Living with our differences

Dear visitors to Gessnerallee, dear artists

With the performance ‘JUICE’ by River Roux and the reading by Hadija Haruna-Oelker from ‘Being Together. A Plea for a Society of Mutuality’, our programme focus ‘Communities of Hope’ (text only in German) is drawing to a close.

The author Marah Rikli has written a portrait (text only in German) on Hadija Haruna-Oelker for our newspaper. She is a journalist, the mother of a disabled child, and has been working tirelessly for years on issues of memory, justice and democratic cohesion. In her new book “Zusammensein. Plädoyer für eine Gesellschaft der Gegenseitigkeit”, she asks how we can become more connected – now in an even more personal and urgent way than in her first book “Die Schönheit der Differenz”.

Her approach is based on a holistic perspective: we are all different, privileged in different ways and affected by exclusion – and yet we can still find ways to come together. Inclusion, she argues, is not a failed project, but one that has not really begun yet. What she calls for is not moral superiority, but connection and a willingness to engage with differences openly and over the long term.

The reading will take place on Thursday, 16 April, at 7.30 pm in the Nordflügel. Click here for tickets.

The following day, the first performance of ‘JUICE’ by River Roux takes place in the hall at 8 pm. The story centres on the life of nineteen-year-old Mademoiselle Lefort, who was exhibited in 1820 as a ‘perfect mixture of the sexes’. What she felt during this time is unknown – yet the way her body was examined and observed by doctors has been meticulously documented. In ‘JUICE’, River Roux enters a transparent space where the audience’s gaze oscillates between desire and revulsion, between attraction and shame. The performance asks: Which body is considered ‘natural’, which as rebellious, and who is allowed to exist beyond the realm of fetish?

Following the second performance on Saturday, 18 April, there will be a discussion with the artist, including DSGS interpretation. Secure tickets for ‘JUICE’ now.

Now for an overview of programme highlights, newspaper articles, news and everything we want to share with you:

Programme of the Week

16–18 April

‘Belonging Space’ by Stephanie Müller & Theres Indermaur

Throughout the ‘Communities of Hope’ programme, the ‘Belonging Space’ invites visitors to settle in, linger and create together. A quiet room with curtains, beanbags and sensory toys offers a place of retreat and relaxation. In the ‘Shadow Worlds’, poetic projections are created using light and everyday objects, whilst Zen gardens invite visitors to explore through touch. The ‘Belonging Space’ is open one hour before and one hour after each event. More information

16 April, 7.30 pm

‘Being Together. A Plea for a Society of Mutuality’ by Hadija Haruna-Oelker

In her book ‘Being Together. A Plea for a Society of Mutuality’, journalist Hadija Haruna-Oelker analyses social divisions, anti-democratic movements and political developments that reinforce what divides us. The reading thoughtfully raises questions of social justice: What would a society look like where no one is excluded? Who decides on participation? And why is the rejection of disabled people not being overcome? Tickets

17 and 18 April, 8.00 pm

‘JUICE’ by River Roux

River Roux is a performance artist, writer and pole dancer. Her work focuses on the connections between labour, gender, care and sexuality. In her piece ‘JUICE’, she explores the fascination of bodies in the in-between.

Newspaper

Living with Differences

Hadija Haruna-Oelker is a journalist and the mother of a child with disabilities. She has a migrant background and knows how important it is to live together rather than against one another. Precisely because we are so different, and so much divides us. In her profile, author Marah Rikli shows that Haruna-Oelker’s work is less an indictment than an invitation. Read the article (only in German)

Hope as a unifying practice

​​From 9 to 18 April, the ‘Communities of Hope’ programme at the Gessnerallee invites visitors to explore, together, practices of solidarity in coexistence and strategies for hope. Noa Winter offers an in-depth look at the programme. Read the article (only in German)

Furthermore

Workshop for transracial adoptees

On 9 and 10 May 2026, musician and transracial adoptee Annie Goodchild will be hosting a workshop for and with transracial adoptees (people adopted across national borders). The workshop forms part of the research for her new collaborative production with Brandy Butler (premiere: March 2027). During the workshop, experiences can be shared and, if desired, documented on video or audio for the research. Further information and registration: goodchild.annie@gmail.com

We look forward to your visit.

The Gessnerallee team