“Return to sender”

After 90 minutes of heart-warming, whilst thrilling, somehow saddening, yet entertaining and thought-provoking handmade poetry, Goethe’s rooftop was bursting into standing ovations. “Return to Sender” by Gloria Kiconco, a versatile poet and lyricist from Kampala, may be considered as one of Goethe-Zentrum’s most appreciated events. The interactive poetry performance and illustration exhibition that took place on the 28th of July, reflected on power in the family and the church. “Return to Sender”  thereby is a term usually associated to the postal system to indicate a letter (or mail) that the receiver returns without taking notice. By detaching it from its context, Kiconco uses this phrase as a metaphor for rejected conversations, unacknowledged truths and questions that persons in power do not want to engage with. Thus “Return to Sender” is an ongoing exploration of power that borrows the structure of a church service to explore rejected conversations in those spaces, who is on which side of the rejection, and what gender has to do with it. Illustrations inspired by and inspiring Kiconco’s poetry where exhibited by Liz Kobusinge, whose works were also being presented as a zine released on the same day. After the performance FyaLeBoof turnt the evening into a Rooftop Sundowner.