(#FokusFokus je serija tekstov, člankov, intervjujev, ki predstavlja enega izmed temeljev medijsko-arhivske platforme GT22  –  #FokusFokus is a series of texts, articles, interviews, which represents one of the foundations of the media-archive platform GT22)

Pripravila  –  By: Sara Nuša Golob Grabner

Saranda Sadikaj – Ms. Indefinite is a feminist artist and activist known for her dynamic approach to advancing women’s rights and gender equality in Kosovo. Through compelling video performances that integrate acting, choreography, poetry, and music, she boldly critiques social norms and challenges entrenched patriarchal structures. Her artistic works not only highlights critical issues such as femicide and gender inequality, but also embodies a powerful form of civic revolt.

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ms.indefinite/

1. You have founded a multidisciplinary feminist institute – Indefinite Institute which promotes gender equality, feminist activism and artistic expression in Kosova and the Western Balkans. Considering the fact that you belong to the younger generation, and are experiencing the aftermath of Kosova’s complex political history, how has that impacted you as a feminist artist and an activist?

In principle, this type of complex socio-political environment has shaped Ms. Indefinite as a feminist artist and my own feminist artistic activism socially and politically. As a girl who was only 1 year old during the war in Kosova, it is often difficult – to live in a country where still after 25 years of freedom, women survivors of sexual violence during the war continue to be stigmatized by society and the system – to survive in a system where from the second year after independence until the end of this year, 57 women have been murdered – to breathe in a society where girls and women on a daily basis they experience physical, psychological, economic and institutional violence, where the cases of sexual harassment and expressed sexism are not only monthly and weekly, but a daily basis occurrences – still at this time, me as a feminist artist, often times not only during the ideation and conception, but also during the realization and after the performance, publication or exhibition of my artistic works, feel like all this feminist artistic activism for gender equality and justice is not only necessary and mandatory but essential in this country, system and society.

From this need and necessity, in addition to my feminist works that I as a feminist artist have created over the years, I recently founded the Indefinite Institute, whose mission is to advocate for issues of gender equality in Kosova, the development and promotion of the cause and feminist activism, creating and supporting feminist art and feminist artists.  Through research, publications, scientific publications, conferences, public debates and discussions, projects, workshops, activities, and artistic and cultural events. The Indefinite Institute aims to raise awareness, inform and educate, encourage creativity, criticism and objection on and in issues of equality and gender justice, contributing to the development of democracy and human rights in Kosova and to the advancement of art and culture in the Western Balkans.

INDEFINITE INSTITUTE: https://www.instagram.com/indefinite.institute/

2. A video performance and installation PRO-Property-AS-Ownership addressed women’s property rights in Kosova. Kosova’s feminist and sociologist Aurela Kadriu mentioned, that despite women’s right to equal inheritance, very few women exercise their right to inheritance from their parents, and become actual owners of property. She claimed this is a result of cultural pressure put on them to “leave it to their brothers” or to a male next of kin in cases when they do not have a brother. Your performance is based on this exact issue. Can you explain your stance on these specific internalized patriarchal values and how you incorporated them into your performance?

Even through artistic expressions in the video-performance & installation “Pro-Property-As-Ownership” I advocate for the property rights of women in Kosova, artistically addressing the importance and need of property inheritance and equal property rights for the women. As I have emphasized in the concept “Pro-Property-As-Ownership “, the well-being of every individual is closely related to the respect of human rights and freedoms. In this perspective, the right to property is a fundamental right. Studies conducted by various organizations show that women in Kosova own less than 20% of all properties, which is the lowest percentage in the region. Even more alarming is the fact that only 8% of women use their property as collateral. Women’s renunciation of ownership is still widespread in the family, and this happens despite clear legislation on these issues. As such, bringing attention through artistic visualisation of an overshadowed topic is necessary, for men and women, family and state institutions as well as society to doubt discriminatory norms, reflect and raise questions regarding property rights and its equal and just distribution.

Property rights are not equally applied to men and women, the patriarchal family system and institution violates these rights, as a result, only 4 to 6% of women inherit family property. It is vital that it is spoken and advocated for this fundamental right guaranteed even by the constitution, and my way of doing it was and is by advocating through feminist art.

PRO-PROPERTY-AS-OWNERSHIP, Video performance, 2024

3. A lot of your artistic work focuses on hair and specifically braids. As you, explain in your portfolio: “In Albanian tradition, customs interpret signs of girlhood in a braid thrown across the shoulders and chest, while a braid wrapped around the top of the head signifies a woman in rebellion. The braid, as a symbol of femininity, has sometimes even appeared under the plis, a men’s hat worn in battle, as seen in the iconic image of Shote Galica.” In the Video-Performance series Braid’ed you show ways in which a braid can harm a woman, to highlight gender-based violence. Do you see symbolic parts of customs – such as hairstyles as a way of reclaiming your cultural past and redefining the future for women?

In the framework of the international campaign “16 days of activation”, Indefinite Institute organized the “Braid” exhibition, a feminist activism in which feminist artworks are ‘woven’ to mark the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.  In the Albanian tradition, customs read signs of girlhood in a braid thrown in front of the shoulders on the chest and signify a rebellious woman with a braid circled on the top of the head. The braid, as a symbol of femininity, has sometimes also taken place under the ‘plis’, traditional men’s hat that was worn even in battles, as seen in the iconic image of Shote Galica, as well as in art and culture, the icon of the Albanian music Vaçe Zela sang about the braid in the song “Mother I will cut the(my) braid”.  Hair braiding is the oldest style known, it has been passed down as an act of care and love from eldest generations and onwards. Noting that hair has been politicized the same as the bodies of women, I see it as a symbol of resistance and a political act whether women decide to grow them long or cut them short, keep them hidden or display them. In this sense, there are more pure political acts, both in the braiding of the hair and un-braiding it, than in slogans and tracts of state political announcements. Two hands that have two or three locks of hair braiding them, show a subject becoming independent (rebellion), a person becoming an individual (resistance), and a will in the making (revolution). As such, cultural customs based solely on love and care do not serve to appeal to our nostalgia or be framed in imaginary historical museums with little to no visitors, but they exist to remind us that power lies in the act of alternative reclaiming (that of women’s art) where they do not exist merely as survivance but rather as a thread to immortal harmony and unity.

 GËRSHET’IM – (Braid’ed), Video performance series, 2024

RRETH FLAMURIT TË GËRSHETUAR, Around the braid-ed Flag, Video performance series 2024

GËRSHETË (Braid) Exhibition, 25.11.2024

4. In the last years we have seen numerous campaigns focused on convincing men that feminism is also in their interest, in order to normalize the feminist activism and cleanse it of negative, judgemental stereotypes and misunderstandings. More critical, radical thinkers have rejected this notion, insisting that feminism in undermined as soon as we have to defend it to our oppressors, to be able to continue successfully spreading the messages of equality. Your video performance The Crucified Crusade exposes the hunt for feminist activists who fight for gender equality and justice, women and girls who oppose oppression, violence, and patriarchy. You portray this in a bloody, raw and shocking manner, alluding to the crucifixion of Christ. How do you approach your feminist art and strong artistic interventions in relation to the desired societal effect?

Beyond the “complex” contextualization of religious ideologies and the “heretical” mythological conceptualization — the video performance “Crucified Crusade” within the image and symbolism it is a call for continuous resistance and evidence that the feminist cause and activists continue to be relentlessly pursued by society, politics and the media.  On the other hand, I as a feminist artist using art creatively criticize societal norms, embodying civic resistance as a woman, address justice, and gender equality in Kosova, aiming to artistically challenge and combat patriarchy. As such, the feminist artworks I create depend on the intersecting needs and necessity of addressing gender issues not on the desired societal effect. Thus, serving the feminist truth in the face of the comfortable disturbs the foundation of patriarchy.

The Crucified Crusade, Video performance, 2024

5. In 2023, on International Women’s Day, you have presented the artistic video performance ∞ Mourning – The Show That Will Never End to honour all the women and girls in Kosova, victims of femicide, killed by men just because they are women and girls, are remembered. As, well as all women and girls who have experienced and continue to experience sexual violence, physical, psychological, economic and institutional violence from society and the patriarchal system in Kosova. At the same time, Mahsa Amini is commemorated through the video performance, showing solidarity with all Iranian women and girls. It is clear your feminist art is very intersectional and doesn’t shy away from the most devastating patriarchal consequences or taboo topics such as questioning oppressive nature of religion. One of the shots from the performance (you lying in a type of a grave) reminded me of Ana Mandieta’s Silueta series that show fragility of the human being in relation to the forces of nature. Do you feel feminist art is a crucial part of protesting the all-encompassing force that patriarchal system has become? Does it, in your experience, successfully connect women and causes across the world? Who’s work inspires you?

For generations, feminist art has been, is and will be one of the most creative ways of feminist activism, which through various artistic and cultural expressions and genres have addressed gender issues and phenomena from another, more accessible and effective perspective (that of feminist art). Within this, feminist art serves as the main channel that connects women and causes across the world because it communicates in the same language the shared struggles, issues, discrimination, abuse, raise of voice, will and demand for freedom, equality and justice. This intersectional anthem speaks to all.

I can’t say that she inspires me, but I can distinguish out the artwork of artist Marina Abramovic.

∞ Mourning – The Show That Will Never End, Video performance, 2023

6. Equality Labyrinth and Matriarchal Time advocate for demystifying marriage as a social and family construct, on the theories and concepts of the writer, philosopher and feminist activist, Simone de Beauvoir, about marriage as an abbreviation for women, in confining them from career development. You address oppression inside of a home, unpaid labour, capitalism, the unequal presentation of women in e.g. street naming, invisibility of women’s intellectual work through centuries…How is your art perceived in Kosova’s culture, and would you say there are a lot of likeminded female creators in the Balkans? How would you evaluate the feminism of the Balkan men and women, considering both younger and older generations?

Although, art is still not among the prioritized area where people show great appreciation, self-participation and inclusion a growing tendency to rely in alternative ways that speak about change is evolving. As such, my feminist artwork usually is perceived in a mixed way that of radical and touching at the same time, which is almost always very welcomed by the society overall.

In contrast to the majority of countries in Europe, we can say that feminist art is present in the Balkans, perhaps not in such a developed way and in a large number of artists and artistic and cultural groups, but it is present in the artistic feminist activism in the Balkan countries. Likewise, feminist artists, especially those of the new generation, are vocal and active in opposing the patriarchal system and in general against gender-based violence and femicide, advocating artistically for gender equality and justice. Due to the complex past that the Balkan countries went through, they are still immersed in other “primary” issues nevertheless feminism is a growing movement gradually joined by men and women where in the long-term even the countries (governments) themselves will see its advantages even if they currently do not want to fully admit it.  Meanwhile, being a feminist artist myself, I refuse to make an assessment about the “quality” of feminist art in the Balkans.

Equality Labyrinth, Video performance, 2022

Matriarchal Time, Performative trilogy, 2022

7. To conclude, what would you like to emphasize about your art practice and what do you wish to achieve in the future?

The aim is the intensification of feminist artistic activism within the framework of my field of feminist art, through video-performances and feminist artworks, intertwining artistic disciplines: acting, choreography, writing, composition and directing, combining poetry with music and acting with dance. Likewise, the development of feminist art in Kosova and the entire Balkans, the exposure of feminist art in Europe and the world. Also, the expansion of Indefinite Institute in all Balkan countries.