Sekhmet Institute’s Mission for Inclusion: Queer Voices in Kosovo’s Art Scene

Sekhmet Institute, a non-profit organization based in Prishtina, Kosovo, has steadily gained attention for its impactful projects to understand the LGBTIQ+ community better. Taking into consideration that there is still much work to be done, Sekhmet is gradually breaking barriers and reshaping perceptions and narratives about the queer community.

Some months ago, we discussed with Arbër Selmani, the researcher behind a groundbreaking queer database published by Sekhmet, which focuses on Balkan queer literature. This database covered queer work around the world while the spotlight was on queer authors coming from the Balkans. ’When reaching out to people, we did this in a very therapeutic way by giving them the option to stay anonymous, even if our purpose was not to collect anonymous pieces. Because what happened with this database is something historical, because it will stay there.’, noted Selmani during our interview as we asked how difficult it was for them to reach out to people to share their work.  As part of the release of the database, Sekhmet hosted several significant events such as a public discussion titled ‘Queer Literature in Kosovo: Birth or Impossibility?’ and a public reading of queer poems ‘Night of Queer Readings’.

During a discussion with the executive director of the NGO, Dardan Hoti, I asked if there is something other than the database on the horizon regarding queer literature. He replied, “Something bigger is definitely coming.”

‘E prapëseprapë ne jemi këtu ‘, translated from Albanian into English ‘We are still here either way’, is their latest literary project, a collaboration between queer authors from Kosovo and North Macedonia which wraps up the queer literature project. While having a read at it, this is not just an ordinary book, it is a whole powerful courageous voices trying to give a part of themselves by contributing to and challenging the heteronormative standards that dominate mainstream literature. The book offers a refreshing and brave departure from what we are often served in bookstore, disrupting what is considered “normal.”  It is a testament to the ongoing fight for visibility, recognition, and equality within the Balkans’ queer community, giving space to voices that have long been silenced.

The idea of “queerness as horizon” from José Esteban Muñoz came to life on the 30th of August at Prishtina’s Grand Hotel, with the first large-scale exhibition by Sekhmet Institute, curated by Shaunak Mahbubani assisted by Anyla Kabashi.  “Wrapped in the Shadow of Freedom “, whose title was inspired by the Albanian poet Ledia Dushi’s poem Ndryshue/Change, is a groundbreaking exploration of queerness and political freedom in Kosovo, bringing together artists from the Balkans and the Global South.

The exhibition presents a rich collection of artworks addressing themes of gender, intersectionality, and the complex realities of freedom in the post-independence era. Highlights include archival photographs documenting 19th-century gender nonconformity and a queer reinterpretation of traditional heirloom weaving. Moreover, it explores the intersection of queerness and Islam, particularly in the works Anna Ehrenstein and Arbër Selmani, bringing to light often suppressed conversations within the region.

Other powerful contributions among others include archival photographs expressing gender non-conformity from the late nineteenth century from by Piro Rexhepi, Robert Gabris’ photographic exploration of non-binary Roma experiences, Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi’s ritualistic video-performance on queer liberation in Ghana, and Clifford Prince King’s tender video-poem grappling with HIV and intimacy.

As Mahbubani reflects, Wrapped in the Shadow of Freedom asks us to explore what we can gain or lose when forced to choose between safety and visibility.

Supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports of Kosovo, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Hajde Foundation, among others, Wrapped in the Shadow of Freedom is a testament to the power of art in fostering dialogue and inclusivity.

Find more on Sekhmet’s vision via the link:  https://www.sekhmet-ks.com/