This special edition of Pressure Me was dedicated to the theme “The Paradox of Racism”. We invited 12 international artists from Germany, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Syria, South Korea, Mexico, Bosnia/Croatia, and Hungary to reflect on systemic discrimination, access to work, and the contradictions within global structures — all within just 12 hours of creating.

The initiative began with a workshop led by Claudia Greifenhahn and Chiara Zattolo, opening the dialogue around the theme and offering inspiration for the creative process. From there, the artists went straight into action, working intensively throughout the day. Despite the pressure (and a few challenges along the way), everyone succeeded in completing a unique piece — ranging from paintings and drawings to installations, collage, mixed media, and performance.

The exhibition opening was hosted by Olga Yocheva and Angel Vasilev, co-founders of Pressure Me. It included a presentation on Urban Decolonisation Walks in the EU by Maria Francesca Mele, a powerful performance by Maya Antova, and live music from members of Zambo Ray.

A heartfelt thank you goes to our organizers Aleksandra Matula and Izabela Modrzewska, as well as our wonderful hosts at Weltclub. We are also deeply grateful for the support of Stadtbezirk Dresden Neustadt, whose funding made this edition possible.

Participating artists:
Anke Tossah (Germany) / Angel Vasilev (Bulgaria) / Kai-Daria Domaskina (Ukraine) / Alissar Almaleh (Syria) / Olga Yocheva (Bulgaria) / Suah Lee (South Korea) / Jakyeong Jeong (South Korea) / Benuz (Mexico) / Anna Mukhanova (Ukraine) / Dobrin Atanasov (Bulgaria) / Maya Antova (Bulgaria) / Iva Markulj (Bosnia/Croatia) / Hajnal Szolga (Hungary)

It was a day full of dialogue, creativity, and collective energy – showing once again that under pressure, art truly thrives. ❤️