EN 
NL 
Imagine this: you’re standing amongst hundreds of other people, wearing a mask. You’re banging a wooden spoon against a pan with all your might, and you’re not the only one: the people around you are doing the same. Gradually, rhythms emerge, sound waves, perhaps even spontaneous silences. You’re not alone; you’re here together. And you’re not here just for the sake of it: you’re here to stand up for freedom and to show your solidarity with the people who are paying a high price for it: political prisoners in Belarus.
Belarusian artist Maxim Tyminko came up with the idea of organising a performance in which hundreds of people wear the mask of an individual political prisoner and make noise together, whilst filming a video about political prisoners in Belarus. Since the rigged elections of 2020, thousands of people have been arrested for often trivial reasons, such as writing a critical social media post or donating to a charity. Journalists, opposition politicians, human rights activists, lawyers and trade unionists have disappeared behind bars, as have cashiers, plumbers, doctors, parents and grandparents, football fans and gardeners. Seeing all those faces of ordinary people whilst making the video touched Maxim deeply, and he is keen to share that feeling with others. On 19 September, everyone is welcome to come together and give voice to solidarity and unity at the NDSM shipyard in Amsterdam.
This is an art project, not a demonstration, yet it carries an important political message. Firstly, it shows that we have not forgotten the hundreds of people who are paying a high price for speaking out for freedom in prisons three borders away. But it is also a stand-up for ourselves and our own freedom. In the Netherlands and in countries close to us, too, freedom is under pressure. We know that freedom cannot be taken for granted, but over the last few years this has become more than just a phrase. By creating this artwork together, we are also coming together: the people who value freedom enough to make a noise about it together. The video recording of this shared moment will then be shown in museums and galleries to further fuel the discussion about defending freedom and the fate of the many people who are still imprisoned.
Well-known Belarusian political prisoners who have since been released, such as lawyer Maxim Znak and human rights activist and Nobel Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, have already indicated that they will attend the performance and/or the kick-off event on 5 September to show their support by attending De Balie. Right now, in particular, solidarity with those who are unknown and have not received any prestigious awards, but who are still detained, is of immense importance. Sign up at makenoise.art to take part as a participant or volunteer, or to keep up to date with the project.
