Poetics of Resistance

Poetic Resistance is a curatorial and artistic programme at Make-up e.V. unfolding between 2026 and 2027. Initiated and developed by artists Marina Resende and Jakob Margit Wirth, the project grows out of their shared artistic research interest in art as a form of resistance and its possibilities under contemporary neoliberal conditions.

Responding to the increasing absorption of critique into market-oriented systems, Poetic Resistance investigates poetic, subtle, and situated artistic strategies that operate between aesthetics, everyday life, and collective practice. Rather than overt activism, the programme foregrounds precise interventions, humour, care, and affect as tools for political and social engagement.

The programme consists of neighbourhood-based artistic interventions (Summer 2026), the Poetic Resistance Summer School with artists and theorists (spring 2027), and a concluding exhibition in autumn 2027. Rooted in self-organisation and collective support, Poetic Resistance understands poetic action not as withdrawal, but as a quiet yet incisive mode of artistic resistance within the urban fabric.