12th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art

Messy Glossary

Term

De/humanization

Texts

Proposed by Sibongile Oageng Msimango

The fallacy that certain human life is of greater worth than others, which leads to the denial of agency, rights and privileges of those wrongfully deemed of lesser value. This festering sense of entitlement breeds contempt and cruelty in place of compassion, the basic unit of connection that forms humanity.

Touching my hair (or anything else on my body for that matter) without my consent.

Blatant disregard of boundaries.

Gruesome display of certain bodies, consumed like ice-cream.

Calloused civilization.

Us vs Them.

= Violence.