Syria: Quo Vadis?

As part of our event series Syria: Quo Vadis?, we continue exploring the complex entanglements between Syria’s shifting political reality and its creative diaspora. In previous conversations, guests have shared the deep emotional disorientation of returning to Syria after years in exile. The question of return remains central – but what about those for whom returning is not an option? For many Syrian artists in the diaspora, political calls for their “immediate return” – often framed in exclusionary or discriminatory terms – stand in stark contrast to their precarious legal status, which often does not even allow for a visit. Furthermore, rising anti-migration rhetoric in Germany and across Europe places them in a position of increasing limbo, caught between a political climate that urges them to leave and a home country they cannot safely return to. Our next discussion will center on this tension – how legal, political, and social forces shape artistic production in exile and influence the personal and professional trajectories of Syrian artists in Germany. 

In this open discussion, we present the film “Becoming Iphigenia”, directed by Reem Al-Ghazzi, which documents the theatrical production Iphigenia, written by Mohammad Al Attar and directed by Omar Abu Saada for the Volksbühne Theatre in 2017. The screening will be followed by a conversation with playwright Mohammad Al Attar, multidiciplinary artist Zena El Abdalla, as well as migration researcher Ruby Haji Naif. 

The discussion will explore how exiled Syrians in Germany navigate a rapidly changing political landscape. How does the growing pressure for deportations and the broader shift in migration discourse affect their sense of belonging? What does it mean to build a future in a country where the mood towards refugees has become increasingly hostile? At the same time, how do significant political shifts in Syria – where the Assad regime has fallen but the country is entering a new and uncertain phase – affect perceptions of home and the possibility of return? Are Syrian artists and intellectuals caught between two unstable contexts? And how does this shape their creative work, their narratives, and their evolving sense of identity? 

The discussion will be moderated by Carmen Herold, Project Head of Goethe-Institut in Exile.