Speakers: Andrea AK, Luce deLire, Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi aka crazinisT artisT, Juliana Gleeson, D Mortimer, Alison Rumfitt, Francis Ruyter, Basyma Saad, Isa Schieche, Jack Thompson / Cipher Press, Maxi Wallenhorst, Francis Whorrall-Campbell

“Transsexuality reveals life to be a narration,” poet D Mortimer brings it to the point: life is always about change and narrative—a constant state of transition, which does not apply solely to trans experiences, rather it can be understood as an essential feature of human existence. Trans spells out what cisness denies: the instability of categories and fixed identities. A life in transition is—similar to literary and theoretical genres—characterized by mobility, change, and restlessness.

What strategies distinguish the work of trans authors and artists in a present that clearly shows that representation alone is no protection against repression and violence? Which literary or artistic means can counteract the rise of right-wing ideologies and reactionary mindsets? How can the narrative of becoming be told above and beyond identity categories?

The trans*poetics symposium brings together authors and artists whose radical thinking and writing strive for collective forms of expression and political agency and as such are always an open invitation and obligation at once—an invitation to renew and transform allegedly established identifications and the imperative of solidarity. In this endeavor, an intentional mixture of theoretical reflection and artistic practice takes on a central role. The interplay between theory and art opens up new perspectives and thought processes that transgress disciplinary boundaries while enabling new forms of knowledge production and expression. The theoretical and the poetic—targeted forces that can forge alliances: the symposium trans*poetics aims to discuss and implement these processes in a vibrant range of lectures, performances, and talks.

In collaboration with the Department of Transcultural Studies, University of Applied Arts Vienna

Curators: Eddie van Gemmern, Nanna Heidenreich, Franz Thalmair

Program & Registration

Thursday, October 16, 2025, 10 am to 7 pm

mumok cinema

Speakers: D Mortimer, Andrea AK, Isa Schieche, Luce deLire, Jack Thompson / Cipher Press, Maxi Wallenhorst, Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi aka crazinisT artisT, Francis Ruyter (moderation)

Register for Thursday, October 16

Friday, October 17, 2025, 10 am to 4 pm

mumok cinema

Speakers: Basyma Saad, Alison Rumfitt, Francis Whorrall-Campbell, Juliana Gleeson, Francis Ruyter (moderation)

Register for Friday, October 17

The detailed program will be announced shortly.

Participation is free with registration. Please note: Separate registration is required for both symposium days.