity and inclusion!”

Opening of the exhibition In Conversation”: Experience diversity and inclusion!”

On August 26, 2025 reports this Berlin district office Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, that Jay Afrisando’s exhibition “In Conversation” will open on September 4, 2025. The event is dedicated to key topics such as disability, community and interdisciplinarity. The aim of the exhibition is to present the artistic communication of artists with different access barriers.

The opening will take place on September 3, 2025 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the gallery in the tower at Frankfurter Tor 1 in Berlin and will be supported by DGS interpretation. Curator Kate Brehme has included numerous contributors, including Dea Karina, Ariel Orah, Morgan Sully, Saverio Cantoni and Simoné Goldschmidt-Lechner. Workshop participants also took part in the creation of the works, including Alexis Bacon, Gaia Martino, hany tea, Kandis Friesen, M.D., MINQ, RC Taube, Rory Mason and Terry Perdanawati.

Background of the exhibition

The works were created as part of the DAAD Berlin Artists Program scholarship, which ran from autumn 2024 to summer 2025. Jay Afrisando is not only a composer and multimedia artist, but also a researcher and educator. His main topics include auditory diversity, disability, accessibility and the decolonization of the arts. These aspects are of central importance for the discussion about inclusion, which is concerned with the equal participation of all people in social life.

Inclusion is a complex concept that is interpreted differently by different organizations. According to that Federal Agency for Civic Education Inclusion is described as the equal participation of people with disabilities and immigrants. It aims to break down barriers of all kinds and design institutions in such a way that they meet the individual needs of all people. Historically, the discourse around inclusion has developed from exclusion to segregation to integration and has finally grown into a comprehensive understanding of inclusion.

Legal basis and challenges

The Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany forms the legal basis for equal treatment of people. Article 3 states that no one shall be discriminated against because of their disability. This legal foundation is intended to help ensure the participation of people with disabilities and compensate for disadvantages.

Despite these legal frameworks, empirical studies show that the participation of people with disabilities in various areas of life is often still inadequate. The third participation report from the BMAS documents higher unemployment rates and lower social participation among people with disabilities. Targeted measures to promote participation and inclusion could not only improve the lives of people with disabilities, but also strengthen society as a whole.

The exhibition “In Conversation” is therefore not only a form of artistic expression, but also an important contribution to the discussion about inclusion, participation and the various challenges that exist in this context.