A collaborative project with Kiryl Masheka that explores themes of connection, displacement, and loss. As an evolving work in progress, each presentation was unique. Following four shows in Berlin, Dresden, and Vienna, Belarusian artists Gleb Kovalski and Kiryl Masheka presented the last chapter of Brothers as part of Kovalski’s residency at Ballhaus Prinzenallee.
The artists, both forced into exile from Belarus due to political repression, delved into themes of losing home, freedom, and loved ones. The project emerged from their correspondence during Gleb’s exile and Kiryl’s political imprisonment, where they reflected on shared experiences of internal and external migration, as well as the profound constraints on their inner freedom.
The performance examines the struggle to maintain closeness across distances and the difficulty of finding stability amid constant change. It confronts the pain of loss, rendering it visible, processing it, and ultimately seeking healing and hope. Through their deeply personal stories, the artists connect their experiences to broader collective struggles, highlighting both the resilience and fragility of those whose lives have been shattered by repression, displacement, and war.