‘The New Uncertainty’ is an experiment in creating a ‘safe space for uncertainty’. Together with her guests, the Zurich-based artist Fatima Moumouni uses this series to seek out moments of conversation that are honest, reflective, self-critical and, above all, unpretentious. The focus is not on finding the perfect position, but on the willingness to allow oneself to be unsettled, to tolerate contradictions and to think together in public.
For it is precisely in progressive discourses that – almost by definition – there is still much to reflect on, beyond the pitifully reactionary ‘WHAT ON EARTH ARE WE ALLOWED TO SAY ANYMORE?!’, in which the social negotiation of language, identity politics and equality is often trapped.
For the current Love Edition, the focus is on love: as a feeling, as a practice, as a political force, as a driving force for change, and as a canvas for cringe and kitsch.
Theme of this edition: ‘Between Taking a Stand and Polarisation’
Two and a half years of live-streamed genocide in Gaza. What does that do to us? Amidst anger, grief, a drive to act, fear, despair and helplessness, polarisation has intensified and spaces for dialogue have closed.
What does it mean, as an artist, to deal responsibly with social desensitisation, crises and violence? Author and moderator Fatima Moumouni and dance and theatre artist Donya Speaks discuss what it means to incorporate one’s own stance into artistic work, the mechanisms of self-censorship, withdrawal and defence, as well as activism caught between the pressure to take a stand and the risk of being cancelled. And they talk about the role that anti-Muslim racism and anti-Semitism play in their work.
Guest in this episode: Donya Speaks
Donya Speaks is a dance and theatre artist from Bern and Tunis. In her artistic practice, she creates a vibrant dialogue between language and the body and their interconnections. In ‘Bis zum Ende des Regens / إلى آخر المطر’, she explored her uncle’s Arabic poetry and the freedom of movement between North Africa and Europe. In ‘POETIK P’, she collaborated with artists from Switzerland, Rwanda and the Congo to develop a conversation about sexuality(ies) and the ongoing sexualisation of their bodies. Her first solo performance, “Fête Finale 2.0”, will be staged at the Dampfzentrale in autumn 2026. In it, she explores language surrounding mortality. She is currently part of the Dance et Dramaturgie support programme alongside Fatima Moumouni. Together with Hannan Salamat, she is developing a lecture performance on anti-Muslim racism. She dances in the piece “Turn On” by Soraya Leila Emery (premiere at Tanzhaus ZH in 2024), directed “180° – Performing Rage” (Treibstoff Basel 2025) and appears in Tim Zulauf’s new production “Fliegende Gärten” (Fabriktheater, June 2026). Prior to this, Donya worked with, amongst others, the Catalan choreographer Andres Corchero at Les Flors in Barcelona, the theatre company Das Letzte Kleinod in Germany and South Africa, with Izidora Lethe and Isabel Lewis, and with The Grey Stories in Germany, Bosnia and Rwanda. Donya studied at the Accademia Dimitri, Justus Liebig University in Giessen and the Zurich University of the Arts.