There is no god to save them

(CW: political activism, strong personal opinion)

The Requiems project was first performed in Berlin and later in Prague, featuring music created by Bogolepov. Our original idea was to address the “elephant in the room” before the show at Berghain: a stark reminder, first to ourselves, that the war in Ukraine is ongoing and that it’s dangerous to let ourselves grow numb to it.

This time, we included Rage, song by Nadya Tolokonnikova, founder of Pussy Riot. Wearing that pink balaclava felt especially powerful, particularly while watching embassy workers grow visibly uneasy, anxiously ushering visitors inside.

I’ve received many kind words of support recently, and I want to say how much they mean to me. Surprisingly, this felt easy to do—even though it involved 2.5 hours of holding a 6-kilogram speaker without a break for water or a toilet. Once again, I felt like I was exactly where I needed to be, doing what I’m meant to do.

During the performance, we played the four songs twice at each of the five spots around the venue. Sil filmed the last three locations, capturing the raw energy of the event. She’s already back in Kyiv, catching up on sleep amidst the ongoing Russian bombing of her city, which is why she hasn’t posted further updates yet.

Playlist link:

https://sicut-dico.com/2024/11/14/requiems-playlist/

Help us link: Ko-fi.com/sicut_dico

(All funds support Sil and her family in Kyiv—$900/month needed)

Help us funding Sil, here’s the support link again. On the night before the event, she also took many new photos of me, including several intimate, unfiltered shots. Read a post about her work on Gene’s page.

This event wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible support of Expat Legal, my amazing Czech attorneys and personally Mr. Enes Zaimovic, also my dedicated assistants, Paw and Sil.