LOVE is LOVE is LOVE
SEKHMET's first project is“LOVE is LOVE is LOVE," a multimedia journey challenging the erasure of gender, sexual and ethnic minorities in Kosovo. Through the realization of Kosovo's first LGBT+ mural, an audiovisual performance and an audiovisual installation revolving around unexpected forms of family and love, LOVE is LOVE is LOVE encourages people to reflect on what brings people together, and the true meaning of equality and love.
The artistic intervention is commissioned by Manifesta 14 Prishtina and supported by the Municipality of Prishtina.
Mustafa and Qerkica are a family of choice. A gay man with a disability and a transgender woman of Ashkali ethnicity, they have lived together and taken care of each other for many years. Their home in Fushë Kosove, located on the outskirts of Prishtina, has long been a cherished gathering place and shelter for the LGBTQI* community.
The mural by Ermira Murati, who goes by the name of Orange Girl, lends visibility to their story. It publicly challenges the marginalisation and erasure of gender, sexual and ethnic minorities in Kosovo and elsewhere. Having previously depicted the intimacy between two Albanian rhapsodists, which fomented much public debate, Murati feels compelled as an artist “to create what needs to be created”.
What needs to be created right now, she and the collective argue, is a more humane and open way of thinking about families. Their mural encourages people “to reflect on the shared foundations of humanity”, to discover “what is similar, while making room for what is different”.
As part of "LOVE is LOVE is LOVE," we organized "I AM BREAKING MY HEART," an audiovisual performance by Leart Rama, violently exploring grief, hysteria and numbness. I AM BREAKING MY HEART is a deep dive into the weight of shame and self-destruction, and the silent whispers that say: “Whatever you are, it’s your fault.”
The last act of "LOVE is LOVE is LOVE" featured an audiovisual installation showcasing the testimonies of mothers and sisters of queer individuals. They shared their perspectives on the meaning of love and its transformative power. Through their honest accounts, the exhibition highlighted the impact of free love and its effect on those around it.
