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Season start 2025/26 – (Un)gentle Learning

«KOMMANDO AJAX»
Cemile Sahin

Reading

In the style of an action film with fast cuts, Cemile Sahin tells the story of a traitor, revenge, love and friendship and a Kurdish family in exile.

  • Sun 21/09 18:00 – 19:30

Copyright: Miriam Marlene Waldner

At the end of (Un)gentle Learning, Cemile Sahin picks up the pace once again with a reading from her novel ‘KOMMANDO AJAX’. The story brings together the lives of a Kurdish family in exile in the Netherlands with the jet set of the international art world. A spectacular art heist, lost paintings, a Kurdish wedding and a sniper. In conversation with journalist and Head of Communication at the Gessnerallee Rahel Bains, Sahin explores the love of detail, betrayal and friendship and the question of how to write pictures as fast as shots.

Information on accessibility and language

The event will be held in German spoken language.

Plain language

  • Kommando Ajax is a reading.
    Cemile Sahin reads from her book.
    It is about a Kurdish family abroad.
    And it is about the art world.
    A lot happens in the story.

    For example, there is:
    • the theft of a painting
    • a wedding
    • a person with a gun

    There is a discussion after the reading.
    The discussion is about friendship and betrayal.

About the artist

  • Cemile Sahin is an author and artist and was born in Wiesbaden in 1990. She studied in London and Berlin and is the winner of the ars viva prize for visual arts. ‘TAXI’ was her debut novel, “ALLE HUNDE STERBEN” her second and “KOMMANDO AJAX” her third. Cemile Sahin was honoured with the Alfred Döblin Medal for her writing. She lives in Berlin.

Supported by

  • The programme focus ‘(Un)gentle Learning’ is supported by the Ernst Göhner Foundation.

Gessnerallee season start 2025/26

The programme focus «(Un)gentle Learning» will take place at Gessnerallee from 11 to 21 September to mark the start of the season. It will explore processes of transition, mourning and learning.

«Stars Are Never Sleeping, Dead Ones and the Living»

Theres Indermaur and Stephanie Müller
11/09 - 15/09
18/09 - 21/09
Room installation

«Fourth Eye, 4.40 AM»
Ceylan Öztrük
11/09, 13/09, 14/09, 15/09
Performance

«Pas Moi»
Diana Anselmo

(in LIS, Italian sign language)
12/09, 13/09,
Lecture-Performance

«Muskeln aus Plastik - a crip-queer reading»
Kay Matter
14/09
Reading

«Neutralitätstheater – The myth of Switzerland put to the test!»
Hannan Salamat and Fatima Moumouni

18/09
Talk, Performance

«Sleight of Hand»
Jo Bannon

(in German spoken language)
19/09
Installation, Performance

«Sleight of Hand»
Jo Bannon

(in English spoken language)
20/09
Installation, Performance

«When the Calabash Breaks»
Tiran Willemse and Melika Ngombe Kolongo (Nkisi)
20/09, 21/09
Open-Air-Performance, Music, Dance

«KOMMANDO AJAX»
Cemile Sahin
21/09
Reading

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